Haunting Murders

Danielle van Dam was a 7-yr old girl from Sabre Springs. She disappeared from her bedroom during the night of February 1-2, 2002. Her remains were found by searchers on February 27 in a remote area. When Dani's mom came home at around 2 in the morning, she noticed the home security alarm flashing and the back sliding door was open. When both parents woke up in the morning, Dani was gone.

At last, on February 27, two searchers found her nude, partially decomposed body near a trail in Dehesa, California. Because of the body's condition, coroners were unable to determine the exact cause of death or whether she was sexually assaulted and had to use dental records to confirm her identity. On Saturday morning, David Westerfield fetched his motor home, stocked it with supplies and left after Dani's mom contacted police.

On his way home on Monday morning, Westerfield stopped at his laundromat to wash two comforters, two pillow covers, and a jacket which yielded a trace of Danielle's blood. He was later convicted and sentenced to serve a life imprisonment.