SAN DIEGO – Brenda van Dam, whose daughter Danielle was abducted and murdered in February, says she has tried to console the mother of Samantha Runnion.
Van Dam says they spoke "mother to mother" about the shared pain over the loss of their young daughters.
Danielle was abducted from her San Diego bedroom. Her body was found along a rural road nearly a month later. A 50-year-old neighbor is on trial for her murder.
Samantha was taken from outside her apartment building in Stanton. She was found murdered along a rural highway 50 miles away. There are no suspects in custody.
Brenda van Dam says she and Erin Runnion talked about "our pain and also our hope that Danielle and Samantha are dancing together in heaven."
Van Dam also had harsh words for those who hurt kids: "These outrageous crimes being committed against our young, innocent children must be severely punished to make it crystal clear to predators that they will suffer if they violate a child in any way."
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