CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. — Prosecutors on Wednesday called their final witnesses in the trial of a University of Virginia lacrosse player accused of killing his former girlfriend.
Jurors deciding the fate of 24-year-old George Huguely V heard from five of Huguely’s lacrosse teammates who described his frequent drinking and said he was heavily intoxicated the night 22-year-old Yeardley Love was slain. Three young women who received messages from Huguely the night of May 2, 2010, or early-morning of May 3, when Love’s beaten body was found in her apartment, also testified.
Huguely, of Chevy Chase, started drinking early in the day on May 2, his teammates testified. William “Mikey” Thompson said Huguely was drinking beer in the car on the way to a team golf tournament; he also saw Huguely put several beers in his golf cart.
Chris Clements said Huguely continued drinking while playing golf. At the course’s clubhouse afterward, he was slurring his words, had trouble walking and made inappropriate comments, teammates said. Then, he caused a scene at a Charlottesville restaurant for dinner when he dropped a bottle of wine, Ken Clausen testified.
But Huguely’s demeanor changed later in the evening. Clausen said he was in Huguely’s apartment when Huguely returned after midnight. Huguely told his friends he had been at Clements’ apartment, and Clements was drunk. That didn’t make sense, Clausen said, because Clements left the golf outing early to write a paper.
“There was no reason to lie about something like that,” Clausen said. He said Huguely had a “blank stare” and Clausen asked him what was wrong. Huguely said nothing was.
“I asked him two more times,” Clausen testified. “I got no response.”
Huguely’s friends testified that they had become increasingly concerned about his drinking. He was getting drunk several nights a week that spring, the teammates said.
The drinking was “ridiculous” and Huguely would become “belligerent,” according to Clausen. Thompson said it “had gotten out of control” and “needed to stop.”
His teammates planned to talk with him the next day. Two hours later, Love’s roommates found her slain body in her bedroom. Huguely was taken into custody later that morning.
Also Wednesday, three young women said Huguely called or sent them text messages the night Love was killed. One testified that Huguely asked her what she was doing; jurors read transcripts of the exchanges between Huguely and the other women, but the messages were not read in court.
Prosecutor Dave Chapman said he would formally rest his case Wednesday afternoon after a few administrative matters were completed.
Huguely’s trial in Charlottesville Circuit Court began last week with two days of jury selection. Over six days of testimony, jurors have heard about Huguely and Love’s volatile relationship, seen the taped statement Huguely gave to police, and learned about Love’s injuries and a medical examiner’s ruling that she died of blunt-force trauma.
