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.
I can't read his mind but it's a possibility.
I did not question whether they were expert witnesses or not. Rheo made the statement that there were only 9 entomologists. I corrected him and said that there were only 9 certified entomologists, of which Faulkner was not one of the nine certified. Just because he isn't certified doesn't mean he is not an expert witness.
You trust the TV, the newspaper, Ken and John on the radio or whatever their names are, then you find out the BIASED (lied) the story to MAKE MONEY. They don't care if an innocent person goes to jail or is executed, as long as the MAKE MONEY OFF OF IT. If you think I am wrong, why are Networks itching to put an ELECTROCUTION on TV ?
IT SELLS!
The closer you are to the SITUATION, the less you can see of the WHOLE THING. No one blames you or is trying to say you are not intelligent.
What I am saying and others are is that maybe you have only gotten some very biased information to date.
The harder we work to help inform you , the harder you seem to resist. As another poster already said to you,
"Your dogmatic insistence as to his guilt does you no credit."
Your argument is with the testimony,not me:
A: IN EVERY WAY THAT I COULD MEASURE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FIBER TAKEN FROM THE NECKLACE AND EVERY CHARACTERISTIC I COULD LOOK AT, THEY WERE SIMILAR TO THE FIBERS THAT WERE FOUND IN THE LAUNDRY BOTH IN ITEM NUMBER 5, 6, 7, AND 9.
Thanks, Cyn. Gonna be an interesting day, no matter what it shows. Hopefully it will settle the DW issue, one way or another.
And, my, aren't you pleasant.
I think that an engineer knows what's on his computer in 100s of custom made files for easy access by category. Especially the CHILD RAPE VIDEO CLIPS.
You are really really reaching to say that somehow "somebody" downloaded 1000s of porno images and video clips and put them in custom titled files and DW never knew.
Hey, have you been following what Cyncooper has been saying? About the media tape?
Me too!..And the colors in Danielle's multi-colored blanket...and where the magical appearing shell casing came from...and the source of the fibers found on Danielle but not in DW's environment..and why Feldman is bringing up the Pritchess? motion again....so many questions!!
There was no scent in the MH, so why should the defense make someone testify as to how long a scent would linger. That would be more the job of the prosecution. One could safely assume the scent would last more than a few days and since there was no scent detected, Danielle could not have been in the MH at around the time she disappeared.
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.