Former University of Virginia lacrosse player George Huguely V was sentenced to 23 year in prison after being convicted of murdering his former girlfriend, Yeardley Love. Huguely broke into Love’s dorm room, kicking down the bedroom door and arguing with Love about their recent breakup. Huguely, who was intoxicated, shook her and left her bleeding but alive. Her roommate found her dead a few hours later. Huguely’s attorneys admitted that he had a drinking problem which led him to being violent, and his friends were talking about having an intervention in order to help him.
A former University of Virginia student testified that Hugley had choked her in a bar, and didn’t stop until a bouncer came to kick him out. Other students testified to Hugley’s violence, saying he punched a former Tennis player and a Lacrosse teammate who was involved with Love. The judge commented that the altercations were “a foreshadowing of what was coming.” He called the others “a preview of the kind of violence Mr. Huguely is capable of under the influence of alcohol.” Under Virginia law, he will serve at least 85 percent of his sentence.