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Westerfield Police Interrogation Tape Released

Convicted Child Killer Hints He Wanted To Kill Himself

POSTED: 8:54 am PST January 8, 2003
UPDATED: 5:49 pm PST January 8, 2003

During a police interrogation captured on a newly released videotape, convicted child killer David Westerfield hinted that he wanted to kill himself, 10News reported.

Danielle van Dam, David Westerfield
WESTERFIELD TRIAL
DANIELLE VAN DAM 1994-2002

Video

"My life is over," Westerfield said on the tape.

The 42-minute tape, recorded on Feb. 5 at police headquarters and released Tuesday by the San Diego County District Attorney's Office, shows Westerfield sitting in a small room, facing two San Diego homicide detectives.

During the interrogation, Westerfield is slumped in a chair, looking haggard while fielding questions about the disappearance of 7-year-old Danielle van Dam.

"Things are falling apart around you," Detective Michael Ott told him on the tape.

"They've already fallen apart," Westerfield responded. "As far as I'm concerned, my life is over. The life that I had, the life that I was living is over."

"But you can't blame anybody for that but yourself, Dave," Ott said.

"And I have no problem with that," Westerfield said.

The exchange was the closest Westerfield came to admitting that he kidnapped and murdered Danielle, the second-grader who lived two doors away in Sabre Springs.

The videotape was not seen by the jury that convicted Westerfield. Judge William Mudd ruled before the trial that some of Westerfield's statements couldn't be used against him because detectives violated his rights.

Later, during the videotaped interrogation, Westerfield suggested that he be left alone in the room for a few minutes with one of the detectives' guns.

"That's silly," Detective Mark Keyser responded.

"Why is that silly?" Westerfield asked.

On the videotape, Westerfield also denied any interest in child pornography, rejected the suggestion that he's a voyeur and asked for a lawyer numerous times toward the end of the interrogation.

"When I first got the Internet, I wanted to document. There was a big controversy about kids being able to access porn on the Internet, OK. I wanted to be able show myself or be able document what was possible. Now, I admit some of that stuff I was downloading for my personal use, for my interest. But I guarantee to you the children wasn't something that I was interested in looking at," Westerfield said.

The two detectives pleaded with Westerfield to reveal the location of Danielle's body, but Westerfield never gave the information.

"Let's get Danielle back, proper burial, and let her go to heaven in peace," Ott said on the tape. "Then we can work on you and figure out what you're going to do with the rest of your life."

Later on the videotape, Westerfield, who still hadn't been placed under arrest, began asking for a lawyer, saying he was tired and hadn't showered or changed his clothes in almost two days, according to 10News.

"You're asking me to admit to something and as far as I am concerned I didn't do it," Westerfield said.

At one point on the tape Westerfield complained about being "abused" and said that "nobody is looking out after David's rights."

Mudd ruled on Monday that the videotape and a variety of other transcripts and documents should become public, prompting the release of the video by the District Attorney's Office.

The judge sentenced Westerfield to death on Friday. In August, he was convicted of kidnapping and killing Danielle.


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