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

SAN DIEGO -- The tearful father of murder victim Danielle van Dam admitted under oath Wednesday that he initially lied to police about a few events at his home that led up to her disappearance.

Damon van Dam, 36, said police asked him what had happened in the garage of his home that night when two friends of his wife, Brenda, arrived before a "girls night out" at Dad's Cafe in Poway.

The father testified that he initially didn't tell authorities that he had taken "a puff or two" from a marijuana cigarette the women were smoking.

"I didn't think it mattered and I didn't want to get in trouble for that," van Dam told prosecutor Jeff Dusek.

But van Dam said that after the officers told him they were only interested in finding his daughter, he began to be truthful with them.

He said he also did not tell police about one of his wife's girlfriends, Barbara Easton, coming into his bedroom that night after returning from the outing.

"When they told me it was absolutely critical to know what happened that night, I told them everything that happened that night," van Dam said.

He said Barbara was on the bed with him, above the covers, for about five minutes as Brenda first went to the bathroom, then downstairs.

"I kissed (Barbara), snuggled her some," van Dam said. "I think I put my arm around her and rubbed her back."

Damon van Dam

In his opening statement Tuesday, defense attorney Steven Feldman said that initial lies from the van Dams threw the police investigation off track.

Much of the morning testimony in the David Westerfield trial Wednesday was designed to orient jurors to the layout of the van Dam house, by using a floor plan and photographs.

Van Dam described the upstairs hallway that led to bedrooms, and also told the jury of six men and six women what was in Danielle's room. One of the issues in the case is whether artwork posted on the doors of the bedrooms would help someone know which room would be hers.

He added that each of the children's rooms had night lights, but Danielle's was burned out, so he opened the drapes to allow light from the street into the room.

Shown a photograph of his daughter's door, van Dam began to cry as he described why a dog gate had been placed there.

"I asked that the room not be cleaned," he finally explained.

Earlier today, Dr. Norman "Skip" Sperber, a forensic dentist, testified that four of Danielle's teeth were missing when he examined her mouth.

One eventually was found "way in the back of the mouth, where the gum meets the cheek," he said.

Under questioning by Deputy District Attorney Jeff Dusek, Sperber said it is not unusual for teeth to fall out during decomposition.

The child's body was found near some dumped trash and under a tree off a road in Dehesa in East County.

However, no teeth were found at the scene, Sperber said. He explained that animals, who sometimes carry away human remains, normally do not bother with teeth.

In opening statements, the prosecution said the loss of teeth showed that Danielle could have been suffocated.

If a couple is this amoral, could they also be into incest and sexual child abuse? What about their drug dealing friends? any perverts there? How hard would it be to plant evidence in the RV? Are the other children in danger?

John, one of the impressions I came away with after hearing DVD, is not only was he lying and doing all he could to avoid answering questions, but even when the worst of the worst of the day, was finally revealed, I still got the very strong impression that there is much more being withheld.

I don't know the why and I can only imagine what it might be, but I hope after all witnesses have testified, that Feldman has DVD back on the stand as a hostile witness.

If it is proven that DW is guilty, I would like to see whatever it might be, that it appears - to me - is being suppressed, brought to light, before DW or, whoever takes that long walk.

Uh.......I think it's a little too late for that. My guess is that their lifestyle is about all the jurors and observers remember about today's trial.

Well, if they haven't screened the jurors ... but hopefully the defense will not be allowed to hijack the trial and hammer on the parents. I have no problem in holding the parents to task for their lifestyle (which I do no t approve of) .... but this is a trial about whether Westerfield killed that young girl. It is entirely possible that the parents have a disgusting lifestyle, but their daughter was killed by someone UNRELATED to that lifestyle ... which I think happened in this case. I am confident that this judge will not allow the defense to turn this trial to a mockery (however I am not holding my breath).

How can the lifestyle be avoided and still hold a fair trial? The activity and the actors were very entangled in the events that occurred in the van Dam home at the time Danielle disappeared.

Anyone who says they want to get to the bottom of the story and learn the full truth, but also wants the VDs to be left uninvestigated is not honestly interested in the truth.

How any sensible person can quickly eliminate the many possibilities that come to mind with this swapping/swinging clan is beyond me.

Logic should have some role in all of this analysis.

The police said it had to be someone familiar with the house and the dog. Hmmmmmmmm..........that counts out DW.

That's just the beginning. There are so many aspects of this case that make it much easier to believe that one of the van Dam's lowlife buddies or the VDs themselves could have done this.

I hope the jurors don't think like some of the people on these threads. It seems like once DW was accused, that sealed his guilt in their minds; so much so, that they are completely blinded to all the other garbage swirling around this family and this home.

Pretty strong statement for someone who hasn't heard all the evidence. Also unlikely to be true, even if it was Westerfield!

I don't agree. Like every single person in this forum (that includes you) I am expressing my own person "take on the trial". I am basing my opinions on the same news articles you are. In any "who dunnit" people will opine who may or may not have been the perp. I do not have the definative answer ... nor do you.

Westerfield according to his own account was not swinging or having a sexual relationship with either of the Van Dams. The Van Dams do not claim that Westerfield had a swinging relationship with them.

My statement says that Westerfield in all probablity killed Danielle even though they did not share a common swinging relationship. It sure looks like two unsavory couples living in close proximity.

Do you have information that the Van Dams and Westerfield were swinging together. I have yet to see ANYONE but you suggest this.

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