SAN DIEGO -- Orange and blue fibers discovered in David Westerfield's laundry also were found on the body of Danielle van Dam, a police criminalist testified today.

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The discovery is significant because hair from the 7-year-old girl and hair from the van Dam family dog also were found in the laundry and bedding, Jennifer Shen said.

The long orange acrylic fiber was found in hair tangled in the child's choker necklace, Shen said.

She also found a short blue nylon fiber in Danielle's hair after it was cut off during an autopsy.

The girl's body was discovered under trees along Dehesa Road, east of El Cajon, on Feb. 27. That was more than three weeks after she was discovered missing from her Sabre Springs home.

Westerfield, 50, is charged with murder, kidnapping and misdemeanor possession of child pornography. He could get the death penalty if convicted on the felony counts.

Shen said far more orange fibers were found in Westerfield's home than blue fibers. More than 20 orange fibers were discovered on items in the defendant's washing machine and as many as a hundred each in laundry found inside and on top of a dryer. More were found on a pillow case from the defendant's master bedroom.

"They definitely caught my attention right away," Shen told jurors. "I had seen a bright orange fiber on the victim."

She compared the fibers under a microscope and then sent them away for further testing in Sacramento.

She concluded that the fiber found in the hair tangled in the necklace "could share a common source with the fiber in the bedding and the laundry."

Of the blue fibers, Shen (pictured, right) said 19 were found around Danielle's body and 10 were discovered in the defendant's laundry.

Prosecutor George "Woody" Clarke then asked her about the significance of the discoveries.

Shen noted the orange fiber found in the necklace was knotted in hair and covered with debris. She said she believed that meant the fiber was on the body when it was placed in the Dehesa area.

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"I also think it's reasonable to conclude the fiber came in contact with her body at or near the time of death," Shen said.

Tanya DuLaney, another police criminalist, testified Monday that she found six blond hairs similar to Danielle van Dam's on two sheets on Westerfield's bed in his home.

Eighteen short animal hairs also were found in the lint, DuLaney said.

The van Dam family has a dog named Layla.

Dog hairs also were found on a white towel in Westerfield's laundry room and a comforter seized from a Poway dry cleaners, DuLaney said.

Still expected is testimony about images of child pornography found on Westerfield's home computer. Authorities say the pornography provides a motive for the crimes against the child, who was discovered missing on the morning of Feb. 2.

The first witness Tuesday addressed the discovery of a hair on top of a gate at the side of the van Dam home. Melvyn Kong said the hair turned out to be from an animal.

Westerfield, 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 twice-divorced father of two was arrested Feb. 22, five days before volunteer searchers found Danielle's nude, decomposing body.

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.