Deliberations on hold in Love murder trial

Jurors to begin process Wednesday

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Jurors will begin deliberations in the Yeardley Love murder trial on Wednesday, three full days since they heard closing arguments in an unusual and emotional Saturday session.

Charlottesville Circuit Court is closed today for Presidents’ Day and is booked Tuesday for grand jury proceedings.

George Huguely V faces 20 years to life in prison if convicted of first- degree murder or felony murder in the commission of a robbery and as little as one to 10 years if convicted of involuntary manslaughter.

He is accused of breaking into Love’s bedroom in May 2010 and beating her before tossing her in bed and walking off with her computer. She was found dead hours later. The medical examiner ruled she died of blunt force trauma. The onagain, off- again boyfriend and girlfriend both played on highly ranked University of Virginia lacrosse teams.

Huguely pleaded not guilty to six charges: first- degree ( or premeditated) murder, felony murder, robbery of a residence, burglary, entering a house with intent to commit a felony and grand larceny. Judge Edward L. Hogshire instructed the jury it could also consider other charges, including second- degree murder ( five to 40 years) and involuntary manslaughter ( which the defense favors).

“The big problem with the felony murder count for the defendant is jurors don’t have to believe he intended to kill her to find him guilty of that,” said Christopher Leibig, a criminal defense attorney in Virginia who is not involved in this case. “A lot of defense attorneys think felony murder is unfair. If you commit the felony and a death happens as a result, then you’re guilty.”

Leibig said even if the jury didn’t convict on premeditated murder or felony murder, “They could find him guilty of second degree plus robbery and other charges. So he could win the big charge and end up going to prison for a long time.”

The prosecution depicted Huguely as a controlling abuser who went to Love’s apartment that night in a jealous rage. The defense depicted him as a bumbling “boy athlete” incapable of murder.

“Courts have schedules,” Leibig said. “So to have a jury wait over a three- or four- day break is not that unusual. But here it could be bigger than it normally would be because of the press attention.

“The likelihood that jurors could be exposed to press accounts goes up every day they’re home. It is impossible to walk down the street in downtown Charlottesville without seeing the newspaper boxes or hearing people talk about it.”

A jury of 14— seven men and seven women — observed the two- week trial. Two alternates will learn who they are Wednesday, and the other 12 will decide the case. Hogshire offered a chance to begin deliberations Saturday evening. Jurors left court briefly to confer and returned to say they’d rather start fresh Wednesday.