Expert says hair in car matches woman's DNA

By Art Campos -- Bee Staff Writer

A state Department of Justice forensics expert testified in an Auburn courtroom Tuesday that two hair strands found inside and outside the car belonging to murder defendant Mario Garcia matched the DNA of a woman who has been missing since Oct. 5.

Criminalist Shawn Kacer calculated that only one person out of every 720 quintillion people would have a DNA to match that of the missing woman.

Since there are only 6 billion people on Earth, it is unlikely there is anyone alive to match the DNA of Christie Wilson, the missing woman's stepfather said outside the courtroom.

"This is the same as saying that this information is better than having a fingerprint," said Patrick Boyd, the stepfather who is also a San Jose police detective.

Wilson's mother, Debbie Boyd, called the DNA evidence "absolutely solid."

"There won't be any holes in this case," she said.

The DNA testimony was given on the fourth day of a preliminary hearing to determine whether Garcia, 53, of Auburn should stand trial on a charge of murdering Wilson, 27, of Sacramento.

Garcia and Wilson were seen leaving the Thunder Valley Casino near Lincoln at 1:13 a.m. Oct. 5. The two were videotaped by casino security cameras as they walked together toward Garcia's car in the parking lot.

Wilson has not been seen since, and searches throughout Placer County have failed to yield a clue as to her whereabouts.

Testimony in the hearing has disclosed that one strand of hair was found lodged in the handle of the passenger side door of Garcia's 2004 white Toyota Camry.

The second hair was found in the trunk of the car.

The two strands matched DNA samples from Wilson's hairbrushes and dried saliva on an electric toothbrush from her apartment, Kacer testified.

Outside the courtroom, Kacer said the world's population of 6 billion would have to be multiplied 1 trillion times to equal the 720 quintillion probability factor that Wilson's DNA would match another person.

Attorney Robert D. Blasier, appearing for the first time as part of Garcia's defense team, questioned the random match probability figures given by Kacer.

Blasier, who worked with the defense team in the O.J. Simpson murder trial, noted that Kacer was using about 320,000 random DNA samples to reach a calculation of 720 quintillion.

Noting the world's population of 6 billion, Blasier questioned how Kacer could include "nonexistent people" in a final figure.

"It's a frequency, not an actual population" of the likelihood that Wilson's DNA would match another person, Kacer responded.

Earlier in Tuesday's hearing, Blaiser questioned another witness called by the prosecution, Brandy Spas, also a criminalist for the state Department of Justice.

Spas, who specializes in hair forensics, testified that she analyzed the hairs on Garcia's car door and in the trunk and concluded that they were similar to strands found on Wilson's hairbrushes. She said she does not do DNA testing.

Under Blasier's questioning, she said it was possible that a hair strand could be shed by one person during a hug and be transferred to the other person's clothing and eventually end up in another location.

While in the casino, Wilson and Garcia were physically friendly, according to blackjack dealers who were questioned by sheriff's detectives.

The preliminary hearing before Placer Superior Court Judge Larry D. Gaddis will resume on Thursday.