[4] On the evening of Friday, February 1, 2002, Danielle van Dam's mother Brenda and two friends went out to a bar, called Dad's, in Poway.

Brenda noticed a light on the home's security alarm system was flashing, and discovered that the side door to the garage was open.

[6] Finally, on February 27, two searchers found her nude, partially decomposed body near a trail in Dehesa, California, an unincorporated town east of San Diego.

[6] Because of the condition of the body, the coroner was unable to determine the cause of death or whether she was sexually assaulted, and had to use dental records to confirm her identity.

[15] He drove to the desert, where he got stuck in the sand on Sunday morning about a quarter mile off the road and needed help from a tow truck to get free.

[16] On his way home on Monday morning, a sleepy-looking and bare-footed Westerfield stopped at his regular dry cleaners and dropped off two comforters, two pillow covers, and a jacket that would later yield traces of Danielle's blood.

[17] Law enforcement placed Westerfield under 24-hour surveillance on February 4,[18] noting that he had given his RV a cleaning when he returned from his trip, although he maintained it was normal for him to do so.

[21] On February 22, police arrested Westerfield for Danielle's kidnapping after two small stains of her blood were found on his clothing and in his motor home.

[24][25] One witness testified that she had left a side door in the garage unlocked, and prosecutor Jeff Dusek theorized that Westerfield might have entered this way; he emphasized, however, that the prosecution did not have the burden to demonstrate how the kidnapping was done, only that it was done.

[26] Part of Westerfield's defense focused on the lifestyle of Danielle van Dam's parents, who they argued had an open marriage, were swingers, and smoked marijuana in their garage regularly.

[39] When the trial was over, the media, quoting unnamed police sources, reported that Westerfield's lawyers were just minutes away from negotiating a plea bargain when a group of private citizen searchers organized by the Laura Recovery Center found Danielle's body.

[41][42] Many people, including Fox News commentator Bill O'Reilly, expressed outrage at the revelation, claiming that Westerfield's attorneys misled the jury by proposing an "unknown kidnapper scenario" even though their client said he knew the location of the body; however, legal specialists pointed out that defense attorneys are obligated to mount a vigorous defense regardless of their own opinion of the client's guilt or innocence.

The author claimed to be James Selby, a man accused of various sex-related crimes in five states, including in the San Diego area.

[48] Selby, who also claimed responsibility for the slaying of JonBenét Ramsey,[48] committed suicide while awaiting sentencing in Arizona on November 22, 2004.

[47][49] An episode of Animal Witness, an animal-based forensic series on the American TV network Animal Planet, was based on the belief that hairs consistent with Danielle's dog, which were found in Westerfield's laundry, in his RV, and on his comforter at the dry-cleaners, first got onto her pajamas when she cuddled with the dog, and then were carried on the pajamas to his house and RV in accordance with Locard's exchange principle.

[52] The years after the murder have led to increased levels of crime awareness in San Diego's neighborhoods as well as the institution of funds and benefits made in her honor.

They have formed a Danielle Legacy Foundation which works to "promote volunteerism that will initiate positive changes that will put our children's safety first.