Medical testimony dominated an aggravated assault trial Thursdayas doctors and others testified about injuries a woman sustainedduring an alleged attack at a Brookhaven motel in March 2000.

Two women, Leigh Stubbs, 21, and Tammy Vance, 32, both of 1306Fourth Ave. North, Columbus, are accused of aggravated assault,unlawful possession of morphine, conspiracy to possess morphine andgrand larceny.

Forensic odontologist Dr. Michael West said comparison of dentalimpressions and a bite mark on the victim’s hip pointed Stubbs ashaving made the mark. However, the age of the wound when heexamined it prevented him from declaring “reasonable dentalcertainty,” the highest standard for a conclusion.

“There’s not enough detail … for me to stand here and tell you100 percent that this girl bit this girl,” West told the jury.

Citing teeth characteristics, West said Stubbs could not beexcluded, and hers were the most likely to have made the mark.

“It’s more than just a possibility to me, I’d say it’s aprobability,” West said.

Four sets of teeth were examined in the investigation. Westexamined dental impressions of the two female defendants, thevictim’s boyfriend and his brother.

According to earlier testimony, the two defendants and thevictim left a Columbus chemical dependency treatment center onMarch 6 headed to Louisiana.

The three stopped at the victim’s boyfriend’s home in Summit,allegedly stole some morphine tablets, got lost while leaving thereand wound up at a Brookhaven motel. The next afternoon, the victimwas reported to have sustained a drug overdose, but authoritiesalso pursued the case as a sexual assault after injuries werediscovered.

West was on the witness stand most of Thursday afternoon untilthe court session ended around 5:30 p.m. Defense attorneys were tocross examine the doctor Friday morning.

West also testified about the victim’s head injuries and atoolbox latch that prosecutors believe to be the cause.

Using the victim as a model at one point, West compared thelatch size and shape to three injuries on the head and five on thehip. A tape measure ruling showed the distance between the injuriesto be consistent with the length of the toolbox.

“It’s my opinion someone tried to put (the victim) in thistoolbox,” West said as he closed the box to illustrate.

Using computer-enhanced images from the motel’s surveillancetapes, West showed jurors what he believed was Vance removing thevictim from the toolbox after arriving at the motel the night ofMarch 6. A video taped day-time re-enactment using West’sassociates showed a similar image of long hair falling as a personis removed from the toolbox.

In other evidence, West said the surveillance tape’s age andpoor quality prevented him from determining how many people got outof the truck when it arrived at the motel.

Bill Barnett, Stubbs’ attorney, attempted to discredit Westduring an earlier expert certification process. The attorney askedthe doctor about his alleged unethical practices, his one-yearsuspension from a national association of forensic odontologists,other doctors’ criticism of his methods, and about West being suedafter testifying in another trial.

West, of Hattiesburg, said the suspension was over unprintedterminology guidelines, critics had accepted his practices and thelawsuit was dismissed. Barnett’s motion to exclude West as anexpert was denied by Judge Mike Smith.

Earlier Thursday, Dr. Joe Moak of Brookhaven testified about theseverity of the victim’s condition after she was stabilizedfollowing the suspected drug overdose. He discussed doctors’concerns about multi-organ failure related to the brain, kidneysand blood system.

“It would not be uncommon to see death,” Moak said. “She wasreally close to death at the time she was brought in.”

Moak said the victim’s core body temperature had fallen toaround 92 degrees. He said that was consistent with being iceddown.

The victim’s vaginal area injuries, which were discovered later,were “brutal” but not life-threatening, Moak said.

Moak said there was a “ray of hope” when the comatose victim’smuscle twitched while a needle was being inserted. She was thentransferred to Baptist Medical Center in Jackson.

Barnett and fellow defense attorney Ken McNees questioned Moakabout the possibility of the vaginal injuries being self-inflictedduring a morphine-induced euphoria. The doctor said “anything’spossible,” but he added it would be hard to imagine such being donewhile the person was conscious.

“If someone did that to themselves, it would be unbelievable tome,” Moak said.

Other witnesses to testify Thursday included a motel clerk, aKing’s Daughter Medical Center nurse and paramedics, and a Jacksonneurologist who indicated the victim’s head injuries were caused bytrauma and not a drug overdose.

The prosecution’s case was to continue this morning and then befollowed by the defense’s case. It was not known if the trial wouldconclude Friday or possibly continue into the weekend.