Posted on 06/13/2002 4:28:33 PM PDT by FresnoDA
A series of calls from Westerfield's cell phone in early February appeared to mirror his rambling motor home trip to the beaches of southern San Diego County and the Imperial Valley deserts, Verizon Wireless representative Greg Sheets testified.
Westerfield is charged with kidnapping and murdering Danielle. He could face the death penalty if he's convicted.
The prosecution also called a series of witnesses who were at Silver Strand State Beach on Saturday, Feb. 2. Westerfield said he drove his motor home to Silver Strand that morning.
Beverly Jean Askey of El Cajon testified that her family was already at the beach when a motor home that she later learned was Westerfield's pulled into a nearby space sometime before 10 a.m. It was a nice, sunny day she said, yet no one came out of the vehicle.
"He just pulled up, he pulled the front window closed and I never saw anyone again," Askey said.
Two other campers said they saw Westerfield's motor home and noticed that it appeared closed up.
Earlier, Angela Elkus, a resident of the Sabre Springs neighborhood where the van Dams and Westerfield lived, answered questions about the motor home. She said she had seen children playing around the vehicle three or four times when it was parked on the street, but she said they were mostly older children. She also talked about a visit to the van Dam home after Danielle disappeared.
Elkus said she had never been to the home before, but she brought food over for the family on the Sunday after the little girl disappeared. She said that the family's dog appeared "scared, shy, confused and perfectly still" when she came in the house, and it did not bark, she said. Legal analysts say prosecutors want to convince the jury that a stranger could have come into the house and taken Danielle without the dog barking.
According to Keith, DW had taken it out 6-8 times. I don't know that one of six, or even eight, really sets a any kind of complete pattern.
JMO, but if we were talking one of a hundred, then there may be a clear pattern to consider.
Good point. I'm sure the son can fill in some details, even if DW never takes the stand.
I do remember it said (I believe in the taped interview of DW) that he was scouting for places he and his son could go on an upcoming 3-day weekend, so the son was apparently not available for this particular trip.
I didn't consider that. My pet theory is that Damon killed her accidentally and then he and/or Brenda stashed her and framed DW. (I reserve the right to revise and extend my theory. :)
I was thinking that Dusek was covering some rushed testing using the pathtic excuse that they didn't have the body yet.
I'll think more on these theories, but life is picking up speed around here and my attention is getting pretty divided.
However, I'm going to take a walk on a limb again here. Call me the eternal Westerfield optimist, but........... I would almost think even more toward framing if an earring back turns up. If that isn't right out of every crime drama we've seen, I don't know what it is.
Having raised two girls and now having three granddaughters, I can tell you (and you may agree) that earring backs do not come off that easily or that often. Try getting a back off a toddler or baby's stud.
I don't at all mean to say that it couldn't or didn't happen, but it would be just so convenient along with all the other peculiarities in this case.
Too much coincidence could start to defeat itself. Think about it.
First we have a chronology of speculated movements that begin with a mysterious entry into a home where any of the occupants would recognize Westerfield, if seen. That's just the beginning of the amazing risky journey. It's redundant to restate all that follows.
Then after more than a few events that don't really add up, we begin to be treated to a little bread crumb trail leading back to David Westerfield. If someone is trying to pin this on an innocent man, perhaps they will leave one crumb too many and the whole slice won't end up looking like the accused.
One never knows. This case is already about as twisted as it can get.
Oh....thanks for that info.
You are so good with these details, Jaded. Since I have a hard time keeping up with the minutia and my memory isn't the greatest, I truly appreciate it.
Please ping me
I think you've hit the nail on the head about why so many of us feel unease with this case, especially considering that this is a death penalty case.
Everything that has been presented by the prosecution agains DW so far falls under the heading of Denise's word, "creepy." But none of his actions have been illegal in and of themselves. Neither has anything he's done been threatening or endangering anyone.
There is still the forensic evidence, but the prosecutor will have a steep hill to roll that rock up, considering what he has presented so far.
And I wonder if the jury members are wondering, as I am, why doesn't the prosecution figure out some way to convey to me why the VD pizza brats were so quickly removed from the list of possible suspects.
I look forward to the defense phase. Especially the cross examinations, as it will take a lot of effort on the part of the prosecution to punch holes into the many possibile explanations that the defense can provide to the accusations.
Hi----Remember, DW says himself at least twice (to media and to police) that he thought Damon was gone for the weekend and that there was a babysitter there Fri. night. About my speculation about an earring back. If the "real perp" wanted to frame DW, why not the whole earring? Who would think an earring back would be noticed or tied to Danielle in particular. I see Jaded's thought that the back may have been found in the bedroom at home and that is what I have thought, too, before re-reading the dates of earring purchase juxtaposed to recent testimony. It may very well be that is where it was found (in her room). I am looking forward to getting info regarding the search warrants, that's for sure.
I see it this way. FR is a conservative political website. These Vandam threads are the most active and the abuse button gets hit way too many times. I think Jim and the Mods have been very patient with these threads and the whinners have overstayed there welcome.
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