UVA Lacrosse Death: Search Warrants Unsealed in Yeardley Love Murder
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (CBS/WTVR/AP) Search warrants released Thursday from the investigation of the brutal slaying of UVA women's lacrosse player Yeardley Love reveal that a possibly key piece of physical evidence was missing from the crime scene during a second search of her apartment.
PICTURES: Yeardley Love Murdered; George Huguely Charged
According to the search warrants used by police to obtain evidence from murder suspect George Huguely, Huguely told police that Love was wearing a black T-shirt when he left her apartment the night of May 2, but witnesses reported that she was found face down in a pool of blood wearing only panties.
Crime scene photographs show a black T-shirt on the floor near her body, but officers did not collect the shirt at the time. On a subsequent search, after Huguely's statement to police, officers could not locate the shirt.
The search warrant also states that on May 3 Huguely admitted to police that he got into a fight with Yeardley on the night of May 2. He told them, according to the documents, that he kicked in her door, shook her violently and repeatedly hit her head into a wall. Detectives say they saw injuries on Huguely's right leg consistent with kicking in the door, according to CBS affiliate WTVR.
PICTURES: Yeardley Love Murdered; George Huguely Charged
The affidavit also states that when Huguely was arrested he was wearing the same shorts he was wearing during the attack and that he had a set of keys and a passport on him, WTVR reported.
A laptop belonging to Love was missing from the crime scene and, according to the affidavit, Huguely told police he had taken it and disposed of it, but then told them where they could find it. He also admitted that the two had recently broken up, but that he had been communicating with Love via e-mail.
Huguely's lawyer has said the death was an accident. The lawyer, Francis Lawrence, did not immediately return a phone message.
Huguely, of Chevy Chase, Md., has been charged with first-degree murder and is being held without bond.
