An email set the scene in a Virginia courtroom Wednesday as George Huguely went on trial for the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Yeardley Love.
During his opening statement, prosecutor Dave Chapman told the jury that a few days before Love died, Huguely emailed her a message: “I should have killed you.”
The email introduces the theory that Huguely had planned the murder of his on-again-off-again college girlfriend.
Two years ago, Huguely was a burly lacrosse player about to graduate from the University of Virginia, but now he's a shadow of his former self as he stands accused of first-degree murder for killing Love, a fellow UVA student-athlete.
Click here to get caught up on the lacrosse murder trial
Chapman walked the jury through the night Love died. He said Love was home alone when Huguely walked into her apartment, kicked in her bedroom door and attacked her, shaking her so violently that her head banged against the wall. “This is an encounter that was quickly over. She’s a tiny woman; he’s an enormous man,” said Chapman.
Ultimately, Huguely “placed” or “tossed” Love on her bed and returned to his own nearby apartment, he said. Chapman added that Love could have lived for up to two hours after the fight, unable to move.
The alleged "tossing” of Love onto her bed and her inability to move was a focal point of defense attorney Francis Lawrence’s opening statement.
Lawrence said that both Huguely and Love were intoxicated the night she died and that there was a fight.
The defense attorney also admitted that their relationship had been tumultuous because “they had both been unfaithful to each other. They had each hooked up with others, and that had caused drama.”
Lawrence argued the injuries from the fight did not kill Love. Instead, he said, it’s likely that Love died as a result of “positional asphyxia,” not Huguely’s actions. He argued it was an tragic accident. Positional asphyxia occurs when the position of someone’s body prevents them from breathing and they suffocate.
“The injury Miss Love sustained did not lead to her death ... none of her obvious injuries were the injuries that killed her,” said Lawrence.
Lawrence argued that Huguely is not guilty of the murdering Love, and that the only crime the jury should even consider is involuntary manslaughter. That is an option the jury has in this case because involuntary manslaughter is a lesser-included charge.
After opening statements finished Wednesday, the prosecution began calling witnesses to the stand. The first witnesses included Love’s sister, Lexie Love, and their mother, Sharon Love.
Sharon Love testified about Love’s relationship with Huguely. She described an episode in which Love came home to Baltimore for just one day, seemingly shaken, and talked to her about the relationship.
The prosecution also called Love’s roommate, Caity Whiteley, to the stand. Whitely testified about finding Love’s body face down in her bed. "She wasn’t moving,” Whitely said, and began to sob on the stand," she said.
She noted that Love’s arms and legs were straight down, meaning the comforter “must have been moved," and pulled up over her back. Whiteley said, "Her body was still warm, but her feet were cold."
On Thursday, the prosecution will continue presenting evidence.
Keep checking In Session or HLNtv.com for updates on this trial.
Join the conversation...