New physical evidence about Danielle van Dam's disappearance and salacious details about her parents' sex life came out during the first week of David Westerfield's capital murder trial. Posted on 06/10/2002 10:17:56 PM PDT by FresnoDA
By Kristen Green
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
June 9, 2002
New physical evidence about Danielle van Dam's disappearance and salacious details about her parents' sex life came out during the first week of David Westerfield's capital murder trial.
Legal experts say it's too early to determine the significance those facts will have on the outcome of the case.
The trial moved along fairly quickly, as both Brenda and Damon van Dam took the stand to testify about the events leading up to their 7-year-old daughter's disappearance. Attorneys have said the trial could last as long as 11 more weeks.
"I think there's an enormous amount to learn in this case, and we're not going to know it all until the end," said San Diego criminal defense attorney Knut Johnson, who is not involved in the trial.
The San Diego Superior Court testimony hinted at, but didn't fully explain, the prosecution's theory of how Westerfield, 50, might have entered the van Dam home and kidnapped Danielle.
Westerfield's lead attorney, meanwhile, told the jury that scientific evidence would prove his client's innocence.
In his opening statements, Steven Feldman suggested Danielle could have been kidnapped by any number of people her parents invited into their home to engage in "risque behavior." His strategy, experts say, is to raise questions in jurors' minds about whether someone other than Westerfield could have kidnapped the girl.
But Deputy District Attorney Jeff Dusek told the jury he has physical evidence that connects Westerfield to Danielle's death. He said the second-grader's blood, hair and fingerprints were found in Westerfield's motor home, which he occasionally parked in front of his Sabre Springs residence. When Danielle was taken from her bed, Westerfield lived two houses from the van Dams.
Dusek told the jury that Danielle's hair was also found in the trash in Westerfield's garage and that fibers similar to those in her bedroom were discovered in the motor home. The prosecutor said fibers found inside the bag in which authorities placed Danielle's body before the autopsy matched fibers in Westerfield's laundry room. Dusek didn't elaborate on what kind of fibers were found.
Danielle's nude body was discovered Feb. 27 under a tree on Dehesa Road, 25 days after her mother went to wake her for breakfast and realized she wasn't in her bed. Westerfield was arrested Feb. 22.
Throughout the first week of the trial, the attorneys showcased two completely different styles, which experts say were indicative of their personalities. Feldman is an animated performer, gesturing wildly during his opening statement and questioning of witnesses. Dusek, meanwhile, projects an image of somber dignity with his deep voice, subdued delivery and chiseled looks.
But it's hard to say whether the men's styles will have much impact on the jury deliberations.
"They're both very competent, very able in the courtroom, and they both know their case," said San Diego criminal defense lawyer Michael Pancer. "One might be more interesting to listen to than the other, but in the end, I don't think that's what matters."
Legal experts said the prosecution put Damon and Brenda van Dam on the witness stand early on to establish the sequence of events the night before Danielle disappeared.
"That's the most compelling emotional testimony in the case," Johnson said.
Damon van Dam testified that he stayed home Feb. 1 to baby-sit the couple's three children while Brenda went out to a Poway bar with two friends.
She testified that David Westerfield was at the bar when she and her friends got there, and that he bought them drinks. She said she doesn't know what time he left the bar.
Damon van Dam testified that he put the kids to bed at 10 p.m. and fell asleep before 11 p.m. He awoke at 1:45 a.m. because his dog, Layla, a Weimaraner, was whimpering. The dog doesn't bark because she grew up on a farm where the dogs had been rendered mute.
He said he let Layla into the back yard to relieve herself and then brought the dog back inside a few minutes later.
When Brenda van Dam returned about 2 a.m. with two girlfriends and two male friends who were also partying at the bar, she noticed a red light flashing on the home security system.
She searched for an open door or window and found a side garage door open. The door had been opened earlier in the evening when she and her friends were smoking marijuana in the garage.
When the couple's friends left about 2:30 p.m., after snacking on cookies and reheated pizza, Damon and Brenda van Dam went to bed.
About 3:15 or 3:30 a.m., Damon van Dam awoke and noticed a red light flashing on the security system. He went downstairs and found a sliding glass door leading to the back yard open 6 to 10 inches. He closed it and went to bed.
Experts said those details will be vital for the jury to understand how and when someone might have slipped in and out of the house.
After testifying about the sequence of events leading up to Danielle's kidnapping, the couple also answered Feldman's questions about their sex lives. Television viewers across the nation learned about Damon and Brenda van Dam's extramarital activities, as Court TV broadcast the trial live.
Brenda van Dam admitted to having sex with her two girlfriends and their partners, and Damon van Dam admitted he had sex with both of Brenda's girlfriends. He also said he didn't tell police that he smoked marijuana the night before Danielle disappeared because he didn't want to get into trouble.
Damon van Dam completed his testimony Wednesday; his wife completed hers Thursday.
It will be the jury's responsibility to decide whether any of the details of their personal life are relevant to the issue of who killed Danielle.
The couple's appearance on the witness stand drew dozens of curious San Diegans to the courthouse to vie for a seat in a courtroom filled with spectators each day.
The van Dams' testimony also was broadcast live by most local television stations, which pre-empted normal programming.
This week could be less interesting for onlookers, as experts believe the prosecution will begin presenting scientific evidence about DNA.
A gag order in the case prevents the attorneys from commenting on the case or releasing a list of the 75 witnesses they plan to call.
Serial Killer, no. Cereal killer, maybe. The hose was clearly a cry for help. /Sarcasm Full ON
BTW, Kimmie, this reply is to your post #533
Posted by spectre to ~Kim4VRWC's~ On News/Activism Jun 11 5:43 PM #314 of 542 He has two grown children, who had little clean friends who used to play at DW's house, maybe even spend the night. It breaks my heart, to see a man who might be innocent turned into a monster because he is a "neat-freak"...Most of the serial killers we've read about Kim, are living in filth...I said, Most. The others really haven't displayed any excessive, compulsive cleanliness, I don't think. sw ...you can't just read one post..you have to read them all. I did my best to get a copy of all of them.. Goldenstate girl and val were replying to a later comment.
There is just no explaining the darkness in man, IMO, without reference to scripture. Who would believe or do such a thing (or say such a thing) except one wholly deceived and corrupted by evil. I can no longer believe ignorance is the cause and education is the cure as liberals so often tell us.
I don't think we know where the jacket was kept ordinarily. It was not found in the MH, it was at the dry cleaners and had been cleaned by the time the police got a hold of it.
I think he just meant that everyone was coming down and the party was over, no more woo-hooing and stuff.
I got the impression that he thought Damon did it, and that he specifically wanted to convey that his very lucid assessment of the evening was somewhat different than what the others related in their statements and testimony.
There are no words to describe my reaction to this post.. Ignorance is rare in so many cases..but there are a lot of stupid people..When you leave the borders of the us and start analyzing other countries, it's a whole new ballgame.
I see no prior history of child molestation by DW. I do see a rather strange note written by Danielle to her father begging for forgiveness, a trait not uncommon in incest cases.
In order for one to convict DW one has to believe that he felt so ridiculed by the behavior of the three sluts at Dad's that he immediately (contradictory to his previous 50 some-odd years on this rubbish heap) decided to invade the VD's house in the middle of the night and abduct their daughter, and molest her to get even with BVD for stiffing him (or not depending upon your intrepretation of stiff)and then carries out this devilish plot with rapidity and stealth. Why, because this (I love the characterization of Brenda as an aging horse that has been ridden hard and put up wet) buxom beast wouldn't dance with him?? Wouldn't let him join their sex parties?? I've heard of stretches, but this is beyond belief!!
Seems like quite an over-reaction for someone as intelligent as DW.
I believe the Demon Seed, either through a deliberate act, or a thoughtless and accidental act during an incestuous encounter with his daughter, was responsible for her death. The cover-up, the phone-call to police, and their actions in casting the spotlight onto DW is telltale.
The sad and crazy thing about this trial is that juries desperately WANT to believe the prosecution, and it is just possible that they will convict an innocent man of this crime.
Perhaps Kim will volunteer to serve as a witness when they drop the hammer on DW. I have that feeling from her posts that she would thoroughly enjoy seeing him take his last gasp!
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