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.
Your obsession with certain aspects of this case are FRIGHTENING. When any one remarks on it you push the abuse button. It must be difficult to be the only perfect one on these threads while none of the rest of us can live up to you, Kimme,Queen of the VDAs. Back off. You brought it up in the first place!!
So now you're what, the moral authority here? How many others you going after, Hon?
{{Hugz}}
In other words, like any good person seeking justice, you do not want to offer a neighbor chosen at random as a sacrifice to appease whatever false gods this hang-him-high mob worships.
The fact that only one hair was found implies to me that many more hairs were initially present which either got vaccumed up, picked up or sent out as gray/black water. It also implies that someone attempted to remove them. If she was only there a short period of time its not likely a hair would be left and less likely it would end up in the trap.
Add to that two other unlikely events and the explanation she played there strains reason.
If I know that both the girl and Westerfield are at point A (the RV) and that the girl was at point B( the home). I can assume that the girl either went to the RV or that someone brought her there. Whatever of these things are true, ther evidence indicates she was in the RV after abduction and before she died.
Sure but there is no need.
Its pretty tough for even a smart person to remove all evidence.
or on his jacket? I understand he attempted to get his clothing clean
mean, after all - he doesn't shed hair now does he???Is he bald ? Why would you say he didn't shed hair ? If he did enter the house, its possible he didn't shed any hair in that short period, ie he didn't rub against anything etc. But even if a no hairs were found it doesn't mean that he didn't leave any behind.
In the RV ? That really makes the likelihood that they came from a play time visit much more unlikely.
Depends on what the issue is.
I devloped a possible theory that would explain the late development of the flys.
The experts believe the flys came from the area on there own and there proof is apparently only that the flies got there. I believe its possible that based on the weather and other factors that the flies did not arrive on their own but were carried there by birds and other animals days after she died.
Man.
My hunch-To show that animals were at the body and indicate that the flys were carried there later by animals and they didn't/couldn't have gotten there on their own.
If the evidence fits....wear it!!!!!!!This man is no sacrifice....his activities on the days in question are more then a little suspicious also...You keep letting those child rapists/killers go....
If he's guilty, and the prosecution could prove it...let him freakin hang!
I happen to be a good test taker and could pass this test with a 70 if I had one week to study for it. I recently took a life insurance exam and used my test taking abilities, scored the highest score this regional testing outfit had all year and I really know almost nothing about life insurance.
Not trying to make an accurate prediction. just trying to see if the explanation by the defense makes any sense. The fact that there is a hair at all plus the lack of fingerprints plus the presence of blood or two blood like substance's all of which individually are not likely and in total are almost impossible.
Look at it this way. Its like a trifecta at a horse race where all three winning horses had the slowest prior records.
Do I know you? I am a bit unsure as to why you have included me on this post. Since I have posted very little for quite awhile I am unsure how or from where in any of my posts you have gleaned that I think OJ is not guilty, nor that I want another Avila running around. BTW..the parents are not "allegedly" swingers.
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