CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — In the most dramatic visual display yet in the trial of a Harvard grad student accused of stabbing a teen to death, prosecutors brought out, piece by piece, the blood-stained clothes of the victim, Michael Colono.

Jurors leaned in, some holding their chins in their hands, others taking notes, as state police crime lab chemist John Soares described the four cuts he examined on Colono's blue, extra-large "Carolina" jersey, which prosecutors had mounted on a white poster board.

The entire left half of the jersey was covered with a dark reddish-brown blood stain.

Alexander Pring-Wilson, 26, is charged with first-degree murder for stabbing Colono five times with a three-inch folding blade in the early morning hours of April 12, 2003.

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He claims he stabbed Colono in self-defense after being attacked by the victim and his cousin as he passed by their car.

Soares said he examined the defendant's hands on the day of his arrest and found them to be "generally dirty" with "a cut on right hand, middle finger."

Tests revealed evidence of blood on the front and back of Pring-Wilson's right hand, and in the "webbing" — the area between his fingers — of his left hand. The back of the left hand tested negative for blood.

Soares also inspected the defendant's apartment and found the knife used in the killing — which prosecutors say later tested positive for a mixture of both men's blood — on the floor inside a closet.

Leather jacket in dispute

Much has been made of the cut marks found on Colono's black leather jacket. The defense claims the cuts were not present until the jacket was returned to police by family members. The prosecution has pointed to the marks as evidence that Pring-Wilson used significant force to stab the victim.

According to Soares, when he inspected the white Chevy the victim and his friends were riding in that night, he saw the jacket in the backseat and visually examined it for blood and any damage. But he did not test it or collect it as evidence, although he was not questioned about his reasons for this during direct examination.

Jurors also saw a brief digital video culled from cameras trained on the police booking area, which showed Pring-Wilson from the back, ably walking toward a door in the police station.

The state had hoped to show several selections from the recordings, which they believe showed the defendant in good physical condition at the time of his arrest, but the judge ruled that the images, which were not in consecutive order and were not clear representations of the defendant's face, were too prejudicial.

Concussion symptoms?

Pring-Wilson's physical condition has also been a source of dispute, and a physician who examined the defendant after the stabbing testified Tuesday morning that the defendant did not appear to be suffering from neurological damage.

"Because of his complaints, I did a CT scan of his head, an X-ray of the brain to look for any bleeding, swelling or masses that would lead to neurological symptoms," said Dr. Richard Ma. "The CT scan was negative."

Ma, who was a resident-in-training at Cambridge Hospital at the time of the examination, said he saw Pring-Wilson on two consecutive days after the defendant was brought to the hospital from jail complaining of headaches and nausea, but no loss of consciousness.

"He stated that he was punched and kicked," Ma testified. "I looked for bruising, any lacerations, any defensive injuries. And he did have some lacerations on his feet, but no other obvious signs of trauma from what I recall."

According to Ma, Pring-Wilson received a tetanus shot for what the physician deemed "superficial" abrasions on his feet.

Ma examined Pring-Wilson on April 12 and April 13. On the second day, when he moved to touch the defendant's head, Ma said, "he withdrew before I even touched his skin." That reaction differed from the one Pring-Wilson displayed the day before.

"So he seemed to react to your touching him before you even touched him?" asked Assistant State Attorney Adrienne Lynch, who seemed to imply that the defendant was faking his injuries. The witness answered, "Yes."

While continually professing that he was not an expert in neurology, Ma conceded during cross-examination that there are different levels of concussion and some do not result in a loss of consciousness.

"So, the CT scan you did is not the last word on whether or not Mr. Pring-Wilson had a concussion?" Levinson asked. Ma confirmed, "Yes."

He also stated that Pring-Wilson's complaints over two days of headaches, nausea, dizziness and vomiting were all possible symptoms of concussion.

Three of the emergency medical technicians who transported Pring-Wilson to the hospital also testified that they did not notice any outward signs of injuries on the defendant.

"He stated that he had a history of concussions and believed he may have received one the night before," said EMT Alexi Wagner, who testified that Pring-Wilson appeared to walk and talk normally, although he complained of headaches and "spotty vision."

"He was quiet and kept to himself, unless I spoke or asked questions," Wagner said.

Pring-Wilson faces a mandatory life sentence if convicted.

Court TV is broadcasting the trial live.