Swinging in the News - The Van Dam Case

[Corinne 16]

Hi all,

I'm sure a lot of you have heard about the case of the little girl who disappeared a few weeks ago in San Diego.

I was reading people magazine today (well, have to keep up with the gossip ) and this is what they were writing about the parents.

 

" Meanwhile the van Dams (parents)..... were coming in for some uncomfortable scrutiny of their own. In the days after Danielle's disappearance there had been whispers in Sabre Springs that the couple were "swingers" who had an open marriage. The issue came to a head when a local radio talk show host,Rick Roberts, devoted a four-hour program to the van Dams, whom he accused of "not being honest" about "what really occurred" on the night of the disappearance. Citing an unnamed law enforcement source, he said the couple had participated in "lots of wife swapping", implying that their lifestyle was at least partly to blame for the tragedy."

 

Excuse me?? Are swingers criminals, or, what he seems to be implying, pedophiles? (My interpretation, might be a bit off here). Are we, as swingers, really getting judged so badly? Well, maybe the parents had something to do with the disappearance, it happened before, but to say it happened because they are swingers???

 

Ok, this is more like a vent here, just thought I share.

 

Take care all,

Corinne

[Flori_DAMAN 26]

Another example of our societies great willingness to judge anyone that drifts from the so called norm concerning sexuality. Simultaneously this displays a glaring contradiction on the part of our so called "liberal press".

I will never understand why people suck up this sensationalism at every opportunity.

 

Taking the logic that this article supports to its logical conclusion then having sex outside of marraige implies that that person has pedophilic tendencies. Now when the president of the US gets a BJ from an intern this should not be of any concern whatsoever. Even though situations like this could lead to blacmail, extortion, or national security risks. Ah well...if everything were fair then robins wouldn't eat worms huh. John

[JustAskJulie 2,595]

This topic came up amongst a group of us webmasters (and amateur web models) a week or so ago. I can't believe that People would stoop so low.. well ok, I can.

 

This kind of thing tends to give swingers a bad name.

[danc694u 19]

Adding insult to injury. A recent pedophile & convicted child molester. Was morned (sp) by his "professional" friends & leading scholars, for being imprisoned.

 

They publicly stated (in print & TV) the world had lost a great man. And, felt that he was imprisoned unjustly for his "minor" social crime.

 

His crime?? Sexually molesting a 9 year old boy, since age 7.

 

There seems to be a double standard when it comes to morals in this country. Professionals (read money and contacts), are above what the general public thinks. While the non-professionals (like me), get hammered for picking their nose in public.

 

David

[lycioos 16]

Like we always say, a college degree doesn't give a person common sense or morals, it gives them a piece of paper that says they are smart. period.

[CanadianCouple 18]

For those of you who have been following the story of 7 yr. old Danielle van Dam, the Sabre Springs, California girl who was abducted three weeks ago, you may be interested to know that the Star magazine is reporting in it's February 26 issue the girl's parents are apparently active swingers, even mentioning by name a club they're members of.

 

What has this to do with her disappearance you ask? Probably not a damned thing, but of course certain factions of the media are thrilled to have this titillating bit of information for their exploitation. The slant on the story is their neighbor, who's currently under arrest, was frustrated he wasn't included in the van Dam's sex parties and went after their daughter instead, hence the subtle inference the parents brought this upon themselves with their lifestyle.

 

Makes you wonder who's lower on the food chain -- Johnny Cochran or rag reporters.

 

Dan

[CanadianCouple 18]

I erroneously posted on this subject in the "chat" section, not knowing it had already been discussed elsewhere here, so if you, Julie, would like to relocate it, feel free.

 

This kind of yellow journalism is despicable beyond description. As parents, Janette and I can't even begin to imagine the horrors the van Dams are going through as I type this, and now a very personal and UNRELATED aspect of their private lives will be exposed before the world.

 

We hope that all of their family and friends will give them their unconditional love and support in this darkest of times.

 

Dan

[watcherone 15]

You know, the way society is going it wont be long before there will only be one person that can walk the almighty straight and narrow line. Years back I was in trouble because my hair was too long and i wore blue jeans to school-even got expelled for my hair touching my shirt collar. Since than this great society has laid more and more rules on us to where it is hard to be an individual. That is what life is really all about- be a unique person, enjoy your life and let society go its own way. My only real concern in my life is to not hurt anyone with my life, other than that, it is my life and I'm not going to worry about what society thinks about me. Maybe that is the lesson from 9/11. Life is so short, live it as full as you can and enjoy it to the max. Tomorrow may never come.

[eagleyeg 15]

Amen Canadian Couple. So sad our society is directed by sensationalism and by Morons in the press. Don't you find it strange more emphasis was not placed on the deviate accused of the Van Dam crime? And what about those in Boston, New Hampshire and Philadelphia being protected by the church doing the same thing to innocent children. Swingers have proved themselves time and time again to be more honest than the Media, Politicians and so called men of the cloth. In fact swinging is built on honesty and nothing more.

[CanadianCouple 18]

Originally posted by eagleyeg:

Don't you find it strange more emphasis was not placed on the deviate accused of the Van Dam crime?

 

Yes, but then again there's that exciting little red herring about the parent's swinging lifestyle. After all, it's all about selling newspapers, right?

 

I just logged on to today's online San Diego Union-Tribune, and to their credit today's story makes no mention of them involved in swinging. However, there is a message chat board on the front page, and I was discouraged to see so many negative posts about the van Dams, including those alluding to their lifestyle. Even those posts made after Westerfield's arrest on Friday continue to run heavily against them. It's even been speculated in there that the DNA evidence found implicating Westerfield was planted (shades of OJ??). I'm willing to bet nearly half of these hypocrites comdeming the parents for their swinging have themselves screwed around behind their spouse's backs, but that's different, right?

 

The only possible ( I repeat,possible)scenario I can envision that the van Dams may be hedging on would be the mother did engage in sex with Westerfield via the lifestyle, and is reluctant to make that known for fear of being blamed by association. But again, if true then so what?? If the van Dams had sat beside their daughter's abductor/killer in a church pew, then would their religious beliefs and practises have contributed to her kidnapping and subsequent death, assuming she is indeed dead? Different scenario, but the same principle in logic.

 

Janette and I are parents who happen to be swingers, and we've personally known many other swinging couples who love and cherish their children as much as we do ours -- and it sickens me to read this slanted filth insinuating the van Dams somehow brought this on themselves. I pray little Danielle will be found alive and well, but I also realize the possiblity of that diminishes with each passing day.

 

Our thoughts and prayers continue to be where they should be. With Danielle and her parents.

 

Dan

[PA_RACERS 17]

Yesterday I saw a show on MSNBC with Matt Lauer and the guy from America's Most Wanted. They brought up how the media pushed the parents lifestyle out. Mr. Walsh said the police had never taking their swinging lifestyle into any concideration in the investigation. All the bad hype is just the media trying to make an innocent couple look bad. I find the news media an outrage all too often!

[youngswingers 15]

Can anybody tell us what the NASCA does? Honestly, some national organization has got to get out their and start spinning on our behalf. I don't understand how a special interest group as large as ours has no Public Relations arm.

[danc694u 19]

Originally posted by youngswingers:

Can anybody tell us what NASCA does?

 

They haven't done anything IMO, except raise the quality of clubs.

 

There is a group that is getting together. I can't recall the name though. Their main purpose? To act as a lobby group for clubs at the national and state levels. Hopefully, they'll get some of these backward thinking radicals to loosen up a bit.

[lycioos 16]

I recently watched a 20/20 or 48 hours special on this topic. (It was one of those shows, they're all the same to me) Anyway- It seems that the greatest concern that they showed towards the "lifestyle" this couple led was the fact that they took these couples home. Now, while I agree that their priviate lives are their priviate lives, I also agree that people that you "pick up" at parties and don't know from adam, yet you choose to take them to your place of residence while your children are home sleeping, does, pose a greater risk to your childrens saftey. So, if there is anything that is good that can come out of this, even though the people they took home has nothing to do with this particular crime, hopefully in the future it can protect others from going through this by hiding their lives a bit better. From what I understand the neighbor was a pervert who saw what was going on a flipped out. Their fault??? Absolutely NOT. But, in the future those of us who has children, may want to evaluate carefully who we do allow to enter into our homes.

[danc694u 19]

Originally posted by lycioos:

But, in the future those of us who has children, may want to evaluate carefully who we do allow to enter into our homes.

 

That's true. But, the perv lived 2 houses down! Says a lot for nice/trendy/secure neighborhoods doesn't it?

 

Locks, bars, alarms are for honest people. Crooks and the like are rarely bothered by these things.

 

Statistics show that over 70% of murder victims know the perpetrator personally.

 

Do we hide from the world as well?

[lycioos 16]

Sad isn't it?? No we can't hide from the world. We do the best we can and hold on for the ride.

[JustAskJulie 2,595]

I have to agree with Lycious. We don't have kids but it always bothers me when we swing with people who do and they have no problem playing at their home with the kids home.

 

The last thing I want is to be responsible for a kids future trauma after walking in on their parents having sex with us. I have just seen too many swinging parents not take enough responsibility for shielding their kids from sexual things that they don't need to see or know about YET. Not saying that sex or the lifestyle is wrong, but there is a time and a place for kids to find things out, and overhearing a conversation between their parents and another couple or walking in on them is not the way.

 

As for the neighbor, we have no idea what the story was there. I dont' care how nice your neighborhood is, you never really know your neighbors.

 

I read on another board that Newsweek said something to the effect of how people like to find a difference between them and the people of the tragedy. In this case people were using the swinging to justify why they are bad people who brought this upon themselves.

 

And that is so very true. Everyone wants to think that bad things can't/won't happen to them... they always happen to someone else... and if they happen to someone shouldn't they happen to someone who for some reason (in their mind) deserves to have it happen? So if this was a normal everyday family with nothing different then people see it as something that could have just as easily happened to their kid. This way they can say... "oh this family is bad, these parents were swingers they deserved it" and in saying that they are really saying "I'm not like them so it can't happen to me".

 

Nothing like a good old-fashioned false sense of security to make you sleep well at night.

[CanadianCouple 18]

Janette and I have been following this story since it broke nationally. Of course, the swinging aspect piqued our interest in another vein. We've been visiting the San Diego Union-Tribune's web site daily for the latest information, and there is also a link there where readers can leave messages pertaining to the case, in bulletin board format.

 

I finally became fed up enough with the snide and inane comments made about the van Dam parents and their reported swinging, that I put a post in of my own, under our CanadianCouple handle. Should anyone wish to view it or leave a message of their own, here's the link. Look for the header titled "Swinging???"

 

If anyone does wish to post on this matter, keep in mind you must first register (free of charge), and that all posts are screened before appearing onscreen.

[Alura 2,773]

Those who dare to be different must be prepared to suffer consequences, even if they have no choice but to be different.

 

Cro-Magnon man (that's us) somehow made his way to this planet and within a thousand years or so, Neanderthal Man, who had lived here for millions of years, was gone.

 

Europeans landed on this continent and laid waste to the Native Americans by giving us diseases, killing us, and marrying us, not letting up until we looked enough like them that it was hard to tell the difference.

 

People who are different scare people who are "normal." Sometimes it's looks, sometimes it's culture, sometimes it's the things we do, sometimes it's just that they want what we have or are jealous of us. Perhaps in this case they're just jealous of our ability to know and understand our spouses well enough that we can swing.

 

We always try to have our kids away when we play but we have, once or twice, given in to temptation and gone for a moonlight swim with friends while the kids were upstairs asleep. No matter what the van Damms were doing, they did not deserve to have their beautiful daughter raped and murdered. We hope they burn the son-of-a-bitch.

 

Alura

[turnuptheheat 98]

I think the reason that so many people grabbed onto this was the desire to find a "reason" that something tragic happened to someone.

We want to think that it can't happen to us, so the tendency is to look for something that sets the victim apart from "us".

 

Swinging is the one thing that seems to jump out of this couple's life in an otherwise vanilla existence, so the media and public latches on.

It seems that it has been de-emphasized lately, but I think it will probably come up in the killers trial to try to deflect blame from the evil bastard who did the crime. Defense lawyers don't seem to care who they hurt in order to get over, as in the case of the San Fran dog attack trying to shift blame onto Diane Whipples partner for not reporting an incident with the dogs a month earlier.

[M&B 21]

Just FYI. I have a friend that is a SDPD cop and is in the lifestyle. He said that the investigators did look into the circumstances of that evening that Danielle disappeared, but, other than that, they left the issue alone.

 

The cop, however, has understandably backed off from clubbing. He said that it was very unfortunate that the media has gone into its predictable frenzy. A little chum in the water is all it takes. He could not afford to be caught up in some media shark's jaws.

 

Our favorite club cancelled a party a few weeks ago. They were mentioned as one of the clubs that the Van Damms went to. The club owners are such good people. Their concerns are just as real as the cop's.

[CanadianCouple 18]

Originally posted by M&B:

A little chum in the water is all it takes.

 

You're not kidding. As I mentioned earlier in this thread, I've been posting in the SD Union-Tribune's "Danielle" message board, especially in the threads pertaining to swinging. Some there, although not swingers themselves, are lucid enough to realize the lifestyle is NOT to blame, but the perpetrator of this crime. Others, though, are using the swinging issue as what they perceive to be the perfect scapegoat, includng insinuating the lifestyle attracts a disporportionate number of pedophiles.

 

Huh??

 

Again, if anyone's interested in following it, we've been posting there under our same handle, CanadianCouple, and we've been most open in there about our lifestyle.

 

Dan

[anandjeff2 15]

I've been pretty quiet about this whole thing with the Van Dams.. what deos irk me is the fact tht the press is latching onto the couple's lifestyle as a way to say they are to blame for what happened..excuse me but the neighbour was a CHILD molester..and as a whole child molesters do not take the responsibility for their sexiual preferences..swingers DO! Yes we might be discrete due to family or friends or any of the other things that make is neccesary but a chld molester hides their sexual preferences covertly and they stalk their victims wiating for the opportunity to strike. They are manipulators and connivers and pick their victims carefully..and if they screw up they will kill the vicitim if they realize they cannot keep them quiet by guilt or fear. Swingers dont do that.. most of us are pretty open and honest about our desires..we just shield the innocents from that..child molesters seek out the innocent and terrorize them.

 

An

[CanadianCouple 18]

[small]Originally posted by anandjeff2:[/small]

I've been pretty quiet about this whole thing with the Van Dams.. what deos irk me is the fact tht the press is latching onto the couple's lifestyle as a way to say they are to blame for what happened..excuse me but the neighbour was a CHILD molester..and as a whole child molesters do not take the responsibility for their sexiual preferences..swingers DO! Yes we might be discrete due to family or friends or any of the other things that make is neccesary but a chld molester hides their sexual preferences covertly and they stalk their victims wiating for the opportunity to strike. They are manipulators and connivers and pick their victims carefully..and if they screw up they will kill the vicitim if they realize they cannot keep them quiet by guilt or fear. Swingers dont do that.. most of us are pretty open and honest about our desires..we just shield the innocents from that..child molesters seek out the innocent and terrorize them.

 

An

 

An, the press picked up on it because it's sensationalist, it sells newpapers and magazines, and generally makes people a lot of money all round. The defense is picking up on it because they'll use any and all means to distract a jury from the damning physical evidence against their client.

 

Plus, they're counting on the fact many juries today have the attention span of a gnat. But we agree, it's a travesty that the van Dam's swinging was made public in such a cheap and tawdry way.

 

Dan

[anandjeff2 15]

Oh don't even get me started in on the press..I cannt stand the way things are so sensationalized..case in point right now the hot thing to talk about here in the USA is a 99 report on the AlQuada and the fling of planes into buildings idea in it..well they are talking about how bush saw the repot in Aug and didnt do a thing..well the biggest mouth on the flor of the Seante asking questions is Hilary Clinton's and well lets backtrack a little here who was Pres in 99??And where di the report go to for 2 years??Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm?? something to think about...oh and also the newest hottest thing is schools is for girls to give oral sex to boys.. and the reasoning is "gee it isnt sex its ok to do that...Clinton said so..." UGH!

[CanadianCouple 18]

 

They have ruled that ...jurors could hear only limited evidence about what defense lawyers say was her parents' "swinging" sex life.

 

In that same newspaper, an article was published on the swinging lifestyle (can't remember the date). The article itself was surprisingly mature and non-judgmental in nature, but one item caught my eye. It stated that some clubs (presumably on premises) require all men entering the club to completely disrobe for inspection.

 

Huh?? Never heard THAT one before. No reason was given for the upclose inspection. Just wondering if you've ever heard of such a thing, we haven't.

 

Dan

[CanadianCouple 18]

Julie --

 

Yes, that's the article. There's no mention of inspections, I must have surmised the reason for the required disrobing of men while trying to recall that particular section (although I can't fathom any other reason for the mandatory removal of clothing. Again, it's something I've never heard of before.)

 

I'm not sure how you were able to retrieve that article, since after posting it on that paper's bulletin board it came up as "link not found" whenever I clicked on it. Regardless, I think it's an excellent article on the lifestyle, written in a professional and non-judgemental manner.

 

Janette and I began posting there (under the same nickname) in response to some of the negative and unbelievably cruel posts being put in there by those so willing to blame the van Dams in part for the death of their daughter, simply because they're personally offended by the lifestyle. We had no intentions of trying to "sell" the lifestyle to anyone in there, but rather help clear up some common misconceptions and erroneous parallels some were drawing. But also, we just couldn't sit here and let some of those cretins all but say they deserved to suffer their loss, and maintain our self respect, so we posted that we, too, were swingers, fully prepared to suffer the slings and arrows from some of those decent, God-fearing solid citizens in there. And they didn't disappoint us, either. One poster actually wished my wife and I to both to rot in hell, simply because we have consensual sex with others. The post was subsequently deleted.

 

The most gratifying responses were those which came from individuals who are NOT swingers, yet fully support our freedom to choose how we live our lives. A couple of them even sent supportive emails privately.

 

As I stated in there on one occasion, I pray the van Dams never have occasion to read some of the poison written about them on that board. They've suffered far too much already.

 

Dan

[MiCpl 55]

Quote

I finally became fed up enough with the snide and inane comments made about the van Dam parents and their reported swinging, that I put a post in of my own, under our CanadianCouple handle. Should anyone wish to view it or leave a message of their own, here's the link. Look for the header titled "Swinging???"

 

I applaud you guys for jumping into the alligator pond (so to speak). It never ceases to amaze me at the way people will stereotype anything they aren't comfortable/familiar with or just don't agree with.

 

How can anyone say that the VanDams lifestyle (if they even are swingers) has anything to do with their daughter's murder? Even if they made a poor decision and chose to swing with the pervert next door, that does not mean it is their fault that he kidnapped their daughter.

[youngswingers 15]

Hi all,

 

After hearing defense lawyers blame parents for the death of their child because they are swingers, and reading posts about intrusive newspapers (and abusive police departments) there has got to be some organization looking out for swingers. A Lobby group would go a large way in improving our stake in the larger community. Don't you think that the NASC would benefit from having a political/public relations arm?

[JustAskJulie 2,595]

While the Free Speech Coalition is in place primarily for the adult video/internet industry it also deals with legal concerns of swingers and does help defend in those issues.

 

[CanadianCouple 18]

Hi all,

 

After hearing defense lawyers blame parents for the death of their child because they are swingers, and reading posts about intrusive newspapers (and abusive police departments) there has got to be some organization looking out for swingers. A Lobby group would go a large way in improving our stake in the larger community. Don't you think that the NASC would benefit from having a political/public relations arm?

 

Please keep a couple of things in mind.

 

1 -- The media is in the business of selling advertising. That means they scour news stories for items that capture public interest. And anything related to sex captures that interest. And in the process of searching for those stories we all find so tittilating, the media certainly isn't above, shall we say, embellishing certain innuendos.

 

2 -- Defense lawyers are not in the business of searching for truth as some claim, but rather doing everything within the often gray boundries of the law to get their clients off, innocent or guilty. In fact, most criminal defense lawyers, if you can get them drunk enough, will admit the vast majority of their clients charged with violent crimes are scum-sucking societal parasites who should be given the needle. And those who prey on children should be dug up every five years for booster shots.

 

But, alas, they're paid to do a job, and that job is to get their clients off, or in the event of a guilty verdict, the lightest sentence possible. And that often involves spending the trial throwing red herrings at the jury to divert attention away from their obviously guilty clients. That farce known as the OJ case lowered the bar for every trial that followed.

 

And if that means blaming the victims, or in this case her parents, then right or wrong, they won't hesitate to do it.

 

One more thing -- most people, swingers or not, don't want their sex lives made public.

 

Dan

[youngswingers 15]

Right Dan, but there are numerous victim's advocacy that have set the tone for what is and is not acceptable. Additionally, celebrities have privacy rights advocates to ensure that the legal climate is in favor of keeping their nude beach pictures out of magazines. The reason why things are not entirely out of hand is because these lobby groups are working behind the scene to pass laws and assert pressure. That is how our system works. I just wanted to know if there was some organization doing that kind of work... at least for swing clubs.

[Close Encounters 73]

Though seldom in the public eye NASCA along with their legal staff and regional reps work closely with clubs in dealing with the media, goverment and law enforcement.

[Honeysuckle 15]

Hi, Canadian Couple!

Quote

Originally posted by CanadianCouple:

 

1 -- The media is in the business of selling advertising. That means they scour news stories for items that capture public interest. And anything related to sex captures that interest. And in the process of searching for those stories we all find so titillating, the media certainly isn't above, shall we say, embellishing certain innuendos.

 

True enough.

 

However, I seem to recall in this case that the national media had picked up on the Van Dam case early into her disappearance, thus it was probably prior to the lawyers or police, or whoever it was, revealing the parents' extra curricular activities.

 

And as you said, the defense lawyers are attacking the victims in this case. They don't seem to have any other sort of defense strategy, so the media is in a spot where they do have to report this info.

 

Good points in the rest of your post. I just wanted to comment on the media portion.

[CanadianCouple 18]

Quote

Originally posted by Honeysuckle:

 

However, I seem to recall in this case that the national media had picked up on the Van Dam case early into her disappearance, thus it was probably prior to the lawyers or police, or whoever it was, revealing the parents' extra curricular activities.

 

 

True. The media's initial interest was the fact the girl was apparently abducted right out of her bed, a scenario that always piques the interest of the media and general public. After reports of her parent's involvement in the swinging lifestyle, certain media outlets began painting the case in a more tawdry light.

 

From the reports we'd heard, the parents themselves willingly volunteered to police their lifestyle in the early stages of the case, leaving no stone unturned to find their daughter's whereabouts.

 

Dan

[Guest <Tess & Bob>]

There are a couple of organizations that are working to help lifestyle clubs and create more tolerance for this industry. The organization currently doing the most is the International Lifestyle Association (ILA).

 

They have been active in the Van Damme case, the ban on swing clubs in Phoenix & Hollywood, Fl, they have responded to bills in Ohio seeking to limit swing clubs, they have a lot of information on their web site on how you can make a difference and how clubs can protect themselves. The industry has needed an organization like this for some time, we are glad to see an organization finally making a difference.

 

Another great organization is the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSFreedom - National Coalition for Sexual Freedom - NCSFreedom.org). They believe in everyone's right to express themselves sexually and are one of the most important advocacy groups. They are working to overturn the ban's on swinging in both Phoenix and Hollywood, Fl.

 

The Institute for 21st Century Relationships (Research, Education, Nontraditional Relationships, Civil Liberties) is trying to get the study of sexuality back on track. Without accurate statistics to back up lifestyle club's claims that they are not harmful, all the legal defense and advocacy groups won't help us.

 

The ILA is also working with the ACLU and the Free Speech Coalition to form coalitions against the attacks we are currently fighting.

[mxdmichcpl0803 15]

Swinging has been getting alot of publicity lately with the case of Danielle Van Dam case. The defense lawyers have been attacking the parents because of their lifestyle. It is very interesting though that a poll was taken on CourtTV and 60% of the people responding said that the couples lifestyle should have not any bearing on the case against David Westerfield. It just shows some of the tactics lawyers use to try and get their clients acquitted.

[SoftnGentle 15]

People in the US just don't know how big the life style really is. But the sad part is if anything happens to a person or a child and they find out that person or the childs parents where in the life style, then the blame shifts to the life style. As like this case involving the Van Dams.

 

 

[M&B 21]

Ask me to tell you what I really feel. I dare ya. hehe. OK...

 

This story and the goings on in California courts are a constant reminder to me that the law profession, at least in this state, has some true scum in it. The defense strategy of attacking the victoms is such crap that the incredibly lame judges in this rotten state should be shutting down.

 

Remember the O.J. trial? The clown Ito allowed the scum Cocheran to get his client off and get away with the most incredibly heinous murder in this state's history.

 

The attack on the girl's parents in the Van Damm case has had many of us southern Ca. swingers quite concerned. Police have and are investigating people left and right. My next door neighbor hosts Bible study, yes- actual Bible study every Wednesday and Saturday nights. They were visited by the police twice! And we live a good fifteen miles from the Van Damms!!

 

Funny, they never knocked on our door. And we are nude in and around the house all the time.

 

M

[CanadianCouple 18]

I know this subject has been discussed in another thread, but David Westerfield has been found guilty of murder in the death of 7 year old Danielle van Dam, despite the defense's best attempts to malign her parent's reputation.

 

Now let's get that needle ready......

 

Dan

[OhioCouple 40]

Originally posted by CanadianCouple:

I know this subject has been discussed in another thread, but David Westerfield has been found guilty of murder in the death of 7 year old Danielle van Dam, despite the defense's best attempts to malign her parent's reputation.

 

Now let's get that needle ready......

 

Dan

 

I'm with ya on this one. I rarely watch TV anymore or read newspapers for several reasons, but what amazes me the most about this particular case is how quickly it made it to trial. I believe and I could be wrong here but the jury deliberated for nine days? I am not sure why unless it was to bring back a conviction on all charges as the evidence alone was astronomical. (sp)

 

There seems to be an abundance of missing/abducted children these days and I am so happy they are addressing it immediately as opposed to waiting for 24 hours etc (dependant upon their age). I know there has been many that have not made national news over the years, but the van Dam's, in a positive light (without a focus on the fact they are swingers), have brought their pain to the publics attention and how we need to all *Watch our for not only our own but others children as well.*

 

I haven't any medical training, but I'll bet I could figure out a way to insert the needle if called upon. I sincerely hope Westerfields justice is dealt with just as swiftly as his conviction, to bad tho that he couldn't suffer the same pain as that of his victim.

 

Lori

[BradAndJanet 70]

Yes, I was very pleased this afternoon. The jury was too smart to fall for that crap, and never once asked for anything related to that part of the testimony. The blood evidence, kiddy porn and suspicious behavior added up to a pretty convincing case, I think.

 

-Brad

[CanadianCouple 18]

Lori, Brad and Janet --

 

Yes, it took nine or ten days for the jury to decide. Not sure why the delay, but at least they got the conviction. California juries sometimes have trouble convicting, as we all know.

 

You bet this guy deserves the needle. In fact, I'd opt for exhumation every five years for a booster.

 

Off to work, enjoy your day guys.

Dan

[Quin 17]

Originally posted by CanadianCouple:

I know this subject has been discussed in another thread, but David Westerfield has been found guilty of murder in the death of 7 year old Danielle van Dam, despite the defense's best attempts to malign her parent's reputation.

 

Now let's get that needle ready......

 

Dan

You're much too kind, Dan. I wish what could be delivered to him was what he did to that child. Then there will be justice. An eye for an eye thingie. Since that can't be done as we're a modern society, at the very least he deserves to suffer in the electric chair...from what I've heard of lethal injection, there's just not enough suffering. I know of some medieval torture devices that should be available for animals such as this and USED.

 

Quin

[OhioCouple 40]

Yeah, I am thinking about the scene from The Green Mile.......Electric chair....fry and fry and fry......!

 

And now the little girl missing in Virginia who's parents were found shot dead? Are all the perverts coming out of the woodwork?

 

Lori

[BradAndJanet 70]

Are all the perverts coming out of the woodwork?

 

Lori

 

I'm beginning to wonder myself, but I've not seen any hard numbers. It could be that with the lack of other big news (compared to what we've been seeing in the past year), it just seems that way. Still, lock your doors and keep an eye on your little ones...

 

-Brad

[OhioCouple 40]

I'm beginning to wonder myself, but I've not seen any hard numbers. It could be that with the lack of other big news (compared to what we've been seeing in the past year), it just seems that way. Still, lock your doors and keep an eye on your little ones...

 

-Brad

 

Brad,

I am sure that all the media exposure on missing children is a direct result of the van Dam's daughter Danielle. As sad as it is, at least her traumatic death was not in vain and we can take some comfort (very little) in that. All states are now on high alert when any child turns up missing or is known to be abducted within hours as opposed to the old standards of 24 hours or longer. I do hope they fry all these idiot perverts quickly once convicted so as to send a message to any future predators.

 

Lori

[dave_susie2001 15]

I have been following the Westerfield trial very closely starting from when I first found out about the Van Dams (on this very message board, I might ad!) and I for one am relieved that a jury of his peers examined the evidence and found him guilty. Kind of restores my faith in the American Judicial System after the OJ trial.

 

All the political opinions aside, I was just wondering how this thread found it's way into the Site Comments and Suggestions catagory?

[C&D 15]

Originally posted by OhioCouple

to bad tho that he couldn't suffer the same pain as that of his victim.

 

Lori

 

He's lucky he's not here in the grand state of Texas.

 

Dave

[OhioCouple 40]

Originally posted by C&D:

He's lucky he's not here in the grand state of Texas.

Dave

o true Dave, but lets not forget that the Governor who led the state to ZERO tolerance, is now leading our nation and I don't believe his opinion has changed much (thank goodness). If only other states would follow suit then all of the thieves, kidnappers and murders....just might think twice.

 

Lori