Eight U-Va. lacrosse players have been charged with alcohol-related offenses during their careers at the school

Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, May 6, 2010

Eight of the 41 players on the roster of the University of Virginia men’s lacrosse team, including accused murderer George Huguely, have been charged with alcohol-related offenses during their careers at the school, according to court records.

The charges include underage alcohol possession, using a fake ID and driving while intoxicated, according to a review of records available online. Two players were found not guilty, while six were convicted or pleaded guilty. A ninth player was charged with underage possession of alcohol, but it is unclear whether he was attending U-Va. at the time. His case was dismissed.

Huguely’s arrest Monday in the death of Yeardley Love, a classmate and fellow lacrosse player, has focused scrutiny on Huguely’s earlier arrest for a drunken, violent confrontation with a police officer, and on his team’s reputation among students for hard partying.

The fatal altercation between Huguely and Love early Monday in her Charlottesville apartment may not have been their first violent encounter. Two months before Love’s death, two current and one former University of North Carolina lacrosse players intervened to separate Huguely from Love at a party on the U-Va. campus in Charlottesville, according to two sources with knowledge of the incident. The UNC players were in Charlottesville visiting with friends. (more…)

Virginia lacrosse player’s death stuns campus community

The last day of classes at the University of Virginia on Tuesday coincided with a series of developments in the murder case that has shocked and saddened this campus since news of it broke Monday.

George Huguely, 22, a member of the Virginia men’s lacrosse team, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Yeardley Love, 22, a member of the women’s lacrosse team.

According to affidavits filed requesting search warrants in the case:

•Huguely, who waived his Miranda rights, told police he shook Love and her head repeatedly hit the wall.

•She was found face down in a pool of blood on her pillow, with her right eye swollen shut and a large bruise on her face.

•Huguely told police he and Love had been in a relationship that had ended and he entered the apartment through an unlocked door before kicking in Love’s bedroom door. He said he took her computer but told police where to find it.

Charlottesville Police chief Timothy J. Longo, according to the Associated Press, said later Tuesday that his department was investigating whether Love received death threats by e-mail.

“This is tragic on many levels,” Longo said earlier in the day. “These are two young students. Every parent can relate. This touches everybody.” (more…)

Police charge Virginia lacrosse player with murder of athlete

At a bond hearing in Charlottesville on Tuesday, a control date was set for June 10 when a date for a preliminary hearing will be set.

Francis Lawrence, the attorney for Huguely read a statement after the bond hearing in which his client appeared on a video screen.

“Because this case involves an active, ongoing investigation, any comment on the specific facts would be inappropriate at this time. Until more information becomes available, it is our hope that no conclusions will be drawn or judgments made about George or his case. However, we are confident that Ms. Love’s death was not intended, but an accident with a tragic outcome. In the meantime, George is withdrawing from the University of Virginia and remains in the custody of authorities. Grief has descended on this community as we attempt to understand what happened and why. Our thoughts and prayers are with those who grieve this terrible loss.”

Charlottesville police responded to a call around 2:15 a.m. Monday, chief Tim Longo said. He said the initial 911 from Love’s roommate indicated Love, 22, had suffered an alcohol overdose, but Longo said detectives noted “obvious physical injuries to her body.” (more…)