2nd Bug Expert Bolsters Westerfield Defense: (Dusek Melting Down Before Juries Eyes!!)

SAN DIEGO -- The trial of David Westerfield resumed Monday with more testimony about insects, as defense lawyers tried to show that their client was not the person who dumped Danielle van Dam's body along a two-lane road in East County.

Before testimony began, Judge William Mudd warned jurors to ignore last week's murder of a young girl in nearby Orange County. Mudd said that the abduction, sexual assault and murder of 5-year-old Samantha Runnion "bears no relation" to the trial of David Westerfield.

Westerfield's trial had been in recess since July 11 so the judge could take a previously scheduled vacation.

Westerfield, 50, lived two doors from Danielle, who vanished after her father put her to bed the night of Feb. 1. Searchers found the girl's nude body on Feb. 27 along a rural roadside east of San Diego.

Neal Haskell, forensic entomologist A forensic entomologist, testifying Monday for the defense, said Danielle's body could not have been dumped at the roadside before Feb. 12, according to his analysis of flies and larvae collected during an autopsy. The blow flies that were found on the body typically descend on a cadaver shortly after death, but it can take longer in cooler temperatures, entomologist Neal Haskell said. Based on his analysis of the temperatures in the area at the time, Haskell (pictured, right) put "the time of colonization" likely at Feb. 14 and no earlier than Feb. 12.

Prosecutors challenged the defense's weather data.

Haskell's testimony puts the time the body may have been dumped several days earlier than suggested by a previous defense witness, entomologist David Faulkner. The defense has seized upon the time of death, which could not be precisely determined, to suggest that the body was dumped at a time when Westerfield was under constant police surveillance.

Westerfield was put under observation soon after Danielle disappeared, according to police testimony. He was arrested on Feb. 22.

During Haskell's testimony about insects devouring Danielle's body, the girl's parents, Brenda and Damon van Dam, stared at the floor as they sat in the back row of the courtroom. It is the first time that Damon van Dam has been in court since Judge William Mudd banned him from the proceedings almost a month ago as a security risk. Mudd restored his trial privileges just before going on vacation.

Lawyers for Westerfield have said they expect to offer two to three more days of testimony.

Kim, you couldn't Chairperson of the DW hanging committee. (well for murder, now for possessing PORN, YES).

I was telling the other poster to say things to your face, not behind your back, no matter what those things were. We all want it that way, From the FRONT.

As far as me being on the DW INNOCENT, well, I am on the DW is NOT GUILTY as FAR AS I CAN TELL and I HAVE BELIEVED that based on constant research and review of all pertinent information from the very beginning. I don't see a way in the world he could have done what it is said he did, and I do see ways many others (strangers, friends of the family) could. Other than Neal's alibi, he could be a suspect on my short list.

IF something indisputable comes up, I will change my mind.

There is a possibility the Danielle case could be linked to the Samantha case. There are some weird coincidences going on that need to be researched. I and others are doing so. The linking info was pulled from the public. But not quick enough for FR posters.

We will see what tomorrow brings.

Tell me, if you would, what the statistical probabilities that a bug expert from an ISLAND with a TROPICAL environment and different species and varieties of insects would give a more ACCURATE rending of the investigation than a LOCALLY BASED EXPERT that was ON SCENE with the BODY and did his investigation?

I am guessing where the prosecution is going by the reference to the activity of the animals at the scene and the questions of the bug guy about how the fly's got there (his answer was they were there).

Hawaii is an interesting place. Within each valley formed by the volcano there are places that have no outside access to other areas. Each area is like a little island.

A scientist familiar with Hawaii is not going to to assume that what takes place in one environment is true for another environment. I believe the prosecutor is going to provide two angles. First, he will make the case that the larva got there much later by animal activity (flies following the animals). Second, he will provide other evidence of the time of death (ie the amount of damage done by the animals, the condition of the body etc.)

He will give the juror's at least some basis to discount the bug guys and at the same time keep their other conclusions consistant.

My best guess.

(Repeat of prior post, so's as folks -- like Nancy Grace, VRWC_minion, etc. should not be so confused about the odds of things.)

The random coincidences that occur in everyday life provide a rich soil for false but seemingly undeiable connections between events and between people and events.

Here's a good article to study: Coincidences: Remarkable or Random?, Skeptical Inquirer magazine : September/October 1998.

"You don't believe in telepathy?" My friend, a sober professional, looked askance. "Do you?" I replied. "Of course. So many times I've been out for the evening and suddenly became worried about the kids. Upon calling home, I've learned one is sick, hurt himself, or having nightmares. How else can you explain it?"
Such episodes have happened to us all and it's common to hear the words, "It couldn't be just coincidence." Today the explanation many people reach for involves mental telepathy or psychic stirrings. But should we leap so readily into the arms of a mystic realm? Could such events result from coincidence after all?
...
Clearly, unspecified improbable coincidences occur daily to everyone, and these coincidences are most likely the result of randomness. If the data set is large enough, coincidences are sure to appear, as demonstrated with the first 100 decimal digits of p. The chance of tossing five straight heads is only 3 percent, but for 100 tosses the chance becomes 96 percent. Though applied in a different context, Ramsey theory (Scientific American, July 1990) states that "Every large set of numbers, points, or objects necessarily contains a highly regular pattern." It is not necessary to posit mysterious forces to explain coincidences.

Vacrn, I hope that you will find it in your heart to continue to check in, or offer your opinion. This is just another bump in the vd threads to justice...and if you notice, the majority of posters rarely engage in flame wars..those who have, myself included..didn't do it to ruin it for you...it was the emotional passion that triggered it....but there were times it was just stupid..and we should have never disrupted the threads the way we have. Think of the clinton era, many of us grew up during then or became politically aware when he was elected..and we saw how so called adults behave. Thanks to clinton, no one can honestly say that they are naive with regard to how disrespectful or rude people can get. self-control appears to be a thing of the past in some regards...

In # 825 you stated: "The fact that only one hair was found implies to me that many more hairs were initially present which either got vaccumed up, picked up or sent out as gray/black water. It also implies that someone attempted to remove them."

In #927, I responded: " As for your implication that someone tried to remove Danielle's hair from the MH, that IMO, does tend to strain reason. There was hair, of all types, found throughout the MH and much of it was varying shades of blond".

And then in #934, you stated "He didn't Danielles hair was there."

Now, either you are contradicting yourself, misunderstood my response, or I'm just not seeing your point. In any case, I'm having difficulty making sense what you are trying to communicate here.

As to your #934 comment: "My kids would have left more than two prints in one spot.

I'm not sure what you are implying, in this case, either. If it's as some have suggested, that DW wiped the MH of prints, that, IMO, has been pretty well disproved by court testimony. There were many other prints in the MH and DW could not have selectively wiped only Danielle's prints away (except for the one). Also, consider that none of the "pizza gang" left a single clear print at the VD's, after their little pizza party, showing that usable prints are not always left at a scene. If it's something else you had in mind, please give me more information to go on. TIA

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2nd Bug Expert Bolsters Westerfield Defense

Expert Says Fly Infestations Show When Danielle's Body Was Dumped