Posted on 06/19/2002 8:45:03 PM PDT by NatureGirl
Here's the new thread, all ready for Thursday.
Testimony recently discussed includes fingerprint evidence, as well as Westerfield's clean laundry. The Van Dam home was (strangely) devoid of fingerprints, except for a couple of latents that didn't match any of the pizza party people or, apparently, David Westerfield.
Westerfield's motorhome didn't contain any of his fingerprints, but did have one print from Danielle L. (the daughter of Westerfield's ex-girlfriend), Jennifer (a friend of Danielle L.), and a partial from Danielle Van Dam.
The prosecution said yesterday that they would be finished "in seven court days".
Kim asked if I would post this. SO, here ya go !
ALL: We all have to be patient cuz dusek can't explain why he picked this evidence and that evidence... he has to let the expert witnesses, one by one, explain their role in the evidence gathering..and each tech/expert is a step UP towards the conclusion/finger pointing. the prosecution has to let the experts tell the story..he'll summarize it for "the people" in his closing arguments. Dusek simply CAN'T tell the people why or how this piece of evidence fits in the crime, but he can bring forth witnesses who can.
MOMMYA: If it turns out to be DW's hair in Danielle's hand..how is feldman going to explain it away? If it was not DW's hair....wouldn't it have made sense for Dusek to exploit that little fact during opening statement? It seems to be by the fact that the evidence was not omitted from testimony...or hidden, that it has value for the prosecution. It does not make sense, BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE that it could be her own hair.. on the other hand, seems that DW's hair is too short to grab and pull. That is ONE of the mysteries I CAN'T WAIT to get solved..
No-- she was excluded-- all the "pizza guys" were-- in fact, they left no fingerprints, after pizza time.
I'm not clear about this part of the testimony. Did the witness say that they didn't find any prints from the pizza party guests or just that the unID'd palm prints on the stair railing and the sliding glass door did not belong to any of the pizza party guests? One of many things I'm confused about.....
She said next time she will just ask one person to do it, not 2 or more.
Not that it matters that much KIM! We all occasionally double post anyway.
Kim, what's taking you so long? :-)
Halfman wasn't one of the pizza partiers.
That is as far as we know. Remember we are taking the word of six liars.
Correct. Did they say in testimony all the PARTIERS and DIANE HALFMAN? Are you just making an assumption that she was included in the 'guests in the house' category. I would bet they didn't state her specifically.
Let Freedom Sing, since you said it, can you verify it ?
As far as court is concerned, Diane Halfman is not an inclusive set of the 'pizza partiers'.
Halfman said search organizers had people call and volunteer to search from planes and by quad vehicles in the desert. They also searched locations in East and South counties, she said.
Halfman said they expected to have a good number of volunteers because of the holiday.
"Even if people have a few hours, (they) could come by and help," Halfman said. "No amount of time is too little." She said even if they can just pick up fliers and sign a card offering support, they can make a difference.
Halfman retired from the San Diego Police Department after she was injured. She worked mainly in patrol for 10 years, she said.
She said Brenda van Dam asked her to take over as the center director due to her experience in law enforcement.
Halfman said she had been at the van Dams' home since the beginning helping out and explaining to them about police investigative procedure.
"I personally know the investigators working on this case and they couldn't be in better hands," Halfman said.
Halfman said she tries to explain to them about methodical procedure and about how there is a lot of behind-the-scenes work that police cannot talk about to the media.
After some consideration of her own family and time, she accepted the responsibility as director. "I look at it as, if I had my own daughter missing, Brenda would be out there helping," she said.
Halfman, who is also a family friend of the van Dams, said Westerfield's arrest and Danielle's parents vow to keep looking for their daughter has motivated more people to search for the missing child.
"Everyone has caught on the energy of Brenda and Damon," she said.
Halfman said she and Danielle's parents are hopeful that police may receive information about Danielle's whereabouts now that there has been an arrest.
"There is the hope that now that (Westerfield) is in custody, he will say something," she said. "I think it is a matter of time before we find her."
Damon van Dam and his high school friend, she said, plan to search Borrego Springs today. Searches in East County will continue throughout the weekend, she said.
So far, the volunteers have raised $8,000 and spent $2,000 searching for the little girl, Halfman said.
Donations can be made to the Danielle van Dam Search Fund at any Wells Fargo bank.
Some have criticized the van Dams for their involvement in the Jahi search, but Diane Halfman, former director of the Danielle Search Center, said the couple probably would have been criticized if they hadn't helped.
Danielle's parents, Damon and Brenda van Dam, conducted a media conference Thursday to announce that the volunteer search effort, located at what is now called the Danielle Recovery Center at the Doubletree Golf Resort at 14455 Penasquitos Drive, would move Monday to the ReMax Building at Pomerado and Poway roads and would be under new leadership.
The center was originally led by the Texas-based Laura Recovery Center Foundation, but its leaders have trained local volunteers so they can take over, officials said. Retired policewoman Diane Halfman, a friend of the van Dams, will direct the center.
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