CHARLOTTESVILLE -An attorney for University of Virginia student George Huguely V said the lacrosse player did not intend to kill former girlfriend Yeardley Love the night police officials said she died of blunt force trauma.
“We think the evidence shows that he had no intention of killing Ms. Love,” defense attorney Francis McQ. Lawrence said.
Huguely, 23, of Chevy Chase, is accused of beating Love and leaving her to die in her apartment in May 2010. Both played for the university’s lacrosse teams.
During a preliminary hearing that lasted more than eight hours Monday, 20 witnesses were called as prosecutors presented evidence before District Judge Robert Downer.
After the session, Downer ruled that the case could be heard by a grand jury, which is set to review the charges against Huguely on April 18. Huguely has been charged with first-degree homicide, felony murder, robbery, burglary, statutory burglary and grand larceny. He has been held at the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail since shortly after his arrest.
Lawrence said Huguely didn’t know Love, 22, had died –and couldn’t believe the news — when detectives informed him during an interrogation.
“George did not know that Ms. Love was dead or even had significant injuries,” Lawrence said. Huguely, a graduate of the Landon School in Bethesda, did not attend the hearing.
Friends of both Huguely and Love on Monday testified about the couple’s on- and off-again relationship, describing fights and tensions between the two in the days leading up to Love’s death.
Elizabeth McLean, who dates Huguely’s roommate, described Love as “pretty upset” the week before her death after learning several high school-aged girls had been with Huguely in his apartment. “It was pretty loud,” McLean said of the couple’s arguing over the incident.
Catie Whiteley, Love’s roommate, testified that Love and Huguely had been fighting about where both would end up after graduation. Huguely wanted to move to California, while Love wanted to stay near her family.
Whiteley and another college student, Phillipe Oudshoorn, testified that they found Love topless and face down in her bed May 3. Oudshoorn, a U.Va. tennis player, said he attempted CPR on Love but didn’t detect a heartbeat.
Officers and medical personnel who responded to an emergency call testified that they found bruises on Love’s body, blood coming from her nose and mouth, and blood on the floor and her pillow.
Chris Clements, who played lacrosse with Huguely, said Huguely had been drinking during a golf tournament with the lacrosse team the day of Love’s death and was visibly intoxicated by the end of the day.
Attorneys for Huguely said other factors may have contributed to her death. William Gormley, the chief medical examiner, testified that Love’s blood alcohol concentration level was 0.14. She also had the prescription drug Adderall in her system, he said.
Love’s family issued a statement before the hearing saying they “have faith in the justice system and trust that the truth will prevail.”
