Anyone watching the Danielle van Dam/David Westerfied murder trial from San Diego?
They are, of course, showing it live everyday here on every local channel. But I also see that CourtTV is carrying it.
Man, what a grim bunch of yahoos.
Here's my offical predictions, as of June 10, 2002 AD:
- At least two of these women involved in the "partying" the night of Danielle's disappearence will wind up in the pages of Playboy or Penthouse by year's end. You can just see that one coming from a mile away
- Somewhere in Hollywood, as we speak, Meredith Baxter Birney is in talks to star as Brenda van Dam in the CBS Sunday Night Movie "Betrayal of Innocence: The Taking of San Diego's Sweetheart". Folks, I've already got my VCR set for that one.
- Every nimrod they've had on the stand is a total forty-something aimless, hedonistic partyer with seemingly no clue about much besides "havin' a couple of drinks and gettin' my groove on to a J. Geil cover band...".
Idiots.
They had some bubblehead blonde bartender on today who COULD NOT STOP GIGGLING AND ROLLING HER EYES throughout her testimony. As if the rest of America doesn't already think that SoCal is nothing but airheaded valley girls with the IQ of a garlic press, this chick made sure everyone is on the same page now.
Just a sad, sad case. All this talk of sex, drinking, carousing, making out with the spouse of someone else, more drinking, drunk driving, 2am "get togethers" in the garage with 6 of your closest friends and neighbors, etc.
Jeez.
Everyone involved here is just nasty. A more unlikable, immature bunch of wasteoids I can't imagine.
Poor little girl.
Man, what a grim bunch of yahoos.
Here's my offical predictions, as of June 10, 2002 AD:
- At least two of these women involved in the "partying" the night of Danielle's disappearence will wind up in the pages of Playboy or Penthouse by year's end. You can just see that one coming from a mile away
- Somewhere in Hollywood, as we speak, Meredith Baxter Birney is in talks to star as Brenda van Dam in the CBS Sunday Night Movie "Betrayal of Innocence: The Taking of San Diego's Sweetheart". Folks, I've already got my VCR set for that one.
- Every nimrod they've had on the stand is a total forty-something aimless, hedonistic partyer with seemingly no clue about much besides "havin' a couple of drinks and gettin' my groove on to a J. Geil cover band...".
Idiots.
They had some bubblehead blonde bartender on today who COULD NOT STOP GIGGLING AND ROLLING HER EYES throughout her testimony. As if the rest of America doesn't already think that SoCal is nothing but airheaded valley girls with the IQ of a garlic press, this chick made sure everyone is on the same page now.
Just a sad, sad case. All this talk of sex, drinking, carousing, making out with the spouse of someone else, more drinking, drunk driving, 2am "get togethers" in the garage with 6 of your closest friends and neighbors, etc.
Jeez.
Everyone involved here is just nasty. A more unlikable, immature bunch of wasteoids I can't imagine.
Poor little girl.
Comments
One of the prime early suspects was a guy named Westerfield, a neighbor of the van Dams. He'd left the next morning (after she was noticed missing) in a RV out in the desert. Forensics searched his home and RV, but the dogs were unable to come up with anything because it had all been freshly cleaned and bleached.
Basically, the story came out quite early that the night Danielle was missing, the mom was out partying with two girlfriends and they met some guys at a neighborhood bar and they all might've hooked up. The dad, Damon van Dam, had stayed home with the children, but when his wife and the others came home, supposedly they had a little group escapade. I guess all the early rumors about them being swingers and stuff were true, because all this stuff is coming out in trial.
Anyway, sometime between earlier that night when Danielle was put to bed, and the next morning, she was taken. There were people in the house who had access and blah, blah, blah.
That's the gist of it. Westerfield was a neighbor and one of the guys in the group at the bar.
It's just a sordid, weird mess basically. This trial is bringing out all these ugly things.
<strong>
Just a sad, sad case. All this talk of sex, drinking, carousing, making out with the spouse of someone else, more drinking, drunk driving, 2am "get togethers" in the garage with 6 of your closest friends and neighbors, etc.
Jeez.
Everyone involved here is just nasty. A more unlikable, immature bunch of wasteoids I can't imagine.
Poor little girl.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Saw a report on CNN last (I think it was) Friday. Whenever it was, it was about 3 in the morning. Aaron Brown was going over the day's testimony with some guy whose face I recognize but whose name I didn't catch. (This is how I follow these cases. A news channel will be on and someone will say something about Chandra Levy or whoever and I half listen while continuing with whatever it is that I'm already doing.) Anyway, the guy Aaron Brown was talking to is probably the guy who does their legal analysis now that Greta Van Sustern has jumped ship.
That day's testimony revealed the kid's parents to be the debauched white trash that they are. Aaron Brown was shocked that the defense attorney would pursue this angle. I don't know why. Sounds to me like the guy's guilty but the job of the defense attorney is to try and create reasonable doubt in the jurors minds.
Anyway, this is a very depressing story. Poor kid. Think about it for more than 2 minutes and you'll go from depressed to anger. Some people are so twisted in their thinking.
His first act would be to throw pscates and his iMac a life-raft with flairs and provisions and then unceremoniously sink the entire southern half of California.
That's already happening. Cali is slowing falling into the sea.
The land itself is not the problem, it's the "humans" inhabiting said land.
(btw, should be "flares" up there, not "flairs". Stupid me.)
No matter how sleazy the parents were, their kid didn't deserve what happened to her, and they don't deserve to have their admittedly tawdry private lives paraded on television so that a murderous pederast can get off. I know it's the lawyers job, but it's still pretty sleazy.
[ 06-11-2002: Message edited by: tmp ]</p>
I'm just commenting on the whole loser vibe I get from this bunch.
HOWEVER, if part of their life was bringing atrangers (or people they REALLY don't know all that well) into their home for sex, partying, etc. (when their children are there), then yes, there is indeed a connection and some sort of ugliness there.
I don't know. Believe me, I'm a very "hey, whatever floats your boat in the privacy of your own home..." kinda guy. But in this case, "whatever floated their boat" may have led to a real unsavory character getting into their home and ultimately snatching and killing their daughter.
Do that crap at hotels. OR, if you must do it in your home, then for crying out loud, send the kids to some friends or relatives for the evening.
Imagine a kid, seven years old or so, waking up in the middle of the night, walking around (a nightmare, bathroom visit, thirsty, etc. It HAPPENS!) and happening upon her mommy and daddy naked and sweaty with four or more other adults.
Would that not stick with you for LIFE? At the very least, it would probably skew your thinking a bit, and put some odd notions in your head at a very tender age.
Yes, the van Dam's have every right in the world to live whatever lifestyle they want. More power to them, if it makes them happy. But they miserably failed by doing that stuff in less than ideal circumstances and surroundings, it sounds like.
It's an ADULT pursuit and activity. Kids shouldn't be anywhere in the house, I don't care how late it is or how "quiet and cool" the adults are trying to be about it all.
If nothing else, they deserve a "Dumbass Parents of the Year" trophy for their hedonistic cluelessness.
I'm not a prude by ANY stretch, but come on. There's a time, and there's a place.
The two ARE related, and I think that's what the lawyer is trying to determine. Yeah, it's tawdry and tacky to watch, but there's a VERY good chance the parents let the murderer of their child into their house willingly.
[ 06-11-2002: Message edited by: pscates ]</p>
"Your honor, she was wearing a tight skirt, and I couldn't help myself!"
"Bailiff, wheel out 'ole sparky..."