# Neighbor of murdered 7-year-old blasts Gavin Newsom for sparing killer after 24-year wait for justice

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/neighbor-of-murdered-7-year-old-blasts-gavin-newsom-for-sparing-killer-after-24-year-wait-for-justice/
- Published: 2026-11-06T17:56:44+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-06T18:38:29+00:00
- Original publisher: New York Post (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://nypost.com/2026/11/06/us-news/neighbor-of-child-killer-blasts-gavin-newsom-for-mass-commutation/
- Topics: World

## Key points

- Newsom plans to commute all 548 California death sentences.
- A victim’s neighbour says the decision has revived lasting trauma.
- Westerfield’s commutation would require California Supreme Court approval.

## Summary

California Governor Gavin Newsom’s decision to commute the death sentences of all 548 people on the state’s death row has drawn criticism from Christina Buttons, a neighbour of murder victim Danielle van Dam. Buttons says the decision has revived the trauma she experienced as a teenager and may remove the possibility that David Westerfield, sentenced for van Dam’s 2002 kidnapping and murder, will be executed. Her account highlights the continuing impact of the crime and the disagreement over how California should carry out justice.

Buttons was 13 when seven-year-old van Dam was taken from her bedroom; the child’s body was found 24 days later. Buttons says she has waited 24 years for Westerfield’s execution and has urged the California Supreme Court to reject the commutation, which would require its approval for people with multiple felony convictions. She also argues that voters rejected abolishing the death penalty in 2012 and 2016, while Newsom has described his decision as a moral choice and acknowledged it would cause anger and pain.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.