The UVA Lacrosse Murder Case Continues On Its Creepy Path To A Grand Jury

The District Court in Charlottesville, Va. has ruled that the now-infamous case that charges University of Virginia men's lacrosse player George Huguely with the murder of his then-girlfriend, women's team member Yeardley Love, has enough evidence to go to a grand jury.

If he is indicted, 23-year-old Huguely will face charges of first-degree murder, assault, robbery and burglary (for stealing her computer). About 20 witnesses testified in a nine-hour hearing in Charlottesville on Monday, and their statements began to outline a tumultuous relationship during the couple's final year at Virginia. Among the accusations: Love had learned of a second relationship that Huguely was carrying on, and was "upset" after finding him talking to two visiting female high school students on campus just days before her death on Sunday, May 3, 2010.

Some of Huguely's former teammates also testified that he had been "drinking heavily" — beginning at a father-son golf outing at a nearby course — on the morning and throughout the day of Love's death.

Following the hearing, defense attorney Rhonda Quagliano delivered a statement and suggested that Love's death was a "tragedy but not an intentional criminal act." There was no mention of the Adderall explanation, which the defense claimed back in December, but Quagliano did give a nod to the "complexity" of the causes of Love's death.

Authorities say the 22-year-old died of trauma to the head after Huguely slammed her head into the wall and left the dorm. The defense attorneys reportedly did not tell him that Love was dead until an hour into his interview, when Charlottesville police detective Lisa Reeves told him, "She's dead, George, and you killed her." Huguely is said to have responded, "There is nothing I did to her last night that could have killed her." His videotaped statement, along with email exchanges with Love, were not made available during the hearing.

Case of U-Va. lacrosse player Love's death advances to grand jury [Washington Post] Grand Jury Gets Murder Case in Lacrosse Slaying [AP]