Posted on 07/22/2002 3:02:31 PM PDT by FresnoDA
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.
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.
This is completely wrong.
Yep.
Mainly based on the speculation that Damon wasn't at home babysitting as he was supposed to be.
No one has any actual proof this happened, but neighbors gossip and rumors on the net said he went over to a girlfriends house, and that they (Damon, the woman, and her son) went to a PAINTBALL arcade until 1am.
And I suppose you think I will vote for YOU!
:)
Hey, If I can't WIN, I'm taking my toys and going home!
;)
You see this is my problem with the bug guys answer. There should be controlled studied that can show what the time frames are in the desert. The fact that the guy didn't have a reference to any study that "asked the desert bugs" is what I question.
How far does the smell go ? If the flies are not in range how would they smell it ?
At least three coincidences at once is more than I can accept. Blood like subtsance + hair that falls in trap + sole fingerprint isn't one coincident. Its three, maybe four couting the fibers.
A play time visit doesn't do it for me. Especially in that the chances of one of the three occuring decrease the chances of the other occuring.
To clarify, all of San Diego County is classified as having a desert climate. However, it is nothing like, say, the high desert where DW went on his MH trip. It is a very dry, mild climate. Temperatures in the winter, at night, will get into the 30's in some areas. A shift of 10 miles either way usually brings the temperature up or down. But, we are no means living in the typical "desert" that people may be associating the Dehesa area with.
Only if we use the power WE HAVE. That power is the one where we use the tools (TV,Internet) to find out what the TRUTH really is, and then ELECT or NOT ELECT people to office based on their concern for TRUTH and JUSTICE.
We have had this power all along. Now, the tools to 'streamline' the process are in place, and the government (those 'elected' leaders) don't like it one damn bit.
GOOD info input. Thank You.
In fact, So. Cal. can receive as much precipitation IN THOSE MONTHS as Atlanta or Washington DC do in those same months!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.