Jury deliberations to begin on Wednesday in George Huguely murder trial

By: Crimesider Staff
Topics: Daily Blotter

George Huguely and Yeardley Love

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

(CBS) CHARLOTTESVILLE, N. C. - The defense and prosecution made their closing arguments Saturday in the murder trial of George Huguely V.

After listening to more than three hours of closing arguments, jurors in the former UVA lacrosse player's trial decided to begin deliberations on Wednesday.

Pictures: Yeardley Love murdered, George Huguely charged

The Washington Post reports a prosecutor told jurors that Huguely did not merely leave his off-and-on again girlfriend 22-year-old Yeardley Love bleeding in her pillow, he left her unable to move, disabled from the damage that Huguely had done to her in their final violent argument in May 2010.

Commonwealth's Attorney Warner Champman asked, if the former women's lacrosse player could have moved, why wouldn't she have crawled to get help? If she could have moves, why wouldn't she have stopped Huguely from taking her laptop as he left?

In his final appeal to jurors, defense attorney Francis Lawrence urged them to reject the murder charge and consider a lesser crime. "George bears responsibility in her death. . . . He played a role in that, and he will take responsibility for it in a way you determine," Lawrence said.

However, he asked, "Where's the intent to kill?" -- a key element of first-degree premeditated murder, which can carry a sentence of life in prison. "He didn't kill her. He left her there alive."

Lawrence asked jurors to weigh involuntary manslaughter when he addressed them at the start of the trial. It carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.

Huguely has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Complete coverage of Yeardley Love on Crimesider

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by commentingnow February 21, 2012 1:24 AM EST: The most frightening thing about this case is how a kid like this (and his father) don't hesitate one second before trying to wiggle out of paying ANY price for killing someone. George started lying immediately to other students right after the murder. Then he stayed on the same path with the police--making them drag out of him how he got into the room. Next step--hire lawyers who will stop at nothing when it comes to laying out ludicrous alternative "theories" of what happened. I hope he rots in prison.; Reply to this comment


by texaswomanone February 20, 2012 5:59 PM EST: Prayers for both families. Nobody wants to lose a daughter this way, and nobody expects to raise a son to do this. What a waste, on both sides of the courtroom.; Reply to this comment


by texaswomanone February 20, 2012 5:54 PM EST: Prayers for both families. Nobody wants to lose a daughter this way, and nobody expects to raise a son to do this. What a waste, on both sides of the courtroom.; Reply to this comment


by 2567net February 20, 2012 5:36 PM EST: I think you mean CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA; Reply to this comment


by soapyrub February 20, 2012 4:15 PM EST: Life imprisonment is justice for this heinous act of selfish, predatory violence. Hugely knew what he was doing and should face the full consequences of his actions. Society needs to set strict boundaries for tolerating this kind of violence. He destroyed a wonderful person's life - now he can think about it in a cell the rest of his wasted life.; Reply to this comment


by jnostromo February 20, 2012 4:14 PM EST: Hopefully the jury will give this piece of human refuse the punishment he so richly deserves. He is gulity of murder and the verdict should be murder....Time for this jury to take the trash out.; Reply to this comment