| PRELIMINARY HEARING - DAY 1 October 29, 2003 - 3:40 p.m., PST |
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| LACI & CONNER May The Truth Be Told |
FBI analysts compared a hair found in Scott Peterson’s boat to one of his blood samples and to DNA on a test swab designated as "SR2," an FBI specialist testified during Peterson's preliminary hearing this afternoon. The hair did not match Peterson’s blood sample, contained on a test card, said Constance L. Fisher, an FBI expert on DNA analysis. The blood sample likely came when police obtained a warrant for Peterson’s "person." The hair matched the DNA sample from the swab. Prosecutors did not specify in court where the swab sample came from, but mitochondrial DNA is passed down from maternal relatives. Because everyone in a maternal line carries the same mitochondrial DNA, it cannot be used as an unique identifier, Fisher said. After comparing the DNA from the hair strand to an FBI database, Fisher said 1 in every 112 caucasians would be expected to have the same DNA sequence, as would 1 in every 159 Hispanics. Lead defense attorney Mark Geragos, who is trying to show that mitochondrial DNA testing is unreliable, challenged Fisher’s qualifications. Under questioning, Fisher acknowledged that she had never testified in California state court and that this was the first case where she was testifying about the admissibility of mitochondrial DNA evidence. During one point of Geragos’ questioning, Laci Peterson’s mother, Sharon Rocha, wrote something on a piece of paper for her husband, Ron Grantski, as the two sat in the front row. After he read it, the two chuckled slightly. Rocha and nine other family members and friends wore black in the courtroom. PRELIMINARY HEARING HOME INDEX LACI SCOTT COURT DATES EVIDENCE-NEWS WIRETAPS HAIR INDEX AMBER AUTOPSY INDEX ALIBI-WITNESS LIST |