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.
Im missing your point. ARe you saying this site should not be used to discuss the vandam case
I wanted to ask the same question.
While I agree that FR is definitely a political website, I have seen everything from threads about ill cats to the one running currently about what Freepers do for a living.
I think it's pretty obvious that we have some freedom to stray into other news topics.
I'm guessing he would know that could be any time from when he last saw her at Dad's until after 2:00 am. Again.....pretty risky; Damon or no Damon.
I am also very interested in the search warrants. It's so darn difficult for we sleuths when we only have partial information, isn't it? LOL !!!!!
What does this mean?
Very good question !!! Good grief....that neighborhood has the nosiest most observant people I've ever seen.
Are you saying that they thought DW might be bold enough to enter the VD home believing that there would be a babysitter there? That would mean that he was prepared to have a confrontation with the babysitter, wouldn't it?
It makes me glad I live in the country. With those neighbors, I'm sure I would be deemed guilty of something by now!
or the 1/4" in diameter drop of blood found on carpet near closet in area between bed and door (or between closet & bath..testimony differs in sentences)....no discription on comforter.
those are the 3 positive blood stains from the MH out of 19 possible.
Only the print of left middle and left ring finger were found in MH..under cabinet, over bed (1 1/2-2) ft above bed)
The jacket had 3 stains that tested presumptively positive for blood ...front outside middle lapel...front right outside area of shoulder..behind neck of collar on outside...
Any ideas?
A good point sbnsd. And one might consider:
That a babysitter can be an adult as well as a teen and in either case, could (and in the VD's case, likely would) be more vigilant than parents. DW would have no way of knowing which might apply.
If DVD's vehicle had been home, as DVD claims it was, DW would have known DVD was home. The question is, was DVD home and if not, why wouldn't he fess up to not being home, if a chance at convicting his daughter's killer was in the balance? Or was DVD on a quick trip to Dehesa Road, as some have speculated?
That the TV (according to DVD was on in the MBR, which would have tipped anyone off, that a parent was likely home. I know I wouldn't think a babysitter would be using the MBR.
These are a just few of the problems I'm having with the "DW thought there was a babysitter" speculation.
or the 1/4" in diameter drop of blood found on carpet near closet in area between bed and door (or between closet & bath..testimony differs in sentences)....no discription on comforter.
By "prosecution will explain", do you mean explain how blood can be in so many places, from one end of the MH to the other? If they can ever explain how he got her into the MH, in the first place, it doesn't seem logical to me, that she would have been free, in any way, to roam, so they will likely try to show, that blood was spattered on the curtain then dripped as she was taken from the door at the front to the back of the MH. Perhaps try to show that DW had her slung over his shoulder, at that point.
I'm waiting to see how, or if the defense can explain this most damning of evidence away.
I find it hard to believe that DW would boldly go into a home with anyone in it -- whether it was a teenaged babysitter or Damon. You have to admit, that takes a lot of cajones to walk into a house knowing any person was there to watch the kids.
If DVD's vehicle had been home, as DVD claims it was, DW would have known DVD was home. The question is, was DVD home and if not, why wouldn't he fess up to not being home, if a chance at convicting his daughter's killer was in the balance? Or was DVD on a quick trip to Dehesa Road, as some have speculated?
Some speculate that DvD was off having an affair while his kids slept at home, thereby leaving ample time and opportunity for DW to just walk in the house and abscond with Danielle.
That the TV (according to DVD was on in the MBR, which would have tipped anyone off, that a parent was likely home. I know I wouldn't think a babysitter would be using the MBR.
A TV sound coming from upstairs may not necessarily be from the MBR; DW wouldn't have known if one of the kids had a TV in their room.
These are a just few of the problems I'm having with the "DW thought there was a babysitter" speculation.
Understandable. I have many problems with either scenario, Damon or babysitter.
I do too. I was addressing the babysitter speculation , only. If you've read my prior posts on other threads, you would know I have serious doubts as to the "Super Stealth DW" theory.
"Some speculate that DvD was off having an affair while his kids slept at home, thereby leaving ample time and opportunity for DW to just walk in the house and abscond with Danielle. "
Yes, the left unattended theory, if it were true, could account for how someone could have gotten away with such a stealthy abduction, but it would not have been without considerable risk of being caught. There is also the total lack of evidence DW was ever in the house. I had speculated earlier, that if DVD was out, Danielle could have stepped outside for something and been snatched from her yard by anyone (which of course would include DW).
A TV sound coming from upstairs may not necessarily be from the MBR; DW wouldn't have known if one of the kids had a TV in their room.
Anyone that got to the point of the top of the stairs, would have known the TV sound was coming from the MBR. The MBR was at one end and the children's rooms were at the other end of the upstairs. Supposedly, the MBR also had distinctive doors, further identifying it as a MBR.
Of course, again, if DVD's vehicle had been there, DW would have had good reason to suspect DVD was home.
You are correct nj. At least to the point, as it can be determined by DW's own words. This is he told the detective during his taped interview. He said he travels with his MH, much as others travel on their motorcycle's, or something to that effect.
I tend to believe DW when he says that he thought DVD was out of town. If he's lying, it would take a lot of concentration to remember to be properly surprised that there wasn't a babysitter everytime the subject is brought up. At first glance, it could look like a flimsy alibi, so the liar would need to play that whole string of reactions very carefully. An unecessary burden to place upon one's self, IMO.
About DVD's car.... Does DW drive past VD's house to get to his? I'm thinking he lives closest to the exit of the subdivision, which is why so many neighbors drive past his house and notice when his big, expensive, beautiful MH is parked at or around his house. So he could notice that BVD's big Ford truck/SUV isn't parked in the driveway, with it's distinctive silhouette, and seeing her just that night.
It's possible that he's thinking of the VDs and checks to see if DVD's van is there, or he's turning 2 houses and a street before the VD's and it doesn't register if DVD's van is there.
I agree that it doesn't seem likely that he would risk intruding on a babysitter. Intruding on DVD would be more predictible. A babysitter could be anywhere being anywhere in the house, doing anything. Expecially in that house!
Does anyone know how much laditude the defense attorney has to explore alternative explanations of what happened that night? Can he look more closely at any of the issues that were brought up during the prosecution phase? Like witnesses about the Girls' Night Out? Or about the Swinging/Risque parties that were already mentioned? Can he suggest that any other particular person is responsible for her death as a way of explaining that his client was not at all likely to have killed her?
I'll check back later tonight and track down today's discussion. Thanks.
As of the PH, SDPD was not able to determine if the blood samples found were spot, drop, splatters or smears.
It seems unlikely that, if infact DW did this thing, he would have allowed this child to run around in the RV whilst he was busy driving to and fro. Or that he would carry on a conversation with her to confuse the TTD. More likely with the driver he was making some untoward remark that best be left unheard. From all the speculation we had previously heard about the TTD, his testimony was anti-climactic at best.
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