Death Row Files: David Westerfield

In the early hours of Saturday, February 2, 2002, seven year old Danielle Van Dam was abducted from her bedroom by a predator. Located in Poway, a wealthy suburb of San Diego, Danielle’s home was in a picturesque neighborhood that felt very much like a small town. In the hours immediately following Danielle’s disappearance, an extensive search was launched and the media’s constant coverage began.

Three weeks later, Danielle’s naked body was discovered in the desert and her neighbor, David Westerfield, was arrested and charged with kidnapping, murder, and possession of child pornography. Westerfield was a successful design engineer with two kids in college, an ex-wife, and no criminal history. On the surface, he did not resemble the monster capable of committing such a horrific crime.

Four months after Danielle disappeared, the trial of David Westerfield began and was carried live on all the local television stations. This is the true crime story of what happened in the courtroom over the following two months; day by day, witness by witness, as the prosecution used forensic evidence to reveal what happened to Danielle in the last hours of her life and the defense relied on multiple entomologists who concluded, based on the insect evidence, that David Westerfield could not have been the killer. If found guilty, he would face the death penalty.