Westerfield's Family and Friends Plead for His Life.
Aug. 29 -- The defense for Danielle van Dam's convicted killer, David Westerfield, sought to convince jurors to spare his life today as family and friends portrayed the self-employed engineer as a loving brother and parent who created devices to help society.
The jury that convicted Westerfield last week of snatching Danielle out of her home and killing her to fulfill what prosecutors called his sexual fantasies must decide if he will face death by lethal injection or life in prison.
Testimony has stopped for the holiday weekend and is scheduled to resumeTuesday.
In his opening statements in the penalty phase Wednesday, defense attorney Steven Feldman asked jurors to keep an open mind and promised to show them that Westerfield is not the "worst of the worst." Today he hoped Westerfield's sister would be able to convince jurors that her brother is not a monster.
The sister, identified only as Tania P. because of concerns for her safety, broke down on the stand as she described how her brother took care of their family after their father died in 1993. She said Westerfield was "very sensitive to everybody else's needs" and paid the hospital bills.
"He just stepped in and took everything," she said.
Westerfield, who had appeared stoic throughout his trial, wiped away tears while Tania testified.
She told jurors how she and her brother enjoyed happy childhoods on a farm in Maine and spent summers water-skiing and winters ice-skating. She also recalled how a teenage Westerfield moved with his family to San Diego, graduated high school and worked his way through a local junior college before becoming a design engineer and starting his own business.
Outburst from a Grieving Mother
Westerfield's defense today began with two friends and colleagues who worked with and have known Westerfield for 20 years.
"He's a very creative guy … a very talented guy," said Carmen Genovese, a San Diego businessman who winked at Westerfield as he took the stand today.
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