SAN DIEGO -- The body of Danielle van Dam had been dead four to six weeks when it was discovered Feb. 27, a prosecution expert witness testified Thursday in the David Westerfield trial.

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

The estimate of Dr. William Rodriguez, a forensic anthropologist for the Department of Defense, caused some consternation in the courtroom because the time period would go back before Feb. 2, when the 7-year-old girl was discovered missing.

However, Rodriguez earlier said it was impossible to set a precise "post-mortem interval," or the time between when a person dies and when the body is found, because there are too many variables.

Rodriguez said he based his conclusion on "the environmental evidence and the condition of the body."

The body was mummified and in an advanced state of decomposition when it was found alongside a road in East County.

"The conditions were ideal for mummification," Rodriguez said. "It was apparent it was a rapid mummification."

Video

Judge Not Happy On Day 22

Rodriguez explained that mummification would inhibit insect activity. Insect activity was used by defense expert Neal Haskell to determine the body had been at the Dehesa site from Feb. 14 on.

Haskell testified Monday that he based his conclusion on the blow flies found in the body.

The defense contends Westerfield could not have dropped the body where it was discovered because he was under intense surveillance by the police beginning Feb. 5.

Rodriguez, a rebuttal witness called to cast doubt on Haskell's testimony, estimated Danielle van Dam died before police focused on the defendant.

Rodriguez (pictured, left) said Haskell left out an important factor in warm and dry climates: ants.

"They (ants) will literally carry away blow-fly eggs and larvae and feed on them," Rodriguez told the jurors. "You might look at that body and say there's no blow-fly larvae, no eggs, this body was not here a long time."

But Rodriguez testified that the quick mummification of the young girl's body would be a barrier to blow flies, because tissue would be too hard. However, with mummification creating a "hard case" around her body, internal organs would retain moisture, he said.

"It can occur within 24 hours," Rodriguez said of the mummification process.

While looking at photographs from the autopsy of Danielle van Dam, Rodriguez noted that the body had been fed upon by animals -- breaking through the mummified skin -- and exposing soft tissue for blow flies to infest at a later date.

Westerfield, 50, faces the death penalty because of charges of murder and kidnapping. There is also a misdemeanor charge of possession of child pornography against him.

Rodriguez is one of two prosecution witnesses to rebut Haskell's testimony. The other witness could testify early next week.