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American Morning

Faint Hopes of Danielle Van Dam's Parents Give Way to Tragic Reality

Aired February 28, 2002 - 09:04   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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: "Up Front" this morning, the search is over. The faint hopes of Danielle van Dam's parents give way to a tragic reality. Investigators say now that they believe that they have found the body of 7-year-old Danielle, who had been missing since January. A body of a blonde young girl with jewelry matching the jewelery that Danielle's often wore as discovered by volunteer searchers in a remote area near the town of El Cajon.

CNN's Frank Buckley joins us now from that same area in San Diego County.

Good morning, Frank. What have you learned from investigators? How long might it be before they make a positive identification?

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Paula, it could be as early as 24 hours. It could be as late as several days. Investigators telling us that they will attempt to use dental records to do that. If they are able to use the dental records, it will be fairly quick. If they have to use DNA, it could be a number of days. Right now, here at the scene, some investigators have returned to the crime scene, where the body was found yesterday. You can see CHP continuing to guard the area down there, and some investigators have arrived on scene.

The body found about 25-30 feet behind those trees in some brush. Overnight, the body was removed from this location and taken to the medical examiner's office for the positive identification. But authorities do say that they believe they have found Danielle Van Dam.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL PFINGST, D.A., SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA: Detectives have observed 3-4-foot tall young white female, apparently with blonde hair on her back. The body has a plastic necklace around its neck, similar to the one seen in the missing person flier distributed throughout San Diego County with Danielle Van Dam's picture on it. One earing is visible and appears to be the same as the one described having been worn by her at the time of abduction.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BUCKLEY: The prime suspect in this case is David Westerfield. He was charged with murder, kidnapping and child pornography on Tuesday. He entered a plea of not guilty, but authorities say they do believe they have a strong case against him, based at least on part on DNA evidence they say indicates that there were -- there was DNA on a portion of his clothing, and also in his motor home -- Paula.

ZAHN: I think it so interesting that this was not an area that seemed an obvious place for police to search, but indeed, it's an area that these volunteers searchers targeted. Why did they look in this remote area?

BUCKLEY: It's a very good question, Paula. Yesterday, reporters were asking investigators that. Did they have some sort of a tip? Was the suspect somehow cooperating? Was there something that led them to this specific spot? And apparently, according to the authorities, it was something as simple as these volunteer searchers simply expanding the search area and deciding to look in this particular spot. They'd looked in a number of spots, and they were crossing spots off as they went along. This was one of the areas they decided to go check. It was a rural road, and area where perhaps a body could be hidden off the side of the road. They looked and, in fact, they found the body.

ZAHN: I think it's also interesting to note, Frank, that part of the reason why this volunteer search happened in the first place is that the Van Dams really encouraged everyone's involvement in the search. They did it verbally, and they also did it on the Internet.

BUCKLEY: Indeed they did. And there was in fact a center that was set up in which people would report and then they would go out, and it was organized search in that sense for the volunteers. This was something that really galvanized the community, touched people, anyone who is a parent, who thought about their own child, thought this could happen to me. I think there was a sense of that. There were hundreds of people out in the volunteer effort.

ZAHN: Had the Van Dams said anything publicly since this discovery?

BUCKLEY: Not yet. They have been visited by friends, by a priest yesterday. They have, as you know, been speaking to the media throughout this. Yesterday, they did make an appearance, understandable. Perhaps, perhaps they will say something today. But for the moment, they're alone in their grief.

ZAHN: All right, Frank Buckley, we appreciate your live report. I know it's a tough time for anybody associated with the story.

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