[small_l_libertarian]

Actually, I think it was the hair in the sink drain trap that matched 12 out of 13 markers. What I find important about this piece of evidence is that the evidence technician testified that over time a DNA marker can degrade, so you might not get a match on a particular marker. OVER TIME, a DNA marker can degrade. How much time? Do you think her DNA degraded (any of it) in a weekend? You have to believe that to believe that the hair proves that she was in the motorhome the weekend she was killed. Otherwise, it's an old hair. Period.

[small_l_libertarian]

Whoops, correction. It's not necessarily an old hair if you don't believe that her DNA degraded in a weekend. It could also be her mother's or one of her brothers' hair. Their DNA would be lose to hers, but not an exact match.

[VRWC_minion]

Interesting comment below about degrading "rapidly". Apparently moisture can cause hair DNA to degrade. Having 12 out of 13 That would argue for a more recent source of the hair rather than one in the prior fall that would be subject to lots of moisture flowing through the drain

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Sample Collection of Hair for DNA Analysis

Preparation of Hair Samples for DNA Analysis
DNA is a relatively stable molecule but will degrade over time unless preserved properly. Hair sampling kits are available upon request through the NRDPFC. Sampling kits (NRDPFC-003a) include a paper envelope and insert in which hair samples are protected. It is extremely important to keep hair samples dry upon collection and shipment. DNA within hair can degrade very rapidly if left in harsh condition such as rain or moisture.Link

[UCANSEE2]

Well,if true, then I am wrong about the SPOT DNA.

But then that information would pertain to the hair.

[Yeti]

OVER TIME, a DNA marker can degrade. How much time?

Hard for me to buy. You don't just test one strand of DNA, you test DNA extracted from a bunch of tissue. The follicle of a hair would have thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of cells.

After the cells and nuclear walls are either dissolved or destroyed the DNA is isolated chemically, not mechanically picked out with a needle and looked at under a microscope or something.

When you say you "look at a marker," you mean that you chemically test your solution or suspension conataining the DNA for the presence of one pattern somewhere in the DNA...

If I understand correctly, it doesn't make sense that "a marker" would degrade. If it doesn't show up, it wasn't in ANY of the cells. It can show up if it was in just ONE.