Prosecutors Begin Laying Out Hair Evidence

Prosecutors began Tuesday to weave an intricate web of hair evidence designed to tie O.J. Simpson to two murder victims and the Akita dog whose howls may have signaled a bloody killing in Brentwood.

But the painstaking effort to account for every step in handling of hairs and fibers altered the prosecution’s plan to close its case by week’s end.

“I think it’s a fair statement that we will not rest this week,” prosecutor Marcia Clark said.

Once a police criminalist concludes her testimony, an FBI hair and trace analyst is expected to link the hairs to Simpson, his ex-wife and her dog, Kato.

Clark and co-prosecutor Christopher Darden said they don’t know who they will call as their final witness, and meetings were stretching into the night to make that decision.

Superior Court Judge Lance Ito told Clark to give the defense the balance of the witness list today.