Private Lives-Public Trial:Are Sexual ?'s Relevant In The Van Dam Trial? (TRIAL THREAD-BARB WATCH)

Newsweek ^ | June 12, 2002 | Jamie Reno

[FresnoDA]

When asked on the witness stand why he didn't initially tell police about his activities the night Danielle disappeared, Damon van Dam answered, 'It didn't seem relevant'

June 7

[Rheo]

everyone she knows doesn' keep curtains closed

[cyncooper]

I was clarifying the testimony as a few people commented on it as if he had pulled in and then pulled the window coverings so to take a nap. I don't believe I made any conclusive comments on the testimony itself. (Though I do think it odd and suspicious)

[FresnoDA]

Prosecution continues to trace Westerfield's travels

SIGNONSANDIEGO

June 13, 2002

Prosecutors continued today to try to establish where accused kidnap and murder suspect David Westerfield's drove his motor home on the weekend 7-year-old Danielle van Dam disappeared.

Jurors heard a Verizon Wireless records custodian testify about when and where Westerfield's cell phone made contact with cellular telephone relay towers that weekend and heard campers testify to having seen Westerfield's motor home at the Silver Strand State Beach campground on Saturday, Feb. 2, the day Danielle was reported missing.

"It was all closed up," said Teresa Hastings, an El Cajon resident who was camping that weekend. "The drapes were all closed, the awning wasn't up. It was like there was nobody there."

Thursday was the seventh day of testimony in San Diego Superior Court. Westerfield, 50, is accused of the kidnapping and murder of Danielle.

 

On roam

Verizon Wireless records custodian Greg Sheets brought copies of records for phone calls made by Westerfield's two cellular telephones from Feb. 1 through Feb. 6.

One phone made no calls. Over the weekend, the other was used to make several calls and retrieve voicemail intermittently, while calls made to the phone were diverted to voicemail.

Sheets said company records also showed which cell phone towers the phone calls were relayed through, though he testified that the records didn't show how far away the phone was from the towers when the calls were made.

A cell phone will usually try to connect to the nearest tower, but if that tower is busy, it will try to contact the next nearest tower and can be bounced several towers away, Sheets said.

"So you can't tell us where the user actually was," lead defense attorney Steven Feldman asked Sheets during cross-examination.

"No," Sheets replied.

But he later testified that it's more likely for a call to be routed through the nearest tower on weekends because there is less overall cell phone usage on weekends than on weekdays.

Docile dog

A woman who brought food to the van Dam residence on Feb. 3, the day after Danielle was reported missing, testified that the family dog appeared docile.

Angela Elkus said the family dog, a "fairly young" gray Weimaraner, took little notice of her, though it was her first visit to the van Dam house.

"When I came in he was just standing there," she said. "He looked rather scared, shy, confused."

One of the nagging questions about the Danielle's disappearance is how anyone could have made his way into the home – which was occupied by the girl's parents, brothers, and dog – without the dog barking or creating some sort of noise.

The van Dam's have testified the dog was raised around others that had been "debarked."

[Rheo]

no one came out to level..no one came out of MH...

[spectre]

New witness..I will not be mean, I will not be mean...dear lord, give me strength..

"Sitting at the table having breakfast"....must have been a smorgasbord..sw

[demsux]

My inlaws have a BIG motorhome. There is a video camera on the back to see traffic and for parking. Additionally, it has oversized mirrors to view the sides.

Even if curtains are open, it would be tough to see traffic and kind of redundant.

[cyncooper]

Yes, but these are first witnesses to my recollection that testified that it rolled into park with windows covered.

[Rheo]

could just see one person in front.....joking around why front curtain got closed, etc....maybe 2-3 hours later...ranger pulled up...man opend door...came out and talked to ranger at front of unit.

[Rheo]

she went in to nap.....(perhaps she should be looked at more closely)

[Rheo]

man spoke to ranger...ranger handed him something..man back into MH...doesn't know if door was left open......dark haired thinning on top...ID'd DW as the man

[Eva]

I had a neighbor who bred dogs and them debarked. They still barked, but it sounded strange, not as loud.

[Rheo]

after few min...opend front curtain and left about 5 min later...did not see him return

[Rheo]

crssexm.....do you know what automatic levelers are??

[Mrs.Liberty]

Thanks for the clarification!

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

Is it all that odd for a man who has been drinking the night before to pull in and sleep?

Could it also be that he decided not to set everything up until he was sure whether or not he was going to stay? I'm not a MH person, but it stands to reason that the set-up would be a lot of work if one didn't plan on staying.

[Neenah]

Do you know when BARBARA is suppose to testify?

[spectre]

Napping or Hibernating?

sw

[Rheo]

did you watch MH the whole time...yes..except for the 1/2 hour I took nap.....Boyce is doing cross

[Rheo]

she also was walkig around MH, seated at table, and napping....(Mrs Kravitz could have missed something)

[Rheo]

reviewd statement from police..of 2/5....one photo from exhibit in court was shown to her on that day...Ex B..pic of MH