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.

[Travis McGee]

You are a gutless coward.

Signed,

"damned thread jackel" (and damned proud to be tipping over the table of the Kiddie Rapist Fan Club.)

[Jaded]

Actually out of the original reported 60,000 porn pics, only 8,000 were porn. Of that 85 were questionable.


Pass the Dramamine, please. You might want to take some too, the way things are going tonight.

[Henrietta]

Yes, I'd be interested to see the opinion. Good for you for sticking up for yourself; some court personnel/attorneys/judges are damned arrogant and need a good @$$ kicking to straighten them out.

[Dave_in_Upland]

THere is more evidence that Westerfield murdered Danielle than there was evidence on OJ.

Actually there has been no evidence that Danielle was even murdered, let alone kidnapped. It would help matters a lot if you could provide testimony from any person that can state that the little girl was murdered. All anyone has testified to is that she is dead.

[Rheo]

:-)

[Greg Weston]

>>>DW told police HE DANCED WITH BRENDA and HER FRIENDS.<<

So DW told the cops this when exactly? Not in his interview.

[Jaded]

This case is NOT about OJ. This is nothing like OJ. Why do so many of you insist on spewing the "Like OJ" line?

[Travis McGee]

Actually there has been no evidence that Danielle was even murdered, let alone kidnapped.

That's a classic. But considering that many freepers don't believe that we landed on the moon, I guess I'm not surprised.

[Politicalmom]

Don't you think that they blatant plagiarism of the "jackal" term has gone a bit overboard? At least make people have an original thought ONCE in a while!! : )

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

Tell me some more about the folks you know who collect violent kiddie rape videos, and how it's just nice normal behavior, totally typical, and doesn't mean a thing.

You are way over the top here, Travis. Believing that the child porn may not be DW's does not make one a child porn sympathizer.

Your ranting is unwarranted and inaccurate. Apparently you don't care because your tantrum is all that matters.

[Jaded]

Read the transcripts about how and when some of the porn was down loaded.

Is your real name Ned?

[Henrietta]

Fres, you have "ruined" so many good songs...stop, please, hon!

[demsux]

THREAD BANG

Thanks for the definition...saw it used "in context" today and couldn't figure it out.

[Politicalmom]

This guy is calling people who don't believe the prosecution has met it's burden of proof in the Westerfield case the "Kiddie Rapist Fan Club"!!

[Jaded]

You win the 666 prize for tonight. As your prize you get to re-read the jackal posts.

[Travis McGee]

The "damned thread jackel" is signing off, and won't be back.

You may now resume your violent child rape video collecting Danielle murdering Dave Westerfield Worship Cult without my distracting attention.

[Politicalmom]

And to finish my post, you are disgusting!!

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

: ( I only used it in its original form and combined it with another.

[dread78645]

Yoohooo....how many times have their stories changed IN FRONT OF THE JURY.

Are you honest only under oath and in front of a jury ?

[Greg Weston]

Come on hang around Travis. You bring some much needed common sense to the issue.