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American Morning

Van Dam Murder Trial Continues

Aired July 10, 2002 - 09:17   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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: No shortage of twists and turns in the trial of the man accused of kidnapping and killing 7-year-old Danielle van Dam.

Anne McDermott has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNE MCDERMOTT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The night Danielle van Dam went missing, her mother was in a bar with friends. And she later testified she saw David Westerfield there, the man on trial for killing her 7-year-old daughter. Brenda van Dam has always said she danced with several people that night but not with David Westerfield.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How about the defendant, did you dance with him?

BRENDA VAN DAM, MOTHER: No.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You sure?

VAN DAM: Positive.

MCDERMOTT: But that's not what other bar patrons saw that night.

PATRICIA LAPAGE, WITNESS: Mr. Westerfield and Mrs. van dam were dancing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you notice whether or not she appeared to be rubbing herself all over him?

LAPAGE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Those were your words, weren't they?

LAPAGE: Yes.

MCDERMOTT: Then she described what they were doing this way.

LAPAGE: Well there was a movie they called -- it was called "Dirty Dancing," so I guess I'd have to say that.

MCDERMOTT: This man also saw them dance.

DUANE BLAKE, WITNESS: Just kind of huggy, huggy.

MCDERMOTT: By introducing the so-called huggy, huggy, Westerfield's lawyers are trying to show that hair and fibers from Danielle that were found in his motorhome could have originally come from the mother. Now police believe that the fibers got there because Westerfield put the little girl in the motorhome before driving her out to the desert and dumping her. But the defense is suggesting the material may have rubbed off the daughter on to her mother and then on to Westerfield and into his motorhome. However, a San Diego criminalist said Tuesday that other fibers found with the child's body appeared very similar to fibers found in the motorhome, though the criminalist admitted she didn't do all the testing available to her because of time constraints.

More testimony is scheduled for Wednesday, then a break since a final witness won't be available until the 22nd.

Anne McDermott, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Boy, it's a tough one to follow.

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