George Huguely's ex-lacrosse teammates testify he often drank heavily

By: Crimesider Staff
Topics: Daily Blotter

George Huguely and Yeardley Love

(Credit: AP/Dialy Progress via Charlottesville Police Department)

(CBS) CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - George Huguely V was reportedly drinking heavily four times a week with such intensity that his close friends met to discuss an intervention, former teammates testified Thursday at his murder trial.

Former University of Virginia lacrosse player Huguely, 24, is charged in the death of Yeardley Love, who was found dead in her apartment in 2010, just days before final exams.

Huguely has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and five other offenses.

The Washington Post reports Huguely's defense team has said he went to Love's off-campus apartment that night in May 2010 to patch-up the latest in their series of breakups during two years of dating.

During the second day of testimony, a jury heard from a student who attended a February 2010 party in the apartment building where Huguely lived. The witness said he heard a woman yelling "Help me! Help me!" and opened a bedroom door to see Huguely with his arm tight around Love's neck.

When Huguely heard the witness enter, he released Love.

"She just said, 'Thank you so much,' " said witness Michael Burns, who demonstrated the chokehold he said he had seen to the jury. "She also said she couldn't breathe. She was hysterically crying."

Huguely's alleged drinking problem was known to his friends and teammates, according to testimony.

At about 1 a.m. on May 3, 2010, a sorority sister of Love's told her boyfriend -- who was Huguely's roommate -- that Huguely's "excessive drinking" was "becoming an issue," according to testimony. Elizabeth McLean told jurors that Huguely was not in control of his drinking or his behavior.

The jurors in Huguely's trial will also see an hour-long video recording Friday of Huguely's statements to police following the discovery of Love, ABC news reports.

The court has been highly sensitive to privacy through the trial thus far, showing graphic photos of Love's body only to jurors. It is expected that the video will also only be shown to the jury.

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by nancy_naive February 13, 2012 5:57 AM EST: NCAA -- Athletes make up 2% of the US student population and commit 20% of the violent crimes on campus. It's time to end this. These sports and the criminals who play them should be removed from the school, housed in separate facilities -- with locks on the doors.

It's time to revert college sports to the time when students played sports as opposed to thugs playing students.; Reply to this comment


by nancy_naive February 13, 2012 5:51 AM EST: George Huguely had a drinking problem.

Yeardley Love had a maniacal killer problem.

Virginia's death chamber holds the solution.; Reply to this comment

by aubfmet February 12, 2012 10:10 PM EST

What courses was he taking that he could drink during the week and still pass his tests?

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by nancy_naive February 13, 2012 5:48 AM EST: lacrosse.


by UForgotPoland February 12, 2012 2:41 PM EST: This is the risk women take when they date "bad boys".; Reply to this comment


by markcop February 12, 2012 10:12 AM EST: ask amy whinehouse witch drug is worse alcohol or pot,,,,, alcohol is much much more intoxicating then pot,,, ask a cop... My son is a cop and he will tell you the same .; Reply to this comment


by sirmarion-2009 February 12, 2012 9:29 AM EST: Maybe it is time to let the punishment fit the crime,tie him to a pole and whip him to daeth.; Reply to this comment


by tennguy2 February 12, 2012 8:10 AM EST: He needs one more cocktail...in his arm.; Reply to this comment


by pak31 February 11, 2012 9:59 PM EST: I have been around mean drunks. This goes beyond mean. I had a boyfriend that was jealous and mean around me when he drank, he never killed me. Or laid a hand on me. This is different. It's the person but magnified with the alcohol. This guy must be bad even before the alcohol gets in him. Why anyone would continue to be around this is beyond me.; Reply to this comment

by commenter777 February 11, 2012 7:38 PM EST

I am 100% sure that had I not quit drinking when I did I would have by know turned into a serial killer and/or a hit man.

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by pak31 February 11, 2012 9:52 PM EST: If you are truly serious then I have a lot of respect for you. It is really simple...some people mixed with alcohol just don't make a really great person. I can accept that. I realize that is the reality of drinking. It's just said that not everyone realizes this.

by commenter777 February 11, 2012 7:27 PM EST

In our colleges drinking to excess is an accepted extracurricular activity. That's absurd, but that's what us genius adults allow. Anyone that's ever gone to college knows what I'm talking about. Also, in our military, drinking is thought of as an activity that if you don't drink, you are the only one that doesn't in your unit. When I was in the military I only knew of one person that didn't drink out of thousands. And drinking at any time of day is cool in the military because of different shifts. A lot of times we drank in the mornings. And in our military there are always about 15% I would estimate that smoke marijuana. I did when I was in and did it at times and places that would shock some people, but most enlisted men that have served in the military know what I'm talking about. Alcohol and other drugs need to be brought down from the level of being a cool thing to do. It's not cool, groovy, or in vogue. So quit drinking, RIGHT NOW!!!

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by commenter777 February 12, 2012 5:36 PM EST: I didn't mean that I think marijuana is worse than alcohol. I think alcohol is a lot worse than marijuana. It's absurd that alcohol is legal and marijuana is illegal. It should be the other way around.