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Criminalist: Blond Hairs On Westerfield Bed Sheets

Blood Stain Found On Pajama Top

POSTED: 12:30 pm PDT June 24, 2002
UPDATED: 4:29 pm PDT June 24, 2002

A police criminalist testified Monday that she found blond hairs similar to Danielle van Dam's on David Westerfield's bed sheets and in lint thrown in the defendant's trash can.

Danielle van Dam, David Westerfield
WESTERFIELD TRIAL
DANIELLE VAN DAM 1994-2002
Tanya DuLaney told jurors she located a blond hair on a fitted sheet from Westerfield's bed.

LIVE Coverage Of Trial Resumes 9 a.m. Tuesday

"I observed one human hair that was similar to Danielle's," DuLaney testified.

Two human hairs also were found on a flat sheet from the 50-year-old Westerfield's bed, the criminalist testified.

DuLaney (pictured, right) testified that she also found three human head hairs in lint that appeared to have been removed from the defendant's dryer. Eighteen short animal hairs also were found in the lint, DuLaney said.

The van Dam family has a dog named Layla.

Tanya DuLaney

She said carpet fibers believed to be from Danielle van Dam's bedroom were found in Westerfield's motor home.

Blond hairs also were located on the carpet, bath mat and in the sink of the motor home, DuLaney testified.

DuLaney said her initial findings were strengthened when the hairs and fibers were taken to independent labs for further testing.

Westerfield is charged with murder, kidnapping and misdemeanor possession of child pornography. He could get the death penalty if convicted on the felony counts.

Video
Criminalist David Cornacchia testified that a blood-like stain found on a pajama top belonging to Danielle van Dam tested positive for blood.

He said an area of discoloration on the left sleeve of a long-sleeved shirt belonging to the 7-year-old also tested positive for the presence of blood.

The defendant, who lived two doors down and across the street from the victim, fell under suspicion when he returned from a trip to the desert the weekend she disappeared.

The second-grader's mother discovered her missing from her bed the morning of Feb. 2.

The twice-divorced father of two was arrested Feb. 22, five days before volunteer searchers found Danielle van Dam's nude, decomposing body off a road in Dehesa.

Last week, experts testified that hair and blood found in the defendant's motor home and blood found on his jacket belonged to the victim.


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