Hair found in Garcia's Toyota Camry consistent with Christie Wilson's

SACRAMENTO - Jurors heard testimony Thursday focusing on hair found in murder defendant Mario Garcia's Toyota Camry.Brandy Spas, a criminalist with the California Department of Justice's Chico lab, testified that hair from the car door of Garcia's Camry was recovered and analyzed and believed to belong to suspected murder victim Christie Wilson.The strand of hair was found during processing of Garcia's car earlier this year. The hair was located wrapped around the passenger door handle.When asked by prosecutor Garen Horst if force was used to remove the hair, Spas said she couldn't be sure."I couldn't say if it was pulled or not," she testified.A single strand of hair located during a crime scene investigator's tape lift of the trunk of Garcia's Camry was considered "consistent with hairs taken from Wilson's hairbrush."Under microscopic analysis the two appeared similar, Spas said. The hair found in the trunk was in its growing phase. "That's an actively growing hair," she said. "It would have taken force to get that hair out of the head."Jurors haven't heard testimony as to whom the hair belongs. However, during opening statements Horst told jurors that hair found in and on Garcia's white Toyota Camry has tested positive, through DNA analysis to belong to Wilson. Furthermore, blood and other stains in the car have been determined to belong to Wilson.DNA testimony is expected to being Monday.Garcia was the last person seen with 27-year-old Wilson in the early morning hours of Oct. 5, 2005 leaving the Thunder Valley Casino in Lincoln. After extensive searches of Placer and surrounding counties, Wilson's body has never been discovered.Authorities believe that she was murdered. Garcia is now facing first-degree murder charges in Sacramento courtroom after a judge ruled that there was extensive pre-trial publicity in Placer County.Garcia was arrested Oct. 14, 2005 on unrelated weapons charges and charged with Wilson's murder Oct. 28, 2005.Garcia's attorney, Ron Peters, maintains his client's innocence and said the defendant will take the stand. Since his Oct. 14, 2005 arrest Garcia has said that he and Wilson parted ways in the parking lot. In his opening statements prosecutor Garen Horst told the jury that blood samples in Garcia's car prove he killed 27-year-old Wilson.Throughout the trial Garcia has sat quietly dressed in a white dress shirt and slacks flanked by his attorneys. Garcia's wife, Jean, has been in the audience.Wilson's family, her mother Debbie Boyd, stepfather, Pat Boyd and her father Dennis Wilson have attended each day. They have declined to discuss the case with the media.Garcia is being held on $3 million bail and is being housed at the Sacramento County Jail throughout the duration of the trial that is expected to last for at least two more weeks.The Journal's Penne Usher can be reached at penne@goldcountrymedia.com.