Miss. bite-mark expert breaks silence for lawsuit
Dr. Michael West was once one of the go-to forensics experts for prosecutors across the country, having built a reputation for success in tying suspects to a crime, particularly when it came to bite marks.
In recent years, as more of his expert testimony has come into question, West has kept a low profile, declining to publicly defend himself against allegations some of his techniques were bogus.
The Hattiesburg dentist has broken his silence in response to federal lawsuits filed by two Mississippi men sent to prison in separate cases more than a decade ago for crimes they didn’t commit.
Kennedy Brewer, who spent several years on death row, and Levon Brooks argue they were convicted of the brutal deaths of two children, in large part, because West had testified they left bite marks on the victims.
In an interview with The Associated Press, West defended his testimony, saying he never said either suspect had raped or murdered the girls.
AP
5/2/9
