Yeardley Love Murder At UVA: George Huguely Guilty of 2nd Degree Murder
After 9 hours of deliberations, a jury hearing the case of the murder of Lacrosse phenom Yeardley Love, her former boyfriend and fellow UVA student George Huguely has been convicted of her murder in the second degree.
Check back to www.blinkoncrime.com for updates to this developing story
Contributing Editor Jacqueline Beaufort
Related Posts
Related Posts:
98 Comments
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI
Justice is blind.
GOOD.
I am so drawn over this. He killed this beautiful talented girl who was loved by so many. At least justice is not as blind as it was so recently in Florida. I have a hard time in feeling that he (GH) is as much as a monster as the ones that took Morgan. He may not have intended to kill Yardley yet his actions were nothing less than murderous. Ducking here, but maybe 2nd degree was correct.
I think the felony murder issue push hurt this case. While I believe kicking a hole in a door to unlock it and beating her is a premeditated act, it was clear he did not break in commit burglary and kill her in the process as she lived another 2 hours. The video was clear he did not even believe she was dead when he left, and that was underscored by the ME, so an uphill battle there.
Morally, I have a different opinion- he was an abusive and arrogant asshole who bullied a woman half his size and weight. I suppose he is going to get the opportunity to experience that for himself.
I pray for a just sentence.
B
thanks for posting this blink. reading what her mother and sister said during the impact statements is heart wrenching
God bless the Love family
It appears that more than one juror did not have the guts to do the right thing. Now we will wait to see if the judge will do better.
This guy deserved murder one. He went to her apt. drunk and angry. He wanted to get the message sent to her about how he should have killed her. Then he finds the door locked, but that doesn’t stop him. He kicks the door panel out and reaches in to unlock the door.
She is probably in bed too drunk to call for help or defend herself. He beats her to the point of death and then takes the laptop computer and leaves her to die. What is not premeditated in those actions?
Well the death penality is off the table, but the judge should give him life in prison without parole if the Virginia statutes for second degree murder allow it.
Second degree murder. It’s not going to bring Yeardley back, but I hope this POS is going to be behind bars for a long, long time.
I read that he could be out in five years-please tell me that’s not going to happen.
So in other words, if you drink and set out to kill someone, it’s not premediated? The guy hunted her down, killed her, took her computer and threw it out. Seems he knew right from wrong if he needed to cover his sorry @$$.
Was he forced to consume? No. 2nd degree is a slap on the wrist. Oh….and wife beaters everywhere will coin the phrase ‘honey, I’m sorry. I was drunk. I didn’t know what I was doing’.
Boo hiss boo!
I agree with Blink in that he was an arrogant jackass that went there to do her harm, if not indeed kill. The evidence- at least how it is allowed to be presented to the jury- is always what matters in any case, not public opinion. I never thought that first degree or felony murder would be a reality. I believe that he will get 20 years.
I am really saddened to have read Mrs. Love and her daughter’s testimonies prior to the sentencing deliberations. I pray that their pain will be eased with time.
To ATG: My thoughts exactly. The late Dominick Dunne would have definitely covered this trial. Also, you mentioned in an earlier post- another person whose family were enablers. If only they had intervened with the drinking problem and anger issues maybe this lovely young girl would still be alive. The e-mail he sent her sticks in my mind-and then took the computer to hide that horrible message.
There is no parole in Virginia for crimes committed after 1995. Life sentence is not an option for murder in the second degree.
Seeing how much weight he has lost in the time since, I can’t help speculating if steriods played a role in his mass and in his actions.
Oh no! #Huguely jury recommends 25 years in prison for the 2nd degree murder charge and 1 year for the grand larceny charge.
@NBC29Huguely from Twitter.
This is a good sentence for taking a life?
26 years. Not nearly enough. He’ll be 50 when he is freed. Still plenty of life to live as a free man.
Jury says 26 years !!
Judge Hogshire sets sentencing date for April 16 at 9:30am. Judge will now address #Huguely jury about logistics before excusing them
@NBC29Huguely from Twitter
ATG, 25 years ago my brother was murdered at the hands of psychotic drunk.
Because he was drunk, he received a 2nd degree murder charge with a maximum 25yrs without the chance of parole – in Leavenworth.
My brother and he were in the army. The man, after being confined to quarters for showing up to duty drunk, left his barracks, broke into a MP armory, stole a M-16 rifle, went back to work and shot my brother in the head.
He gets out this year.
While my family felt he should have gotten 1st degree for per-med, the JAG decided on the lesser charge. They explained his being intoxicated created diminished capacity.
There are no easy murder cases, and I’m just so glad the jury had the guts to convict in this case.
I do hope he gets the max for the charge. Five years is beyond ridiculous and a slap across the face of Yeardley’s familily’s face.
Now let’s see what kind of intestinal fortitude the judge has…..
He was sentenced to a total of 26 years. Once again, justice has not been served.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/22/george-huguely-guilty-verdict-yeardley-love-murder_n_1293881.html?1329954813&icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl2%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D137613
And the reason I say “psychotic? The man was being discharged from the army due to psych issues.
The army just didn’t get him out in time to prevent my bro’s murder…..
Yeardley’s death is a terrible tragedy and George Huguely murdered her.
ATG, she had 4 drinks that night starting at 6:30 and the vicious attack came at midnight. She was not “too drunk” to call for help. He was there approximately 10 minutes and she asked him to leave repeatedly according to his police statement. George’s DNA was found under her fingernails and he had some marks indicating that she tried to fight him off. He 210 pounds at the time of the attack & she was 117. He beat her so that she was unable to call for help or keep him from stealing her laptop.
Yeardley was a wonderful, bright and caring girl. My heart goes out to her mother & sister.
Jury is recommending 26 years.
@lizzy
My thoughts exactly.
Pale rider-
How in the world did I not know that about your brother?
That is heinous my friend, I am so sorry.
Blink, I adore you so! You have enough to deal with, and I know that every victim affects you personally.
Thanks my dear friend!
O Pale- Back at ya my dear friend. The things that bind us- you know?
B
Lizzy says: Seeing how much weight he has lost in the time since, I can’t help speculating if steriods played a role in his mass and in his actions.
~~~~~~~~
Funny, I was wondering if the weight loss wasn’t a defense tactic to make him seem not so threatening…..
@pale rider I am so sorry about your brother.Being drunk to me is not an excuse for a lesser charge and I am sure it helped play a role in this verdict.We are the ones responsible for our own actions,when will they get that fact.This is my opinion and I am sticking to it.
pale rider- I am so sorry.
I’ve seen this type of pathetic loser time and time again in the criminal justice system. Would it surprise any of you if I told you they usually become the whiney little boys in prison…the “poor me victims?”
I am sure he was quite charming to Yeardley in the beginning, and then the abuse began.
Then, when she tried to leave him, he killed her.
This pattern happens all the time, and I’m sure all of you know the woman is in the most danger when she attempts to extricate herself from the relationship.
Pay attention to his words to her, “I should have killed you.” And, he did.
He is very lucky I wasn’t sitting on that jury. I could not care less if he thought she was still alive when he left. No one can convince me that he didn’t know how hard he had hit her. Then again, she was only an object to him.
Twenty-six paltry years. Then he gets released and gets his game on again at age 50, finds another woman, and…
Sorry, Blinksters, as I am sure all of you can tell, this type of coward make me want to vomit.
But, I thank God some justice was served.
You got that right. Especially the object part.
The only thing I will say is that I would lay odds this kid does not make it out of jail. I am not saying that to incite violence of any kind, I am just saying from my observation he was hoping for the Casey Anthony pass.
Next to crimes against children, a man-bully is the worst. God rest your soul Yeardley.
B
Pale Rider, I am so very sorry to hear about the loss of your brother. There are no words to describe the agony a loss of this magnitude brings to one’s existence. In the state I live in your brother’s killer’s “diminished capacity” due to his intoxication would have been viewed as “an aggravating factor.”
I hope your family has been able to find some sense of peace. All of you will be in my prayers.
Blink, thank you for posting this update.
Thank you to everyone that shared their thoughts-
Ode thank you for having the courage to write that- and it may surprise some but I agree with you to a great extent.
Unfortunately, the facts of this case seem to point to 2nd degree murder, as he clearly did not intend to murder her, that night….
Having said that, there needs to be an accounting all around- for Grace is also right- this young man would have eventually planned to kill her- he was a time bomb that was waiting to exact his revenge.
He did see Yeardley as HIS-
Sadly there were many opportunities to get these two help before this heinous crime took place.
Domestic violence is a revolving circle, both the abuser and the victim need to seek out counseling and it needs to be extensive- Without counseling both will never break the cycle.
Many people were aware of the abuse, many people were aware that the relationship was not healthy. Many were aware of Georges drinking habits and his blacking out-
There needs to be a way for outsiders to understand how they can help in such situations. Especially on College campuses –
There are many people who were friends with Yeardley and George who wish they could have done something more- My prayers go out to them tonight. Was there no where for them to turn to get their friends help to have someone intervene, before it was too late? If not why not?
Why was His previous runins with the law not handled in a better manner?? why wasnt he subjected to intense anger management and alcohol abuse classes–Why wasnt he forced from the team and the college? Why was he not reprimanded to the full extent of the law when there was still a chance, he could have been helped- thereby helping any young lady who came into his life, certainly Yeardley?
IDK- someone failed, besides his parents- someone failed…and we must figure out how to prevent the next George and Yeardley case from happening again.
AJMO
Peace
Dear Pale Rider,
I am so sorry to read of your brothers murder. Thank you for sharing your personal loss with us,. I can certainly understand why you have the feelings you do. I will keep you and yours in my prayers. Again I am sorry Pale Rider, may your brother Rest In Peace.
The sentence was actually a little longer than I expected.
I believe he went to her apartment with ill intent, but not with murder on his mind. Even though there is the threatening e-mail, I suspect he was writing figuratively.
I believe this was a crime of passion and the sentence was appropriate. He may get out at age fifty, but after spending half his life in prison he will not be the same person – in fact, I suspect he is a very high suicide risk.
I agree with that. First thought I had was Phil Markoff.
B
Thank you Daydreamer, Connie and Grace for your touching comments.
I agree completely that alcohol/drugs should be “an aggravating factor”, not an excuse, sigh…..
B, the ties that bind us all here are beautifully interwoven vines of love, caring, and a desire to see justice done. The blossoms on these vines are the names and faces of the victims we all advocate for.
I pray for Yeardley, her family, and all those beautiful blossoms.
GeorgiaDad and Blink, I too agree. He is very high risk suicide. I don’t wish that on anyone’s family.
The fact that this guy entered Yeardleys apartment by kicking a hole in the door suggests to me that he was there only to bring harm to this poor young woman. Huguely had previous warnings about his behaviour and his drinking which he did not heed, I have no sympathy for this guy. 26yrs is not a fair punishment for taking a life, which, unlike Casey Anthony, was proven a deliberate act.
God bless Ms Love and may she rest in peace.
Mom 3.0 thank you <3. You are one of our greatest advocates!
My brother was the kind of person who would have immediately forgiven his killer.
I know he is at peace.
I believe Georgia Dad has it correct. Btw to clear the air, the maximum sentence was 40 years. He was ‘recommended’ to serve 25 for the murder and 1 for grand larceny. The judge may shorten but cannot lengthen the sentence.
I believe the young man was an arrogant guy with major drinking and anger issues. You gotta wonder about the parents IMO. This behavior does not suddenly just crop up. It was reported locally here in Charlottesville that ‘stoic’ is the best way to describe the whole family. Seems to me that a little emotion would be in order and maybe there lies the crux of the problem.
Huguely has a juvie record not disclosed on his application, plus an arrest WHILE he was at UVA where he had to make bond. You bet his parents knew about his problem. His Dad was knocking em back at the country club with him earlier in the day.
His prodigy is now a convicted murderer looking at 26 years. Yeardley Love, who clearly was staying away from him, was begged by her mother to report him, she did not and her mother respected that decision.
I would say we have two sets of very affluent parents who do not feel very rich today.
B
Blink – this case echoed withim me down to my toenails …as there – but for the grace of God – it could have been my story.
I, just like Yeardley, didn’t want to report my abuser because -except when he was drunk, he was a sweetheart and only turned into a monster when he mixed prescription drugs and alcohol. I just wanted him to leave me alone. He terrorized and hit me three times ….and committed suicide right after the 3rd time.
I had never grown up with anything like that, and had no idea how I was so close to becoming a statistic – and a dead one at that.
And I agree – his family KNEW what a time-bomb they let roam freely. ANd I guessed that they thought that their society status would allow them to gloss over any bad behavior …
I grieve for her family and that beautiful life so uselessly snuffed out.
He deserves the 26 years and then some. His life is over, and in prison he won’t have Daddy’s $$$ to save him from those bigger bullies in the same cell block. I agree with the Phil Markoff analogy, it is certainly something this personality type would do.
rip,yeardly love, and blessings to her family. at least he was found guilty and will spend most of his adulthood in prison. he does look quite the pretty boy, now,i agree with assumption of steroids.he was a team sports player and has money ,so he might do ok in general pop.yes,al,i get your point about “stoic”, it’s not remorseful.i wish, if steroids were a fact, it had been ‘highlighted ‘ in the trial.if he had a heart of remorse, he’d be the perfect ‘poster child’ for educating young athlethes about steroid/alcohol use,but in his case,it seems, it probably started with a spoiled upbringing.
@ Lizzy
Lizzy says: Seeing how much weight he has lost in the time since, I can’t help speculating if steriods played a role in his mass and in his actions.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
This was brought up a couple of times and it certainly can’t be ruled out. It’s also possible he was an angry drunk. Going from jock to jail bird will certainly affect appearance (weight loss or gain).
He certainly looks vulnerable compared to his star lacross playing days.
@ pale rider says:
February 22, 2012 at 10:38 pm
I am so sorry to learn about your brother’s murder. It’s hard enough to lose someone but to violence?
My thoughts and prayers with you friendy. ~angel hugs~
If the family were into alcohol, should we be suprised that the children followed suit.
Was George on steroids? It is quite possible. We all are aware of the anger caused by steriods and the term “roid rage”. We also know that steroids and alcohol are bad partners.
Blinks comment about George’s undisclosed juvie record is all the more reason that those records should become public after the age of twelve. Would the university have accepted him into an athletic program with that knowledge? IDK.
Mom3.0 and Grace
Both of you show your thoughtfulness and great compassion for others in your comments. It is always a pleasure to get your thoughts on a case.
The public at large seems to be making a case for a drunk or a drug user not being responsible for their acts. This is IMO a very dangerous path. Society as we know it will disappear if that is allowed to happen.
When does a “kid” become an adult? In my generation it was age sixteen or seventeen. Today it must be older than twenty-two. If that be the case, then we need to do a large overhaul of our laws.
The jury and prosecutor did a great job IMO. Murder 1 premeditation was going to be extraordinarily difficult to prove but he easily could have gotten manslaughter. Anger at the crime doesn’t mean they should disregard the law.
The judge cannot increase the recommended sentence; only approve or lessen it. I am pretty confident he will approve it and have some very harsh words for the murderer at the sentencing.
Agreed Redly!
B
I agree with that. First thought I had was Phil Markoff.
B
I believe Phil Markoff was the same kind of monster Josh Powell was. He continued to torture his finance even in suicide. If I remember correctly he had a picture of her in front of him when he did the deed. His mind was sick even without other things such as drugs and alcohol. He would never turn himself around. GH away from his entitlement and alcohol may have a chance.JMO
What really bothers me on that day Huguely admitted to having 15 or more drinks that day while he was busy on the golf course with his father.His father had to know he was intoxicated or was he? What father
would let his son just drink that much and walk away? After all I’m quite sure he footed most or all of the bills for his son.It sounds like
party time with good ole Dad.What a wonderful display of parenthood.I
guess dear Dad would have never though it would lead to a young girls
demise.I have always been told be careful what you sow.
O/T I am really upset about a 9 yr old girl that died because her grandmother and step-mother made her run for three hours as a punishment
for eating a candy bar she wasn’t allowed to have.Neighbors saw her running.This child had no water while running and a rare urinary disorder.She died from severe dehydration.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/23/savannah-hardin_n_1296154.html?1330012665&icid=maing-grid7|main5|dl10|sec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D137761
A Texas Grandfather says:
I always look for your posts and have missed them so much
February 23, 2012 at 3:19 pm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So great to see you back, ATG — or should I say neighbor?
lately. Is all okay in your neck of the woods?
Sending hugs!
Grace
A Texas Grandfather says, The public at large seems to be making a case for a drunk or a drug user not being responsible for their acts. This is IMO a very dangerous path. Society as we know it will disappear if that is allowed to happen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It’s a path lined with cow patties piled way too high for me, imo. When someone chooses to ingest alcohol or drugs, and goes and busts down a door, and shakes a young woman’s head repeatedly against the wall, causing injuries that lead to her death, and he doesn’t even bother to alert EMS….HE is responsible for his actions. Thank God, our state does not have “diminished capacity” laws like some states do, ATG.
I know a little bit about men who beat their girlfriends, having worked with violent men for over 20 years, and having lost a dear friend whose “love of her life” shot her in the head in front their two little boys and her mother. I can’t even begin to fathom what was knocking around in GH’s head in the way of “intent” as he headed over there, but I would bet my next paycheck that it had something to do with his belief that she was his property. Chattel. And, by God, NO ONE ELSE was gonna have her. Some may assume he got drunk and then lost control of his temper, but with the perps I’ve come across in my line of work, the drinking is usually a feeble, uber-dumbass attempt to dampen the intense urge to beat the hell out of the woman. Except alcohol only disinhibits behavior even more…and the urge just boils over and…BOOM!! Someone dies, and someone goes to prison for a very long time.
So very tragic for Yeardley’s family and friends. God be with them.
I feel just so awful for them.
Thank you Grace for your reply and hugs back at you. I am a big believer in hugs.
This is a case that really got to me. Money and poor parenting where no one ever told this guy NO and made it stick is the real cause of this crime. Some of my comments have been pretty tough and I appologize if I hurt anyone’s feelings.
I know it cannot happen, but I have thought a fitting punishment would be for him to be put in a boxing ring with George Foreman and let him experience the power of a big man. George is in his sixties, but he could sure handle this guy.
Pale Rider
I am sorry you had to loose your brother in such a manner. They do not do a real good job in the military sometimes in managing men that are prone to be physcotic.
Did anyone really take a hard look at the door Huguley kicked a hole into? Security has to start with a proper door. This is the cheapist type of passage door with only a style frame and crosspiece from wood and the rest was fibreglass with eurothane foam insulation. If that door had been steel clad, it would not have been penetrated in that manner.
ATG: You are such a wise owl. With a long background in building materials, and living between Va. Tech and Radford University
it shocks me to see the poor quality of student living off campus. While most developers do a great job that door was a substandard door. The buck always comes first. Gone are the days of having products made well… a door should be a door.
I hope that the judge keeps the recommended sentence, but I worry that he’ll reduce it. To those who question steroid use, I think that the weight loss is more related to the temperance program that 2 years in jail has enforced. Heavy drinking and an intemperate lifestyle can create the bloated look he had in early pictures. While I think that Huguely now is a different person than he was 2 years ago, he learned a lesson that only came at Yeardley Love’s expense, when he was held accountable, finally, for his actions. If only someone had held him accountable long before he murdered her. I hoped that the jury would recommend more time; now I just hope that the judge accepts their recommended 26 years (which will be 24 with credit for time already served).