| Expert: Hair fragments different shades of brown Two hair fragments that prosecutors contend came from a single hair found attached to pliers in Scott Peterson's boat are different shades of brown, the state Department of Justice expert who examined them said Friday. The pliers and a pair of wire cutters also examined at the DOJ lab in Ripon appeared rusted, and there was no indication they had been used recently, according to a sections of a lab report that was read in court Friday during Peterson's hearing on double murder charges. The hair is potentially key physical evidence that could link Laci Peterson to her husband's fishing boat. Peterson defense attorneys are trying to keep the hair fragments excluded from court, arguing that the chain of custody was broken and that a DNA test performed on the hair is unreliable. That test showed the hair could not have come from Scott Peterson, but may have come from his wife, Laci, FBI expert Constance L. Fisher testified earlier. Prosecutors maintain the hair was not mishandled, and that a single roughly 6-inch strand that was found in the pliers simply broke apart in an evidence envelope. When the evidence arrived at the Ripon lab, there were two hair fragments, one 4 and 3/8 inches long, the other 1 and 5/8 inches long, said Rodney Oswalt, a criminalist at the lab who examined the hairs. One end of each hair fragment was "splayed and matted," and it was "entirely possible" the damage was consistent with being clamped in pliers and then breaking apart later, Oswalt said. There was some type of "vegetative material" attached to the long fragment, and an undetermined "translucent material" attached to one of the hair fragments, Oswalt said. Defense attorney Mark Geragos has suggested that prosecutors are now contending one hair broke apart after he filed a motion saying the hair was mishandled while in police possession. Oswalt said he was unaware of any report where it indicated the two fragments were at one time a single hair. No root was present on either fragment, Oswalt said. The longer fragment was light brown, while the second, shorter fragment was darker, Oswalt said. The end of the long fragment that was closest to the root appeared to have been "broken or torn or possibly cut, but it would have to be a very dull blade," Oswalt said. The end of the shorter fragment that was farthest from the root appeared to be "cleanly cut," Oswalt said. PRELIMINARY HEARING INDEX TRIAL ALIBI-WITNESS LIST AUTOPSY INDEX HOME INDEX LACI SCOTT AMBER WIRETAP INDEX EVIDENCE-NEWS |
| . |
| PRELIMINARY HEARING - DAY 9 Friday - November 14, 2003 |
 |
 |
|
| LACI & CONNER May The Truth Be Told |