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

NBC/San Diego ^ | July 22, 2002 | NBC/San Diego

[FresnoDA]

2nd Bug Expert Bolsters Westerfield Defense

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

 

POSTED: 6:58 a.m. PDT July 22, 2002

UPDATED: 2:28 p.m. PDT July 22, 2002

 

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.

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.

[Greg Weston]

>>>There should atleast been pieces of it around.<<<

Maybe, maybe not. Or not "around" close by perhaps. Who knows.

[Greg Weston]

>>>I think that Feldman will use the news media to show how LE contaminated the MH.<<<

I wouldn't be surprised if he tries that. Bring a little O.J. and the LAPD to San Diego. I'm sure Feldman is getting a little desparate at this point seeing how bad it's going for his client so far. He might figure he has nothing to lose at this point.

[John Jamieson]

Could be or maybe something we can't even guess. Earlier rumours did say it was Dehesa footage. He may even finish tomorrow. I want a blockbuster ending!

[juzcuz]

Is the hearing being televised tomorrow or closed????

[mommya]

I'm not sure I understand your post - were some of the search group involved with the sand association? Please clarify.

[juzcuz]

Before LE got out to Dehesa site---

Some of the volunteer searchers for Danielle, identified themselves as belonging to a group called the American Sand Association. I was asking if there is such a group and what does a "sand association" do???

Also, between 4-6 of these vounteers were at the crime scene before LE got there.

[John Jamieson]

Should be open.

[mommya]

Hmmmn...hadn't heard that before - but a search on google reveals it to be........

"The goal of the American Sand Association is simple, "Unite, Inform and Mobilize to keep Sand Riding Areas open"

We accomplish that goal through the use of volunteers. We believe in responsible resource management for the people, not from the people. The American Sand Association is a national organization for the sand sport enthusiast."

[juzcuz]

Thanks-- American Sand Assoc.-group

I wonder -- Since this (ASA)group was the group that reportedly found Danielle. I wonder if Damon belonged to this group??????

[Yeti]

El Cajon is not the desert and this whole talk of desert is very misleading to people that don't live around here.

Would you please help me out on that.

I have seen lots of different 'desert,' and it would be nice to know what kind of place we are talking about, more precisely.

Is it like lots of joshua trees? sagebrush-type? dunes and camels? just kinda arid with junipers?

I get the impression it is more like where I lived as kid in Colorado Springs. Lots of rocky outcroppings(we called the big ones "bluffs"), kind of arid, sandy soil but not really barren, most of the naturally occurring trees were conifer types like pines and cedars, and there was sagebrush and tumbleweed. Is that about right?

[Yeti]

Angie might work as Cherokee's mom. Shirley MacLaine might be better though.

Have you ever seen the movie "polyester"? I think Divine could be Chrokee's mom.

[Yeti]

Anyone who thinks Westerfield did not kidnap, rape, and murder Danielle Van Dam is:

You forgot Nazi, mysogynist and homophobe.

[bvw]

You ARE OJ! Mystery solved. Everyone move along ....

[bvw]

180-Frank's handler = Kevin Spacey

[bvw]

Hooray for Hollywood!

[clearvision]

See post 1508, there is a link to aerial photo of recovery site.

[YaYa123]

Misinformation like that = :(

Up to the rest of us to question and challenge before another urban legend is born.

[YaYa123]

This audio tape of Westerfield's police interview being played now. This must have been played yesterday afternoon in court, after CourtTV stopped covering it for the day? I'm just guessing...Maybe this tape was played earlier in the trial. But Westerfield sure sounds calm, cool, and collected.

[VRWC_minion]

Now you're saying you can't calculate the mileage of that motorhome?

I guess we could make some assumptions as to how long the generator is on but without a reading of the generator hours we wouldn't know how much fuel was used for driving vs. electrical generation. If he just sat at the truck stop and used the generator all weekend and you tried to use the gas usuage to to determine mileage driven you would come up with miles driven when in fact he never moved. <

[VRWC_minion]

You don't see the contradiction to you statements of how fair you are being?

Who is trying to be fair ? I am forming an opinion. An opinion requires choosing, not being fair. If I wanted to be fair I wouldn't be choosing.