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CNN Live At Daybreak

Decomposed Body Found in San Diego that of Missing Seven-Year Old

Aired March 01, 2002 - 06:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the worst has been confirmed now. The decomposed body found in a San Diego desert is that of missing seven-year old Danielle Van Dam. We'll get the latest from reporter Paul Bloom of CNN affiliate KUSI.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL BLOOM, CNN AFFILIATE KUSI: They either did spotlights with a constant hum of generators echoing over the brushy hillside, homicide investigators worked through the night. Police had already determined that the murdered child dumped along Bahisa Road (ph) was probably Danielle Van Dam. Shortly after 11:00 p.m. Wednesday the medical examiner carried away the remains to begin the process of identification and autopsy.

Fifteen hours later District Attorney Paul Phingst said medical examiner Brian Blackborn (ph) had made a positive identification.

PAUL PFINGST, DISTRICT ATTORNEY SAN DIEGO CO. CALIFORNIA: Dr. Blackborn reports that he has confirmed that the body of the little girl discovered yesterday is in fact the body of Danielle Van Dam.

BLOOM: Because the body was decomposed, the medical examiner had turned to dental records for identification. Forensic dentist Skip Spurbur (ph) seen here in January of 2000 was able to match the teeth of the dead child with Danielle's dental records. When David Westerfield was arraigned on kidnapping and murder charges Tuesday, prosecutors said they were confident they could win a conviction with circumstantial evidence, even if Danielle's body was never found. Now the DA and police are heaping praise on the volunteers who doggedly continued to search the hills and deserts until they found what may become the most important point of evidence in the case.

PHINGST: Obviously the more evidence one has, the better off a case is, and we were discussing just a few days ago the difficulties of going forward with a murder case without having a - having a body. Now the body is there, that issue with strong intense purpose is removed. So the extent that that helps, it's hard to quantify that.

BLOOM: How Danielle died remains a question. The autopsy failed to turn up the definitive cause of death. When she died and exactly how long ago her body was dumped under a tree in East County may be possible to determine. But prosecutors are not releasing any more information gained from the autopsy. Investigators are sure, though, that Danielle was killed a short time after she was kidnapped based on the condition of the body.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And that report was from Paul Bloom of CNN affiliate KUSI in San Diego. Of course, we'll keep you posted.

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