Porn, Motor Home Focus Of Westerfield Trial

SAN DIEGO -- Two search dogs "alerted" several times while sniffing in murder defendant David Westerfield's motor home four days after Danielle van Dam was reported missing, a volunteer handler testified Wednesday.

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

Jim Frazee, who helps the San Diego Sheriff's Department, said his dogs searched the 1997 Southwind motor home Feb. 6 at a vehicle storage facility on Aero Drive.

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The first dog, Hopi, was sent in to search specifically for Danielle's scent, Frazee said.

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Summary Of Day 14

Hopi went into the galley area, the witness said, "and turned around immediately and came back."

He had explained earlier that Hopi was trained to return to his handler as soon as he found a scent. Hopi was sent back inside several minutes later.

"He jumped up on the sofa on the driver's side," Frazee testified, and remained there about five seconds.

His other dog, Cielo, showed considerable interest in an exterior storage compartment behind the passenger-side door, Frazee said.

Cielo, trained to find human remains and bodily fluids, sniffed a shovel and lawn furniture in the compartment for about 15 seconds, according to Frazee.

Frazee said that when he tried to take Cielo to another compartment, the dog sat down and barked, which is his alert signal.

Cielo did not show much interest elsewhere around the motor home, the witness testified.

Under cross-examination by defense attorney Robert Boyce, Frazee conceded that he did not report the dogs' reactions because his supervisor was watching them. He also said he had never before testified about dogs as an expert witness.

Boyce began his questioning loudly and angrily, apparently trying to intimidate the novice witness, drawing a rebuke from Superior Court Judge William Mudd.

"Mr. Boyce, calm down, take a deep breath," Mudd said.

In pretrial motions, the defense had asked that testimony about Cielo be excluded.

Testimony earlier Wednesday also involved the motor home.

Mitchell Holland, the laboratory director of the Bode Technology Group, said a blood stain from the motor home carpet and a hair found in the bathroom sink were compared to a known sample from the 7-year-old victim.

Regarding the hair, Holland said the chances are "one in 25 quadrillion" of selecting a person at random from the Caucasian population who would have the same DNA.

When asked about the blood stain, Holland told prosecutor George "Woody" Clarke that the chances were "one in 660 quadrillion" of selecting a person at random from the Caucasian population who would have the same DNA.

"Is this an example where samples match?" Clarke asked.

"Yes, it is," Holland answered.

The expert testified that he performed mitochondrial DNA testing -- different from "nuclear" DNA testing -- on hairs found on clothing in Westerfield's washing machine, dryer and sheets from his master bedroom in Sabre Springs.

Holland said he could not exclude Danielle van Dam as the donor of the hairs in question.

Police computer expert James Watkins completed his testimony by saying that 85 sexually oriented computer images of underage females were found in Westerfield's home.

Watkins said the images were among at least 8,000 deemed pornographic. A total of 100,000 images were found on the computer, but many were simply icons and arrows that make operating systems work.

Under cross-examination by Westerfield attorney Steven Feldman, Watkins conceded that what he called "questionable images" made up only a small portion of what was discovered.

"What percent is 85 out of 100,000?" Feldman asked.

"Obviously, less than 1 percent," Watkins answered.

"What percentage is 85 of 8,000?" Feldman inquired.

"About 1 percent."

Watkins told Feldman he found "borderline" images in which he could not be certain the females depicted were under 18. He said he gave the defendant the benefit of the doubt in those cases.

The jury also toured the defendant's 35-foot motor home Wednesday, after authorities brought the RV to an underground garage in the San Diego Hall of Justice.

Mudd had jurors meet in the overflow jury lounge, where they were escorted to the recreational vehicle.

Westerfield told authorities he drove the RV to the Silver Strand State Beach near Coronado the day Danielle van Dam's mother reported her missing from her bed.

The defendant said he then drove to the Imperial County desert town of Glamis, where he got stuck in the sand.