"The contents was examined again 14 years later, when a single strand of hair was discovered by a scientist at PathWest.
In November 2015, WA Police took the root part of the hair to the United Kingdom for analysis by Mr McDonald, who testified on Wednesday in WA's Supreme Court about the complex scientific process he had used to test it.
He told the court levels of DNA were very low, but he concluded that Ms Dodd could have contributed to it
Mr McDonald said he also found traces of male DNA on the hair, which he said could be explained by the way it was stored for 14 years with other debris from the ute floor, or by a "drop-in" event that happened during the testing process.
He said after using specialist computer software to analyse the results, he came up with a "likelihood ratio" that it was 7.2 million times more likely than not that Ms Dodd and an unknown male, through "a drop-in event", had contributed to the DNA.
Mr McDonald said he also examined a DNA sample from Mr Wark, but his testing "gave no clear indication that he had contributed to the result".
Mr McDonald testified he was aware separate testing done on the shaft of the hair had also found DNA from Ms Dodd.
"To have two of the same I think is significant, it gives greater credence to my belief that this could be a mixed profile."
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If the hair had of been found earlier might the results of forensic tests been more accurate ?
http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2017-...-has-hayley-dodd-dna-testifies-expert/9131642
"We cannot discount the importance and possible effects of other factors which would affect any type of DNA samples: the age of the sample, the way the sample has been collected and stored, and any external forces that may have altered the state of the DNA (for example, exposure to very high temperatures, soaps and cleaning agents, or to corrosive substances)."
2013 article
https://www.forensicmag.com/article...na-testing-and-forensic-analysis-hair-samples
