Ms. Kestler, if you could re-take your seat on the witness stand. \ \ Michele Kestler, called as a witness by and on behalf of the People, having been previously called and duly sworn, resumed the stand and was examined and testified further as follows:
Mrs. Kestler, the information that we have just reviewed that was handed to us just before the noon recess consists of a one-page document, dated 6/29/94, that lists four items as hairs and fibers. Do you know which document I'm referring to?
Are there any other documents that have been prepared, to your knowledge, that relate to the hairs that were removed from items 9, 27, 37 and 38?
Yes. In that same package along with that document there was a report -- or two reports on hair items in regard to those property items booked.
Plus, I also was able to review and complete, for our hair analyst, two more reports on two more items of hair that we discussed earlier this morning and I said were awaiting my approval, and I have copies here.
Mr. Shapiro and Ms. Clark, do you want to approach the witness stand and pick up your copies of that?
Could you summarize for us, please, the number of hairs that you recall were found in item number 9.
And item number 19 were items removed from number 9. Just let me make sure of that before I say something wrong here. Yes. Item number 19 contained hairs and fibers removed from item number 9. So this report here, the first report, is referring to item number 19. And in that item there were three human head hairs, blond in color, and they ranged in length from 3.5 to 29.5 centimeters, and exhibited predominantly Caucasian characteristics. They also exhibited indications of possible chemical treatment, bleaching. And none of them had roots. And then there were also several fibers and animal hairs which we haven't had time to characterize further at this time.
Would you be able to give us the same summary, please, for item number 27, the cap that was found on the driver's floor of the Bronco.
Surely. Item number 111 contained -- the new item number 111 is the hairs and fibers removed from item number 27, the cap. and that contains among the hairs was six human head hairs ranging in color from brown to black, ranging in length from 1.1 to 2.2 centimeters, and exhibiting predominantly Negroid characteristics. Two of these hairs have intact roots and the remaining four hairs do not have intact roots. And then it goes on to talk about several fibers and animal hairs which we have not characterized at this time. And some insect activity which is --
-- Would it be possible to have your laboratory keep one and share one with an independent laboratory?
Not at this time, because there's no guarantee that with one hair you can do P.C.R. or any kind of -- it's not necessarily conclusive. We made need both to do D.N.A. analysis on. One is not always enough.
Well, I believe rather than -- we are going to -- our approach to that normally would be -- let me just put it in that form -- would be re-analyze all four because we don't know whether they're similar at this point, came from similar -- same individual or could have come from the same individual. We would like to compare all four of those hairs to our exemplars, and then using via a master criminalist or something to that effect, allow your laboratory to have all four of those hairs or whatever, and they could be viewed by you, all four of them. You can't split the hairs. I think we went through this. I heard this on the news.
So as far as that goes, once you did whatever you were going to do with the hairs, the ones without the roots, they could go to the defense and they could do whatever they wanted to do with the hairs, assuming they weren't destroyed in some way in the analysis?
With regard to number 37, would you be kind enough to tell us the type of evidence recovered from that item, please.
Well, I have some notes on that. Apparently that must be one of the reports -- I thought that was in your package that I gave you yesterday. Item number 37? Oh, that's the one that's not completed. Okay. That analysis is not completed at this time. We're still working on that.
Item number 38, that was completed. Item number 113 are hairs, fibers, et cetera, and debris removed from item number 38, and the blue knit cap --
Let me just get -- summarize down to the important part. There were 34 human hairs. 32 are consistent with head hair and two are consistent with body hair. among the 32 head hairs, 25 are dark reddish brown to black in color, ranging in length from 0.7 to 3.5 centimeters, and exhibiting predominantly Negroid characteristics. Additionally, four of these 25 hairs have intact roots while the remaining 21 do not. And these came from both the interior and exterior surfaces of the knit cap.
Okay, thank you. From the remaining seven head hairs, five are blond in color and range in length from 3.0 to 8.5 centimeters and exhibit predominantly Caucasian characteristics, and exhibit indications of chemical treatment, I.e., bleaching. These hairs were all located on the exterior surface of the cap. The remaining two head hairs also located on the exterior surface of item 38 are brown and reddish brown in color, 1.0 and 0.9 centimeters in length respectively, and exhibit predominantly Caucasian characteristics. None of the above described seven hairs have intact roots. And then there's several animal hairs and fibers which we have not characterized at this time.
Not on 38 per se at this time. We removed the hairs and fibers and have not done a complete blood search for it, but I believe it was laying near blood at the crime scene, and so it wouldn't surprise me if it's contaminated with blood.
Of the four hairs that were inside that appeared to be Afro American hair that have roots --
They have Negroid characteristics. They are not necessarily African American hair. That's a characteristic -- terminology used in hair only, and I'm afraid they've never changed it, so we have to stick with that.
KEY QUOTEI'm sorry. The ones with roots, again, until the D.N.A. is done, I prefer not to -- we don't know. We don't know the strength. We don't know how old the hairs are, so we don't know how strong the D.N.A. would be in the root. Again, at this time, we wouldn't want to give them up until our testing is done.
I believe -- we haven't totally decided where we're going to do it yet, but it probably will be done by an independent lab.
In that item there were three human head hairs, blond in color, and they ranged in length from 3.5 to 29.5 centimeters, and exhibited predominantly Caucasian characteristics.
You can't split the hairs. I think we went through this. I heard this on the news.
There were 34 human hairs. 32 are consistent with head hair and two are consistent with body hair.
They have Negroid characteristics. They are not necessarily African American hair.
Again, at this time, we wouldn't want to give them up until our testing is done.