A senior level FBI scientist testified Tuesday morning about the collection of hairs recovered from several items from the crime scene of slain intern Chandra Levy.
Levy went missing on May 1, 2001 while jogging in Rock Creek Park. Her body was discovered there a year later.
Cary Oien worked in the trace unit during the time evidence was submitted for testing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Haines questioned him about a pair of black tights and panties, a pink sports bra and a light gray T-shirt taken from the scene and a comb collected for comparison to hairs found.
Oien said hair from a skull found at the scene had a hair mass surrounding it but was not attached to the skull, so hairs taken from the comb were used to compare to those from the skull and clothing items because other debris from the scene could have mixed with the hair around the skull. He said “numerous Caucasian head hairs” found on the clothes were similar to the hairs from the comb and skull.
Oien said all the clothing items were received inside-out with debris on them. Each leg of the tights was tied into a loop with two knots in each. He demonstrated on Haines’ wrist for the court, describing the knots as being similar to how someone would tie a shoe.
El Salvadoran immigrant Ingmar Guandique is on trial in D.C. Superior Court. Prosecutors say he raped and murdered Levy in the park.
