SAN DIEGO -- David Westerfield's two grown children are expected to testify this week in the penalty trial phase in an attempt to portray the convicted child killer as a caring man who's done a lot of good in his life.

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

Lisa and Neal Westerfield could be called to the witness stand as early as Tuesday, when the trial resumes after a four-day break.

The same jury that convicted Westerfield of killing 7-year-old Danielle van Dam will recommend whether he should be executed by lethal injection or spend the rest of his life in prison with no hope of parole.

Superior Court Judge William Mudd will make the final sentencing decision.

Lead defense attorney Steven Feldman plans to wrap up his case by Wednesday.

Last Thursday, Westerfield's younger sister, identified as Tania P., testified about their childhood and his adult years.

The defendant's eyes welled up and he wiped away tears as his sister described an idyllic childhood on an island in the middle of a lake in Maine, followed by sometimes difficult adult years marked by two divorces.

Tania said her brother was especially upset about his 1996 split from his second wife, Jackie, who asked for a divorce after 17 tears of marriage. The sister said Westerfield still loved her and was worried about the impact the split would have on their two children.

Westerfield's eyes pooled as he watched Tania cry frequently during her testimony. He rubbed his cheek once and his right eye as she described his divorce.

The defendant has remained almost stoic during months of suspicion, arrest, pretrial hearings and trial testimony. Reporters who looked closely thought he trembled, though, when the verdicts that could send him to death row were read last week.

Under cross-examination by Deputy District Attorney Jeff Dusek, Tania said her brother lacked for little during his childhood, and agreed there was no drug and alcohol abuse, physical abuse, or molestation among family members to provide a negative influence.

When the family moved back to San Diego in 1967, Westerfield entered Madison High School. He was married for five years before he wed his second wife Jackie in 1979. Lisa was born two years later and Neal, 19, a couple of years after that.

Tania testified that "Alan," as she calls the defendant, was upset when their parents separated in 1974. The defendant wanted to know where they could take their children at Christmas, since he wanted to maintain traditional family values.

"It seemed to be a concern of his," his sister testified.

Westerfield, 50, was found guilty of kidnapping, murder and possessing child pornography in connection with the death of his 7-year-old neighbor.

Former co-workers and employers described Westerfield as a creative, talented design engineer who put others' needs ahead of his.

Ron Lawrence (pictured, left), a self-employed mechanical designer, said last week the defendant was involved in the design of an underwater tracking device when the two met in 1977.

Lawrence told Dusek that the man convicted of killing the Sabre Springs second-grader was generous with his time.

"He would (help) strangers, too," Lawrence testified.

He said Westerfield designed a continuous passive motion device that helps patients recover from knee or hip surgery.