After a nine-hour preliminary hearing in Charlottesville Circuit Court, Judge Robert Downer certified six charges against former UVA student George Huguely, who will receive a grand jury date on April 18. Testimony from more than 20 witnesses provided details about Huguely’s physical state and whereabouts during the 24 hours before his arrest, as well as a preview of the medical issues that may constitute a good deal of Huguely’s defense during trial.
"From the beginning, we said this case was a tragedy, but not an intentional criminal act," said Rhonda Quagliana, one of Huguely’s two defense attorneys. The second, Francis McQ. Lawrence, told the courtroom during an opening statement that defense believes Huguely "had no intention of killing Ms. Love." Love’s family and friends sat in a trio of reserved benches on one side of the courtroom, while Huguely’s family and friends sat on the other. Sharon Donnelly, Love’s mother, sat in the front row, but left the courtroom for some time during testimony by Love’s former roommate, Caity Whiteley.
Lawrence cited an interview between Huguely and police officers, who recorded the exchange the morning following Love’s death. According to Lawrence, in the video a Charlottesville Police officer tells Huguely, "She’s dead, George," and Huguely remains in an "extreme emotional state." "He did not know that Ms. Love was dead," said Lawrence, until he was told by law enforcement.
Roommates and lacrosse teammates of both Huguely and Love offered details about Huguely’s physical state on May 2, the day before Love was found dead in her 14th Street apartment. Multiple teammates testified that Huguely was drunk for most of May 2, during which time he attended a father-son golf tournament in Wintergreen and ate dinner in Charlottesville, then returned to his 14th Street apartment.
Huguely’s roommate, Kevin Carroll, mentioned leaving the apartment to buy beer before midnight on May 2, and said Huguely was not present when he walked back from the Corner. When Huguely returned, said Carroll, he said he had been with teammates Will Bolton and Chris Clements in a neighboring apartment. Bolton testified that he did not see Huguely during this time.
Elizabeth McLean, Love’s sorority sister, testified that Love and Huguely were involved in a confrontation less than one week before her death, after Love allegedly entered Huguely’s apartment and found him with two high school girls. McLean said Love later asked her to look for a cell phone and camera lost during the confrontation.
Medical examiner William Gormley offered testimony about the types and potentially fatal implications of blunt force trauma for Commonwealth’s Attorney Dave Chapman. Gormley, who performed Love’s autopsy, also faced questions from Quagliana about Love’s Adderall prescription, as well as possible explanations of cardiac arrhythmia (a potentially fatal heartbeat irregularity) and injuries incurred during CPR procedures.
Chapman asked Gormley whether a rescue squad killed Yeardley Love. Quagliana responded, "We have never suggested that at all."
"From what I saw, she had no heartbeat when [medical personnel] arrived, no heartbeat when they left, and no heartbeat during resuscitation," said Gormley.