Damon Van Dam Takes Witness Stand: Day 2 of Westerfield Trial

KGTV 10 News-San Diego ^ | June 5, 2002 | KGTV

[John Jamieson]

Bunny, you have not addressed my post 82, Any comment?

[spectre]

Thank you, coop...we all deserve answers to our questions, even if we don't like what we hear (I include myself in that). This one has me puzzled tho.

sw

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

I did not watch it but would love to. It is not televised in Los Angeles.

With all due respect probably the same places you are, the local San Diego papers, AP, Reuters, thesandiegchannel.com and Court TV.

Call me confused, but which is it? Are both of these your words?

If you aren't watching testimony, you are basing your belief on reports.

You come out awfully authoritatively for someone who "did not watch"......or did you? I can't keep up.

[John Jamieson]

moral issues rather than "who murdered Danielle". I agree that for purposes of the trial, the moral issues are only important to extent that they help defind "who did it". Murder is a moral issue and I think that immoral people are much more likely to do it. Now we've got the scuz ball next door vs. the scuzs balls at home. Porno on the neighbors computer, vs. the live porno at home.

[RnMomof7]

I feel nothing but sympathy for what happened to that poor little girl. However, her parents are sleazy creeps who cared more for their perverted pleasures than for the safety of their children. I do hold them somewhat responsible for what occured. If they hadn't holed themselves up in the garage to smoke dope and have an orgy, Danielle might be here today. I know that there are folks here on FR who think that the Van Dam's "private life" had nothing to do with the daughters abduction/murder. Phooey. Not only are the parents LIARS, but they are shameless fools as well...

We agree

[BunnySlippers]

You come out awfully authoritatively for someone who "did not watch"......or did you? I can't keep up.

All you to need to do is to read over my posts to see that I have said that I am just like the average observer. I know from the past that you live nearer to San Diego than I do. Perhaps ... perhaps you are watching it on TV but I do not have access. I am a crime buff but I again have no special information nor do I claim to have. The only thing I have is an interest in the case from the beginning (as you have had). I read the daily synposis on rec.true-crime, the stories here and the sources I have already mentioned. Any special "authorative" air that you may have read into my posts is a result of your imagination.

[spectre]

Well, WE did watch the trial. THE Dog could bark, and did bark to "get into the house" said Damon...But still, we have those who say the dog couldn't bark. WHY? Because that's what Damon and Brenda said from the get-go.

Wonder which neighbor heard the doggie bark and spilled the beans to Feldman?

OH, Michael Savage is now talking about the van Dams. Listen!

sw

[vacrn]

others knew Layla the peeing-barkless-bleeding wonder dog.

Jaded, I always get such a chuckle out of your description of the dog! You really should give me a spew warning!

[RnMomof7]

Even a murder hasn't been proven -- and beyond a reasonable doubt, probably can not be proven.

Thats my thought ..what if the little girl woke up and no one was home and she wandered out? They do not have proof of sexual abuses eithor right?

[BunnySlippers]

I started out my writing with: "Westerfield is probably guilty", which is about the most you can say at this point.

Maybe he did it BECAUSE they wouldn't let him play in their sand box?

Okay this is post 82.

I'd say perhaps it was one of my working theories early on.

From today's opening statements I know the prosecution is trying to establish that he was observing Danielle all along. I'm not sure they will be able to make a case for this but I personally think he was.

Therefore, I'm NOT SURE (no more no less) whether he was mad about not playing in their sandbox. Possibly.

[BunnySlippers]

But still, we have those who say the dog couldn't bark.

I haven't seen transcripts of opening statements. But dogs who have had their vocal cords cut (and this was in an earlier article) can still "bark" but in a low pitched raspy way. Can you tell me if the VD's have said the dog has a normal bark?

[Freedom2specul8]

They can track the ping from the nearest tower. Depends on what the range of each tower is. If it's 10 miles radius the tower will pick up the same ping no matter where your are. The cell phone was a warrant issue. But no that's not explosive. Explosive was something said.

10-4... I think physical evidence could be explosive too.

[Freedom2specul8]

If he said ANYTHING implying that he knew where the body was, and it's allowed in, Westerfield's doomed.

Since RR's source has been at least partially correct....

[spectre]

They started out from the get-go saying the dog couldn't bark..changed it to the dog didn't learn to bark..to the dog whimpered loudly...to today's soft spoken admittance by Damon that the dog barked to get into the house, but seldom barked otherwise.

You missed it, Bunny.

sw

[sbnsd]

Even a murder hasn't been proven -- and beyond a reasonable doubt, probably can not be proven.

Thats my thought ..what if the little girl woke up and no one was home and she wandered out? They do not have proof of sexual abuses eithor right?

This is what I was just thinking in reading the posts about the barking/non-barking dog. Since they had brought up sleep-walking, and I haven't heard if there is definitive evidence DW was in the VD house, what if she just wandered off, and perhaps it was DW or some other person who saw her wandering the streets in the darkness and took her? This could explain no barking from the dog, and the question as to how he knew how to get around the layout of a home he'd never been in.

We don't even know HOW it happened.

[Irene Adler]

" The fiction of "pleading innocent" makes me grind my teeth."

ME TOO! I thought I was the only one. I am fairly sure that there isn't anywhere in the U.S. where you can plead "innocent". You can only plead "not guilty" or "guilty" or "no contest/Alford plea" (which seems to be pretty close to a "guilty" plea).

If I am wrong on this, I wish some FReeper lawyer would set me straight cause I would like to know.

[BunnySlippers]

changed it to the dog didn't learn to bark..to the dog whimpered loudly...to today's soft spoken admittance by Damon that the dog barked to get into the house, but seldom barked otherwise.

And you're an out and out liar! Point out where I said that:

a. The dog whimpered (as you state)
b. That the dog barked to get into the house (as you state)
c. The dog seldom barked otherwise (as you state)

What's the deal? Are you making up stuff as you go?

[spectre]

Deep Breath...kiddo. I never SAID you said it, I was saying that is what the van Dams have said.

I was trying to give you some information, since you didn't watch the trial.

Won't make that mistake again.

sw

[BunnySlippers]

I was trying to give you some information, since you didn't watch the trial.

Thanks, duly noted. I seem to be the evil one even though I do not condone the parents actions.

BTW, what channel are you getting it on?

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

Won't make that mistake again.

*snicker*........Where's Rod Serling when you need him?