Documents detail a violent demise

The University of Virginia men’s lacrosse player charged with killing a women’s lacrosse player admitted to police that he kicked through her door, shook her as her head bounced against a wall and then got rid of her computer, according to court documents.

George Huguely, 22 and a fourth-year anthropology major, is facing a first-degree murder charge in the death of Yeardley Love, also 22 and a fourth-year, who was found dead in her 14th Street Northwest apartment Monday. His attorneys said Tuesday that the death was an accident.

“The witnesses at the scene … described finding [Yeardley] Love face down on her pillow in her bedroom. There was a pool of blood on her pillow,” according to the affidavits.

She had a large bruise on the right side of her face, a right eye that was swollen shut and bruises and scrapes on her chin, according to the documents.

The door to the room had been forced open, and there was a hole in it, according to affidavits.

First responders had initially responded to a call for possible alcohol poisoning. When they got there, they tried life-saving procedures without success, according to affidavits.

Huguely met with investigators at the police department voluntarily, according to Charlottesville Police Chief Timothy J. Longo.

While talking with police, Huguely said he had been in a relationship with Love, which had ended, according to the documents. He also said the apartment’s front door was unlocked, and that he kicked through her bedroom door, according to affidavits. His right leg had injuries that bore out his statement, according to the court documents.

Huguely said he had an altercation with Love “and that during the course of the altercation he shook Love and her head repeatedly hit the wall,” according to the affidavits.

Detective Lisa Reeves also saw bruising on both of Huguely’s hands and an arm, injuries he put down to lacrosse, according to an affidavit.

He told police that he that he had sent Love e-mail and that he then took her computer from her apartment and got rid of it, according to an affidavit. He also told police where to find it, according to the document.

Police have asked for warrants to search Huguely’s and Love’s apartments and to take a variety of biological samples from and conduct a medical examination of Huguely, including X-rays of both hands.

In the meantime, the investigation is focusing on the relationship Huguely and Love had, Longo said. He said investigators are playing some details close to the vest, because it’s important that witnesses tell officials what they know, not what they’ve heard or read. He said officers want to know what could have changed in the relationship in recent days.

Investigators already have a “pretty good” understanding of the relationship but are looking to add and corroborate details, he said.

Officers have spoken with dozens of people, Lt. Gary Pleasants said.

Among the possibilities police are examining, Longo said, are reports that the victim might have received threats before her death.

“Part of what we’ll be gathering in our discussions with friends and family is the extent to which that took place and the context in which that took place,” he said.

He added, “It’s trying to corroborate them through as many sources as we can.”