Hairs
Hairs consist of a central medulla of air cells, a cortex containing pigment granules and cortical fusi, and a cuticle with an outer scale layer. Although not individually unique like fingerprints, human hairs can be distinguished from animal hairs, and hairs from different racial groups can be differentiated by color, texture, size, diameter fluctuation, cuticle thickness, pigment distribution, and cross-sectional shape. Experts can usually distinguish hairs of different individuals.
Fibers
Both natural and artificial fibers can be distinguished microscopically, though individual fibers are not unique. Color is the major identifying characteristic, with microscopes revealing 50–100 shades of green or blue and 25–30 shades of black. Three fiber types are discussed: cotton (a natural fiber resembling a twisted soda straw, available mercerized or unmercerized), wool, and viscose (an artificial fiber typically containing a delustering agent appearing as tiny spots, with hundreds of possible diameter variations).
The blanket
Commission Exhibit No. 140, received by Stombaugh on November 23, 1963, was composed of approximately 1–2% woolen, 20–35% cotton, and the remainder delustered viscose fibers. The viscose showed 10–15 different diameters and shade variations (suggesting scrap viscose), while the cotton showed seven to eight shades of green but uniform twist. The blanket was folded into a narrow right triangle shape with a safety pin and string tied in a granny knot with bow-knot dangling ends. A 10-inch hump in the blanket matched the length and shape of the C2766 rifle’s telescopic sight. Foreign hairs and fibers were found, with several limb and pubic hairs matching Oswald’s samples in numerous distinctive characteristics; other hairs did not match Oswald.
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