Westerfield Trial: KGTV Reporter Takes Stand

SAN DIEGO -- KGTV reporter Mark Matthews took the stand Tuesday at the David Westerfield trial regarding an interview he had with the accused killer.

WESTERFIELD TRIAL Judge William Mudd Issues Death Penalty Sentence Hear Jury's Death Penalty Recommendation Watch The Jury's Verdict Being Read Share Your Thoughts DANIELLE VAN DAM 1994-2002 Watch Danielle Video Montage E-mail: daniellevandam @yahoo.com Send mail to: P.O. Box 501515 San Diego, 92150

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Watch Westerfield Interview With Matthews

Jurors watched a video of Westerfield being interviewed by Matthews.

Westerfield told Matthews during the Feb. 4 interview that police had taken dogs through his home and that he was doing everything he could to help the investigation.

"I was gone all weekend ... I offered to let them look through everything and check it," Westerfield said.

Westerfield, 50, is charged with the murder and kidnapping of 7-year-old Danielle van Dam. He could face the death penalty if he's convicted.

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Det. Keene Talks About His Interviews With Westerfield

In earlier testimony, a police investigator noticed strange behavior from Westerfield two days after the Danielle van Dam vanished from her bedroom.

"I noticed that he was sweating profusely from under his arms," San Diego police Detective Johnny Keene testified.

Keene (pictured, right) described the interview on Westerfield's front porch, two doors from the van Dam home, on a cool Monday morning in early February.

Keene said Westerfield was "overly cooperative" while the detectives did a "cursory walk-through" of his residence. And Westerfield "apologized profusely" for the condition of a bed which was missing a comforter, Keene said.

Westerfield also told the investigator about his brief encounter with Danielle's mother, Brenda van Dam, at a neighborhood bar on Feb. 1, the night of the girl's disappearance.

The divorced engineer then told Keene about his meandering trip in his motor home that began Feb. 2 and stretched from the beach to the desert.

San Diego police Detective Maura Parga also testified Tuesday.

She said Westerfield took her and her partner, Keene, into his garage near the end of a walk-through of his house.

"I noticed an odor of bleach in the work bench area on the east wall between the work bench and the Toyota 4Runner," Parga said.

Parga said the vehicle was so clean she even looked for water droplets when the back hatch was lifted. She said she saw no dust. The only item inside was a map book.

Both Parga and Keene described the Westerfield home and yards as "immaculate."

Parga said she noticed the day she first saw Westerfield's house that a garden hose was stretched across a lawn and doubled-back.

"It told me whoever left must have been in a hurry," she said. "The yard, it looked so nice, it didn't look right."

Meantime, the parents of Danielle will be allowed in court to watch most of the rest of the trial.

Superior Court Judge William Mudd ruled that Damon and Brenda van Dam can be in the courtroom as long as the testimony does not deal with their statements or actions.

The ruling came on a request by the van Dams relayed through Deputy District Attorney Jeff Dusek prior to the start of Tuesday's testimony.

The van Dams were first prevented from being in the courtroom because they were witnesses. After they testified last week, more witnesses were called to answer questions about the so-called "lifestyle" issues that have surrounded the case.

Dusek told Mudd the lifestyle phase of the prosecution's case is over.