Damon Van Dam Testifies Tearfully, Fends Off Lifestyle Attack:Day 3 of Westerfield Trial

CourtTV ^ | June 6, 2002 | CourtTV

[FresnoDA]

DAY 3: Westerfield On Trial

[fiddlesticks]

This is a general comment addressed to anyone. After reading through many of these threads, has anyone given thought to the idea that Westerfield's bathroom window screen was bent, as though he used the window for peering. Perhaps he knew which bedroom was Danielle's from looking through the windows from the outside. Also that night, Danielle's blinds were open. May be he saw her, and may be he even lured her out of the house. He could have even been "enchanting" her through the window with funny expressions and promises of candy or something. Any comments?

[cyncooper]

"So far, no evidence that DW is a drunk, pervert or child molester..."

Evidence of perversion with porn.

[spectre]

Opening statements...I don't recall direct testimony yet. Am I wrong?

sw

[let freedom sing]

about the family affair-- someone please post the relationships

[MizSterious]

My comment on your question: It was physically impossible for him to see into Danielle's bedroom from the bathroom window. Even the prosecution doesn't contend that. They claim it was in that condition so he could peer into the van Dams' back yard. Their theory--to watch the children. My comment on their theory is--the adults also "played" in the hot tub area in the back yard. He could just as easily have been watching the adult swingers.

[RnMomof7]

Yes, he donated them to the troops overseas. Boy, does that sound sinister. (Memo to self: no more donating. It's incriminating.)

Tellin ya this guy must be evil!

[MizSterious]

What is your question, exactly?

[spectre]

Yeah, I got the picture. Sort of a step above their garage atmosphere.

All that's missing is the theme song from "Deliverance"...sw

[Amore]

Evidence of perversion with porn.

Yes, we have seen that some evidence exists from the preliminary hearing and the motions filed. We won't know the extent of it until the state gets to that part of the case. The state has to start somewhere after all.

[RnMomof7]

I missed the testimony on the Halloween party ..could someone do a brief update on it for me?

[spectre]

At the Preliminary Hearing, Brenda said she couldn't RECALL if she danced with Westerfield.

Today she just testified she is "Positive" she didn't dance with him.

Whoops.

sw

[let freedom sing]

Bvd said one of her friends is "former" family member by marriage. Did you follow that? I didn't.

[Mrs.Liberty]

Amazing..she is POSITIVE she did not dance with DW, yet "cannot remember" if she danced with his friend. Am I crazy, or in the PH, did she say she could not remember if she danced with DW? And now she is positive she did not?

[spectre]

She "may have told Mr. Westerfield about the father, daughter dance".

Didn't she testify she didn't talk to him?

sw

[Mrs.Liberty]

you caught that too ;-)

[nycgal]

My comment on their theory is--the adults also "played" in the hot tub area in the back yard. He could just as easily have been watching the adult swingers.

That is exactly why he felt he could mention to Brenda that he held "adult parties", at the time of the cookie selling. One just wouldn't bring that up in ordinary conversation with someone they don't know.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

#100 Well said.

[DoughtyOne]

To: Merovingian; Doughty One

Are you saying that the folks here have clouded judgment based on their moralistic bias? Seems to me the DNA would be the most important and
damning evidence...err, but then there was oj...

Yes, OJ would be analogous. A disinclination to convict based on matters apart from the evidence. But even so, I still don't understand some people's willingness here to believe every horrible thing about the VD's and then excuse away everything about DW and portray him as being a wonderful, great, upstanding person in the community, falsely accused. It wouldn't surprise me at the CTV message boards, but it surprises me HERE.

You see this as us not using our heads.  I see it as us using our heads more than you're using yours.  Westerfield lived two doors away from the VanDams.  The Westerfields were known to be on the make outside the family setting.  Does it seem so strange to think that Westerfield may have been one of their playmates?

If not, then mom and Danielle could have visited Westerfield's home and motorhome more often than intimated up to this point.  If Danielle ran a comb through her hair just once while at Westerfield's, that would account for the hair.  If she happened to scrape a knee or cut a finger, that could innocently account for the blood.  I'm not defending Westerfield.  The guy might be guilty.  But the DNA evidence is not a clincher for me.  Not when the mother is a traveling sex show and Westerfield lived so close to them.

I see way too many child-sex-abuse cases in my job, and it is not at all common for someone to get to DW's age without a previous police investigation or charge. Someone here suggested early on -- Doughty One? -- that DW's proximity to Mexico may not be a coincidence and he might have been carrying on there (yes, I know there's no evidence of this, but everyone else propounds theories based on no evidence, so I will mention it here as well).

Okay, that's a cliincher.  You see child-sex-abuse cases way to often and DW's proximity to Mexico is irrefuteable. Oookaaayyyy....

284 posted on 6/6/02 10:25 AM Pacific by Amore

[MizSterious]

I might have missed it. I'm watching on Court TV--they go to commercial a lot.

[cyncooper]

According to court observers, while opening statement being made there was a display of some of the porn of a child that looked like Danielle in at least one opinion. Unclear to me if it was the anime or something else, but it was a depiction of assault per the reporter.