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CNN Live At Daybreak

Parents of Danielle Van Dam Testify at Preliminary Hearing

Aired March 15, 2002 - 05:03   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: New developments in another heart wrenching child murder case, this one involving the death of 7-year- old Danielle Van Dam. A judge has ruled there's enough evidence for the man accused of killing the little girl to stand trial. The child's parents testified yesterday in a preliminary hearing.

Reporter Steve Fiorina of CNN's San Diego affiliate KGTV has details for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEVE FIORINA, KGTV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One day after holding a private funeral service for her daughter, Brenda Van Dam took the witness stand in the preliminary hearing for the man accused of killing the little girl. Within moments, she was overcome with grief as the D.A. asked about Danielle.

BRENDA VAN DAM, MOTHER: September 22, 1994.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What grade was she in?

B. VAN DAM: Second.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And your third child was whom?

B. VAN DAM: Dan.

FIORINA: She was questioned about the night before Danielle's disappearance, about smoking marijuana, drinking, dancing and playing pool with several friends then coming home a little after two in the morning.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How about the kids? Did you check on them?

B. VAN DAM: No.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why not?

B. VAN DAM: When I came home and went upstairs to ask Damon to come down, I asked him how the bedtime tuck in went. And he said it went fine. I asked him if he had hugged and kissed everybody good night and he said yes. And I asked him if anyone had asked for me. He said no. So I had no reason to check on them. FIORINA: She did notice a blinking security light and found a side garage door open, which they had had open earlier. It was closed and forgotten. Next morning, a typical Saturday, until they discovered Danielle was missing.

B. VAN DAM: And I started calling her name. I started looking under the beds and into the other rooms and then I, you know, during that time I told Damon I couldn't find her. And he ran upstairs, and we started looking everywhere.

FIORINA: The defense attorney repeatedly questioned Brenda about her lifestyle, any relationship with neighbor David Westerfield, a visit to his home selling Girl Scout cookies, whether they danced that night at Dan's Bar.

B. VAN DAM: No, I didn't.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you say no you didn't, you mean to say the document did not refresh your recollection or you did not dance with David Westerfield?

B. VAN DAM: I did not dance with David Westerfield.

FIORINA: Damon's turn next, clean shaven today for the first time since the ordeal began. And while Brenda was at times in tears and at times defensive with the defense attorneys, Damon began nervously. He glared at defendant Westerfield, then seemed upbeat as he talked about that Friday night playing video games with his sons.

DAMON VAN DAM: We had just own an Xbox so we were playing with our Xbox.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your Honor, I'm sorry...

FIORINA: The attorneys then took him through much of the same territory covered with his wife, that night and Saturday morning when she was gone.

D. VAN DAM: Cray, I don't know. I was not in good shape.

FIORINA: And he was asked about cleaning the house.

D. VAN DAM: My main concern was that no one cleaned Danielle's room.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why?

D. VAN DAM: Because I was worried because I knew somebody...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you want to take a break?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I knew something bad had happens and I wanted to make sure that if there was any evidence that it was still there.

(END VIDEOTAPE) COSTELLO: Of course, something bad did happen. Danielle's body was found along a rural road near San Diego last month. Neighbor David Westerfield has pleaded innocent to kidnapping and murder charges.

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