TELLIS UPDATE : Surgeon says very likely Chambers did not speak

BATESVILLE (WCBI) – A Memphis plastic surgeon who specializes in burn treatment says its his medical opinion Jessica Chambers could not speak after she was burned in her car.

HICKERSON

Dr. William Hickerson says based on the photographs he has seen the best Chambers could have managed would be short gutteral sounds and not fully formed words.  Hickerson testified its his opinion the first responders who say they heard her say the word “Eric” were likely in shock and mentally wanted to hear anything.   Defense attorneys questioned Hickerson about the possibility she  could speak in the moments after the fire and later lost that ability when arriving in a Memphis hospital.  Hickerson said based on the autopsy photos its likely Chambers vocal chords were damaged by the chemicals in the gasoline being inhaled instead of fire and did not grow progressively worse but the damage that would prevent Chambers from speaking was suffered during the fire . Hickerson says Chambers was probably in the fire between 3 to 5 minutes.