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Danielle van Dam - Case Timeline prior to trial of David Westerfield. Feb 2 - May 30, 2002
Crime and Punishment ^ | May 30, 2002 | Bill Bickel

Posted on 05/30/2002 12:18:18 PM PDT by FresnoDA

A fairly complete synopsis of the VD case....some of the links however have expired....FresnoDA

Danielle van Dam
by Bill Bickel

Sometime between 10pm Friday, February 1, 2002, and 9am Saturday, February 2, 7-year-old Danielle van Dam disappeared from her bedroom in the Sabre Springs section of San Diego, California. Her body was found in the desert outside of San Diego on February 27.

Update: May 28
The actual jury selection for David Westerfield's trial began today (previously, potential jurors had been filling out questionnaires)

Analysis: May 21
Why did the defense favor a speedy trial? Probably to take advantage of the public backlash against the van Dams.

Update: May 17
Jury selection began this morning with potential jurors completing questionnaires. The trial date is tentatively set for June 3

Update: May 15
The judge ruled today that some of the pornography on David Westerfield's computer will be allowed as evidence in the trial, and that the jury will only hear limited testimony about the Damon and Branda van Dam's sexual lifestyles (as if anybody living in the San Diego area hasn't already read about it in somewhat-graphic detail)

Update: May 8
Prosecutors want to show the jury a computer animation -- from David Westerfield's computer -- showing a young girl being sexually molested. This, they say, would indicate Westerfield's motive for abducting Danielle. The defense, not surprisingly, has asked the judge not to allow this.

Update: May 7
During a hearing in which lawyers were presenting pre-trial motions, the prosecution disclosed that, based on Danielle's missing teeth, they believe she was suffocated by having something stuffed into her mouth

Update: May 7
The judge has ruled that 6 of the 7 autopsy photos can be admitted as evidence.

Update: May 4
While searching a local dump for evidence in the Jahi Turner disappearance, searchers found documents from the office of the lawyer defending David Westerfield. No details have been released, but the documents were sealed and impounded

Update: April 25
Prosecutors announced today that they will seek the death penalty against David Westerfield.

Update: April 19
A judge has determined that only one of the police officers involved in Westerfield's interrogation had any complaints against him, and handed that information over to Westerfield's attorney (see April 4 update)

Update: April 18
Television and radio broadcasts will be allowed in David Westerfield's trial

Update: April 17
A lawyer representing the news media has filed an appeal requesting that the information that led to the search warrant for David Westerfield's home and vehicle (and, ultimately, his arrest) be released to the public. The defense opposes this disclosure on the grounds that it will influence any potential jury -- and that some of the information won't be admissible in the trial anyway.
(See poll, right-hand column)

Update: April 12
Was David Westerfield "abusively" questioned? Prosecutors offer the police side of the story, insisting the questioning was completely voluntary

Update: April 4
David Westerfield's attorney charges that Westerfield had been questioned "abusively" and denied legal counsel -- and requested the personnel files of everybody involved to determine whether they'd been accused of treating suspects in this manner in the past.

Update: March 28
David Westerfield is arraigned and pleads not guilty. A May 17 trial date was set. The prosecution did not state whether it would ask for the death penalty, and the defense did not state whether it would ask for a change of venue (both sides have until April 18 to file motions). This article includes an analysis of what the defense strategy might be.

Analysis: March 26
Why David Westerfield might prefer a quick trial in San Diego County

  • Also: DNA Evidence: How it's used in general, and how it will be used in the case against David Westerfield
Update: March 14
Brenda van Dam testifies. She mentioned that Westerfield had told her he hosted "adult parties", and Brenda adds "I didn't know what he meant by that". Given the rumors of the van Dams' involvement in activities of this sort -- and the ultimate irrelevance of this information -- it seems a rather odd thing for her to be mentioning.
Update: Brenda van Dam was cross-examined about her sexual lifestyle, her drinking and her drug use. It was a fairly ugly exercise, and this was just a preliminary hearing to determine whether Westerfield should be held over for trial, and its outcome is hardly in doubt: Westerfield's actual trial promises to be far worse.
Update: As expected, David Westerfield has been ordered to stand trial. Arraignment has been scheduled for March 28. Also: During questioning today, Damon van Dam admitted he'd gone to bed with one of Brenda's friends the night Danielle went missing.Update: March 12
Investigators say that David Westerfield had over 64,000 "sexually provocative" pictures of (apparently) teenage girls on his computers.
Update: Westerfield also had 2200 mpeg videos, but the total number of images clearly involving minors is now said to be about 100
Update: Danielle's fingerprints were found in Westerfield's home. The hearing will resume Thursday (March 14)

Update: March 11
At David Westerfield's preliminary hearing, he officially heard the charges against him and the public learned some unpleasant details about the evidence linking him to Danielle's abduction and murder. The hearing will decide whether Westerfield will stand trial, though it's probably safe to call that a foregone conclusion.

Update: March 11
Police investigators describe what made them suspicious of David Westerfield

Update: March 9
Superior Court Judge H. Ronald Domnitz has issued a gag order applying to all parties in the case

Update: March 8
The defense is asking for a gag order relating to this case. The judge is expected to rule later today.
David Westerfield faces a preliminary hearing Monday (March 11).

Update: March 6
Shortly after Danielle's body was found, two San Diego police detectives tried to speak with Westerfield without permission from either the prosecutor's office or Westerfield's lawyer

Update: March 4
The defense is appealing a court order that would make public the details of the search warrants issued for David Westerfield

Update: March 1
Because of the decomposition of the body, the time and cause of death might never be positively determined

Update: February 28
All search efforts have ceased.
Update: An autopsy has officially confirmed that the girl found in the desert was Danielle van Dam

Update: February 28
All search efforts have ceased.
Update: An autopsy has officially confirmed that the girl found in the desert was Danielle van Dam

Update: February 27
A girl's body has been found in the desert just outside of San Diego. Details to follow
Update: Police say there's "a high probability" that the body is Danielle's. Also: Police are searching a dry cleaning establishment where Westerfield reportedly brought both clothing and seat cushions from his motor home, shortly after Danielle's disappearance
Update:
"Tonight we believe that Danielle van Dam's body has been found" -San Diego County District Attorney Paul Pfingst
The identification of Danielle's body is virtually certain: Medical tests will be performed, but a plastic necklace and earring similar to those Danielle was wearing when she disappeared were found near the body.

Update: February 26
David Westerfield is charged with murder, kidnapping, and possession of child pornography
Update: He's pleaded "not guilty", and is being held without bond

Update: February 25
"I must conclude that Danielle van Dam is no longer living and was killed by her abductor" -San Diego District Attorney Paul Pfingst
Although Danielle's body has not been found, David Westerfield will be arraigned tomorrow on murder and kidnapping charges.

Update: February 24
San Diego Police Chief David Benjarano confirmed that child pornography had been found in David Westerfield's home.

Update: February 23
More information about the evidence against David Westerfield and how it was acquired. This article also confirms that pornography was found in Westerfield's home, but notes that it has not been determined whether any of females in the photographs were under 18 (last week, UPI referred to Westerfield as being "reportedly a collecter of child pornography")

There appears to have been no basis to the tips earlier this week that Danielle had been spotted in Tijuana

Update: February 22
David Westerfield was arrested at 10:45 this morning (1:45pm EET) and charged with kidnapping Danielle.
Update: Danielle's blood had been found on Westerfield's clothing and in his motor home

Update: February 21
Police returned to the van Dam home today and took away 2 sliding doors from Danielle's room, hoping to find fingerprints or other evidence. Just as an aside: This case has now officially been adopted by the supermarket tabloids, with the cover of this week's Star referring to Danielle as "The New JonBenet".

Update: February 21
Based on several tips, investigators have expanded their search area into Mexico (Tijuana is less than 20 miles from San Diego)

Update: February 20
Investigators are looking into similarities between Danielle's disappearance and a number of other unsolved area disappearances going back almost 30 years.
Update: Police are examining DNA from the case of Patricia Kuzara,, a local 7-year-old girl who was abducted and murdered in 1974

Update: February 16
This UPI story describes David Westerfield as being "reportedly a collecter of child pornography".

Update: February 15
"We will solve this case sooner rather than later ... We have a ton of evidence that we are meticulously going over. We are making progress" -Assistant Chief Steve Creighton of the San Diego Police Department
Unfortunately, noplace in Mr Creighton's statement, which the San Diego Union Tribune refers to as "confident", was there any expectation of actually bringing Danielle home...

Update: February 14
Police searched David Westerfield's home again last night (no word yet on why or what was found), and the van Dams have scheduled a press conference for this morning at 8:00 Pacific Standard Time (11 Eastern Standard Time)
Update: Police searched Westerfield's house for 5 hours and carried out boxes and other items. No further details were announced.
Update: The press conference was a call for more search volunteers

Update: February 13
David Westerfield is now considered the sole suspect, and the FBI is analyzing his DNA. Also, a knapsack found about a mile from the van Dam home seems to be significant, but the police aren't elaborating.

Update: February 13
"We are not real hopeful on her condition" - Lieutenant Jim Duncan, San Diego homicide detective

Update: February 12
A local bail bondsman has put up a $50,000 reward for information about Danielle's abduction, and her parents have hired one of the country's biggest PR firms to coordinate their media appearances.

Update: February 11
Danielle's parents offer a $25,000 reward, as the investigation seems to be at a standstill

Update: February 11
A Newsweek article about the case, mentioning how the public's attention ("the media's attention" might be more accurate) is becoming increasingly focused on Damon and Brenda van Dam's alleged "swinger" lifestyle. This article still mentions David Westerfield's RV having been stuck in the desert on February 2, the day of Danielle's disappearance, when in fact it's now believed that this happened on February 3.

Update: February 11
A quote from today's Washington Times (italics mine): "Danielle was apparently abducted while she slept and her parents were reportedly busy partying with some friends behind locked doors"

Update: February 10
Facts presented without comment: A man who moved next door to the van Dams two days before Danielle's disappearance says that the morning she went missing, Damon asked him if he'd seen her, telling him she has a habit of sleepwalking.

Update: February 9
According to this San Diego Union-Tribune article, the public is starting to question aspects of the van Dams' account (and their lifestyle). What they're really saying here is that the media's starting to turn on them.

Update: February 9
A look at the circumstantial case against David Westerfield
February 10 Update: The tow truck driver's account of pulling Westerfield's RV out of the sand in the desert Saturday, February 2, is now thought to be in error: Evidence indicates this actually happened Sunday, February 3

Update: February 7
David Westerfield, though still not officially a suspect, has hired a lawyer.

There are definitely some odd aspects to this case: the fact that Damon van Dam thought nothing of the fact that a door was open at 1:30am comes to mind. Odder, perhaps, is Damon's description of Westerfield as "an acquaintance. He's not a friend ... We've seen him since we moved in", though his wife, Brenda, had been dancing with Westerfield at a bar the night of Danielle's disappearance (before midnight).

Update: February 7
Today, Danielle's parents were driven by police to a remote area of the desert outside of San Diego. Police aren't revealing any specifics, but this is believed to be the area where David Westerfield was camping Saturday (hours after Danielle's disappearance)

Update: February 6
This article details some of the evidence that makes David Westerfield a suspect in Danielle's disappearance (though police have not officially named him as a suspect and in fact have not actually released his name)

Update: February 5
A neighbor, David Westerfield, whom police are saying is "not under arrest", is being questioned.
Update: Westerfield's car has been impounded, after investigators searching it found evidence connected with the case.

Update: February 4
Police are treating the disappearance of the 7-year-old San Diego-area girl as an abduction. She was last seen in her bedroom Friday night. At 1:30am her father, Damon van Dam, noticed that a burglar alarm light was blinking, and a door was open.

February 3
The original news story



TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: vandam; westerfield
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To: theirjustdue
If it's something off the VD's computer, it may not be definitive enough to bring actual charges (yet, anyway). Could be nothing more than her getting out of the tub. Still would meet the definition of "a nude, prepubescent female" wouldn't it?

Now, before you guffaw at that kind of possibility, I'll save you the trouble. Remember the photos found on DW's computer of his girlfriend's daughter lounging in her swimsuit? Not all that much, in and of themselves, in my mind. But, they were used to show an emerging picture of what they claim DW to be.

Could the same be said of DVD if such questiionable photos of Danielle were found on his computer? In other words, "What's good for the goose is good for the gander".

Fair enough.. If that's all feldman's got though... that is a guffaw..

161 posted on 05/31/2002 1:36:07 PM PDT by Freedom2specul8
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To: Karson
T he DA's office already has just cause -- the VDs testimony under oath

If anything..at least smoking pot charges..but you know what...some people would say losing their child was punishment enough.

162 posted on 05/31/2002 1:38:13 PM PDT by Freedom2specul8
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To: Politicalmom
If there aren't child endangerment charges after all this, I am going to be disgusted.

What charges would you like to see and what evidence should they use?

163 posted on 05/31/2002 1:39:26 PM PDT by Freedom2specul8
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To: ~Kim4VRWC's~
Drugs, and driving drunk/stoned are illegal. Leaving children under the age of ten alone at home is also illegal, although I am not sure whether this is true in CA. I lived in CA, and I never had to ask, because I would NEVER leave a 5 year old, a seven year old and a nine year old at home alone. Those items, as well as leaving them alone in a mall should be more than sufficient to prove endangerment and/or unfitness to parent.
164 posted on 05/31/2002 1:50:55 PM PDT by Politicalmom
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To: Politicalmom
I have to say this. Something has been bothering me about all of Danielle's pictures, and I finally figured it out. Why does she look so raggedy? Her hair almost always looks like a haystack, and she just looks NEGLECTED. Am I alone in feeling this way?

No ma'am you are not alone. I've been thinking that same thing since I saw her first photo and the first time I saw the home video that was played on TV. Even my husband commented on it and he never comments on anything like that!

165 posted on 05/31/2002 1:51:40 PM PDT by Karson
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To: ~Kim4VRWC's~
So they don't have to bear the consequences for breaking the law. How nice for them. Never heard that as a defense for lawbreaking.
166 posted on 05/31/2002 1:52:37 PM PDT by Politicalmom
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To: Politicalmom
NOTE: All of those items are from A SINGLE DAY!!!!
167 posted on 05/31/2002 1:53:17 PM PDT by Politicalmom
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To: Politicalmom
Yeah, I don't know CA law either....in many states, it depends on the maturity of the "child in charge"..but for the rest..drugs, drunk driving etc., I have to agree... At least some kind of abuse education..they would be GREAT examples of what to NOT do for parents who've not suffered terrible consequences for their actions.
168 posted on 05/31/2002 1:54:34 PM PDT by Freedom2specul8
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To: Politicalmom
All of those items are from A SINGLE DAY!!!!

SIGH..... No one can deny that it's sickening. I'm going to refrain from further comments only because it's prejudice against alcoholics, druggies and partiers. Oh ok, I'll say a little something. They are selfish a-holes who needs some serious brain retrainment. Unfortunately, you can't FORCE people to change for the better. They have to want to.

169 posted on 05/31/2002 1:57:48 PM PDT by Freedom2specul8
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To: ~Kim4VRWC's~
No, I noticed the hair thing as well... I didn't judge her cuz I had horrid hair problems between 10-13 yrs. It was too fine, and looked stringy so easy..but blonde hair does that. Of course, my hair is much darker now..but I do remember tangles.

Sorry but I have to differ with you here. I have daughters and I have granddaughters. Mostly blondes but some brunettes and one redhead. Some natural curly hair and some not. Some of them have such fine hair and tangles that their moms almost want to pull their own hair out sometimes, dealing with it. But they do deal with it and keep them looking nice; none of them look stringy, straggley, or unkempt in any way.

170 posted on 05/31/2002 1:58:50 PM PDT by Karson
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To: Karson
Yeah, I'm not surprised...maybe for some people it's like that and some it's not.. It may not have anything to do with hair color..but I do know that blondes tend to have finer hair. I hated my hair... I would brush it and then with 10-15 minutes...stringy at the bottom. Not the top...
171 posted on 05/31/2002 2:02:59 PM PDT by Freedom2specul8
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To: Karson
My eight year old daughter is a bit of a tom boy, BUT she has lovely blonde hair AND she is very consious of how it looks. She is ALWAYS concerned about the appearance of her hair.
172 posted on 05/31/2002 2:03:00 PM PDT by demsux
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To: ~Kim4VRWC's~
....but blonde hair does that

I meant to say I differ with you on this part of your post.

173 posted on 05/31/2002 2:03:37 PM PDT by Karson
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To: Karson
Maybe I just had a bad haircut or something..I don't know. LOL I'm not a beautician. :)
174 posted on 05/31/2002 2:04:01 PM PDT by Freedom2specul8
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To: demsux
My eight year old daughter is a bit of a tom boy, BUT she has lovely blonde hair AND she is very consious of how it looks. She is ALWAYS concerned about the appearance of her hair.

Yep, I can relate to what you are saying... with my own daughters and with my granddaughters.

175 posted on 05/31/2002 2:08:53 PM PDT by Karson
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To: Karson
Sudden storm popping up here... complete with thunder and sharp lightning. Shutting my computer down for now.
176 posted on 05/31/2002 2:11:03 PM PDT by Karson
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To: Karson
Stay safe and see ya when you get back. Just to clarify, my kids were lucky enough to not suffer from my fate..
177 posted on 05/31/2002 2:31:01 PM PDT by Freedom2specul8
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To: ~Kim4VRWC's~
Well, why is *he* charged with child porn and not the vd's?

Because it's not germane to this murder trial (in the LE eyes). They are also not charged with possession of illegal substances (or anything yet), but drug use has already been stipulated. Next!

anyway, I think Feldman was trying to plant a seed. If there is not really child porn from DW (as per PH) then most clear-thinking jurors would wonder why that is even added to the charges.

btw, what will happen if the 'child porn' charges are dropped during trial, hmmm?

178 posted on 05/31/2002 2:33:39 PM PDT by fnord
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To: Politicalmom
I don't guess Brenda belonged to the MADD org.??????????
179 posted on 05/31/2002 2:41:10 PM PDT by BARLF
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To: ~Kim4VRWC's~
"Fair enough.. If that's all feldman's got though... that is a guffaw..

That may be, but let's not forget it's not really up to Feldman to "have" anything. And, IMO, if the DA doesn't have a lot more than we are currently aware of, Feldman won't be needing much.

In any case, it's up to the prosecutor to provide the evidence to prove DW did it. We won't know for a few days what that might be, but we're getting mighty close.

As for me, I intend to keep an open mind as to what is presented and if the evidence is there, I will be the first to say hang him.

180 posted on 05/31/2002 2:48:35 PM PDT by theirjustdue
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