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.
A very bad application of probability theory at that. We know that a single hair of Danielle's was found in the sink trap of the motor home. We know there are multiple ways it could have gotten there, simply because we are able to imagine multiple ways, and don't actually know the answer. The sum of the probabilities of all the ways it could have gotten there must be equal to 1.
This, then is the calculation that you're really interested in - not some single path theory. It's a much more difficult problem (in fact, it's not solvable, since you must assign a probability to the paths you have not thought of). But then, that's why we don't put probability evidence in a courtroom, and why it's not taken too seriously on these boards.
Drew Garrett
Even multi millionaires with the brains of einstein can still be idiots. DW, the horndog...had a drinking problem just like the vd's..so they're both stupid with regards to their impulsive addictive types of behaviours... :)
Since it cannot be proven that God exists, then you do not exist. Now, who was I talking to ?
:)
and only one hair found in a sink trap makes the place a crime scene - what is the probobility of that?It's obvious that you have not been following the case too closely, and all you want to do is bait and argue.
Why does the size matter?
It matters when the MH is a supposed crime scene
Apparently someone did it.
No - No one proved anything.....
Hair, blood or blood like subtance = DNA, plus fingerprints ?
already went over the 1 hair 1 spot deal.....
She may have
and no one heard her.... yea, right
I doubt she was murdered there, is that the case being made ? no DNA or hair from him in her room or in her entire house? I doubt that is true.
then you had better start reading the transcripts - no evidence that he entered the house or was in her room
What may be true is the police didn't gather any.
yes, that's it! They didn't gather any DNA/other evidence from the ONE suspect that they want to fry for her murder!!! That's the ticket....! what GREAT POLICE WORK!
but yet one single hair was in the MH? It was my understanding that a hair was found in trap ?
I would ask you what your point is, but you have made that apparent, all that you want is to bait people - why not read the transcripts and start following the case like the rest of us?
If you were a member of Mensa, and you had an article of clothing with possible evidence of murder on it, would you take it to the dry cleaner? What if the cleaner spots blood and calls the cops? What if the cops visit the dry cleaner and get access to the clothing? What if the cops nail you on the way to the cleaning shop? No, I think a proper Mensan would come up with a more certain and more private means of disposal!
Regardless, if you ignore the fact that boyce or feldman..I forget which..badgered him pretty bad and probably gave the witness jury sympathy...we really dont' know the jury's reaction on that.
Wish you could have been here earlier today instead of at night..
See ya later...or tomorrow. :)
I am going by the ways I was told it happened here.
I was told it 1). Fell off during her play time visit, 2) was washed up by Westerfield, 3) Was deposited in the sink. Based on this there would have to have been the stated events.
The sum of the probabilities of all the ways it could have gotten there must be equal to 1.
I agree and the idea that it got there by her playing hide and seek doesn't add up.
That was sarcasm, right? If not, I guess I can see how you developed your opinion. :)
The only hairs relevant are Danielle's,
The only (hairs,fibers,prints,etc) relevant are Westerfield's.
Just ignore those other hairs,fibers,prints you found. They don't mean anything.
Thank you for your co-operation
(signed, the real killer)
I am not baiting but I am accepting new information. So far the idea that the physical evidence got in the RV by playing there isn't credible to me. It defies probabilities and logic.
He had a window of opportunity to do this, but didn't.
BTW, that FRIEND was ON THE SCENE right away, directed the VD's what to say and do, and also happened to be a CLOSE PERSONAL FRIEND of the DETECTIVES that investigated the case (guess who).
Ok, I had to be away and am trying to catch up , but I am surprised people here didn't catch why the delay.
Feldman is evidently going to call some media people and just got a tape delivered that he had subpoened. The prosecutor needs a chance to see it, too. So that is, in part, why they were done "early" today. Tomorrow they are also going to go over the prosecution plan for rebuttal, so no jury needed.
Also, Feldman evidently going to rest on Wednesday so doesn't seem he has too much else to offer, unless that is under discussion, but the judge indicated Feldman said he would be resting on Wednesday
I don't think that anyone on this thread is a fan of DW - but we are fans of justice, the fact that a person is innocent until PROVEN guilty, and we firmly believe that a person should be convicted on FACTS and EVIDENCE, not on FEELINGS. This case is not as cut and dry as all of you "VD" fans (LOL) want to believe. There are some very disturbing aspects to it.
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.