SAN DIEGO – The decomposing body of a girl found along a rural road east of El Cajon was conclusively identified Thursday as that of missing 7-year-old Danielle van Dam.
County Medical Examiner Brian Blackbourne made the identification after a four-hour autopsy with the help of a forensic dental specialist. The specialist compared Danielle's dental X-rays with the body.
"The family has been notified and this is obviously a very difficult time for them and a difficult time, I think, for all San Diegans," District Attorney Paul Pfingst said at a 4 p.m. news conference.
Because of the body's decomposition, Blackbourne could not immediately determine the cause of death.
Police Chief David Bejarano visited Danielle's parents, Damon and Brenda van Dam, at their home in the Sabre Springs suburb of San Diego and told them the news.
"I felt it was important that they hear the information directly from me and the department," Bejarano said outside the home after the visit. "They mentioned that Danielle's in good hands now."
The van Dams, who held daily news conferences for weeks since Danielle's disappearance the night of Feb. 1, have not made a public statement since the body was discovered.
"They simply want some private time to themselves at this point," Bejarano said.
A 50-year-old neighbor of the family, David Westerfield, is accused of kidnapping and killing her. He pleaded not guilty to murder, kidnapping and possessing child pornography at a court hearing Tuesday. If convicted, Westerfield could face the death penalty.
The police chief said that because of the condition of the body the cause and time of death may never be known. But he said he believed the case against Westerfield was strong nonetheless.
"Obviously we would like to know the cause of death, but if we don't have that information I am confident we'll still have a successful prosecution," Bejarano said.
No other suspects are being sought, Pfingst said.
Danielle van Dam was last seen when her father put her to bed the night of Feb. 1. She was discovered missing the next morning, spurring a hunt that involved hundreds of volunteers.
Her body was found Wednesday by members of a 10-person volunteer search team. Both the police chief and the district attorney thanked the Danielle searchers Thursday for their efforts.
"It is one of the most extraordinary things I have ever seen in my years in law enforcement," Pfingst said. "We'd like to say thank you. It has been extraordinarily helpful and we're grateful."
The body was found about 25 feet from the north side of Dehesa Road, about a mile east of Singing Hills Country Club and about 1-½ miles west of Sycuan Casino.
Westerfield, who lives two doors from the van Dams, is being held without bail. A preliminary hearing is set for March 11.
No additional information from the autopsy or the continuing investigation of the site where the body was found will be released until that hearing, Pfingst said.
Investigators believe Danielle was kidnapped from her bedroom, taken to the Silver Strand near Coronado by Westerfield, who then drove sometime on Feb. 2 to the desert.
"It's been a long three weeks for San Diego," Pfingst said, "and it's been a long three weeks for law enforcement."
Asked whether Danielle had been sexually molested before she died, Pfingst said he would not speculate in the absence of evidence.
"It wouldn't be fair to the family and it would just be hypotheticals and guesswork and I don't want to do that," Pfingst said. "This is a sad day for a lot of people and I wouldn't want to engender speculation that would make it possibly even sadder."
Union-Tribune staff writers Steve Schmidt and Joe Hughes contributed to this report.
