Prosecution Rests, Defense Begins in Huguely Trial

Editor's note: Starting Thursday, Cockeysville editor Nayana Davis and Bethesda editor Erin Donaghue will be reporting for Patch from Charlottesville, VA.

The defense started its case Wednesday in the trial of George Huguely, the University of Virginia lacrosse player accused in the 2010 killing of Cockeysville resident and ex-girlfriend Yeardley Love.

The prosecution rested shortly after 2 p.m. Wednesday in Charlottesville Circuit Court, after testimony that included Huguely's roommates and neighbors that painted a picture of what happened the day leading to Love's death early on May 3, 2010.

The defense began by asking that all charges except grand larceny (for stealing Love's laptop) be dropped, claiming Huguely had no intent to commit the other crimes. As ABC2 News reports, the judge denied that motion.

The defense then called expert witnesses as part of a strategy to discredit prosecutors' assertions that Love died of blunt force trauma.

WBAL-TV reports the defense's first witness was a Virginia Commonwealth University toxicologist who said that at her time of death, Love's blood-alcohol content could have been as high as .18. A Chicago neuropatholigst testified that damage to Love's brain may not be consistent with blunt force trauma, the television station reports. Instead, Love could have died from blood and oxygen deprivation caused by passing out face down on her pillow in a pool of blood.

The Baltimore Sun reports that, before the prosecution rested, friends and neighbors of Huguely and Love testified Huguely was up early on May 2, 2010, planning to celebrate his lacrosse team's season-ending victory with a round of golf. Roommate Kevin Carroll of Towson said in testimony that Huguely was drinking well before noon.

NBC4 Washington reports that neighbor William Thompson, who joined Huguely on the golf trip, saw Huguely drink several beers before the golf tournament began, and saw him stuff several more in his golf bag. He called Huguely's drinking "out of control."

The defense will resume its case at 9:30 a.m. Thursday.