Tag Archives: alcohol

It’s been almost two weeks since Yeardley Love, a 22-year-old UVA student and lacrosse player, was allegedly killed by her ex-boyfriend, George Huguely. (Huguely was charged with first-degree murder in her death.) As the weeks wear on, more details have emerged about Huguely’s alleged violence and partying, including whispers from his lacrosse teammates that Huguely attacked a fellow student last year. Several UVA lacrosse players told The Washington Post, under the condition of anonymity, that in February 2009 Huguely had heard a fellow teammate kissed Love and then, after “a night of partying,” Huguely attacked the teammate while the guy was sleeping. According to the players, UVA’s lacrosse coach Dom Starsia disciplined both Huguely and his teammate. However, both still played in games that week. Keep reading »

More details have emerged about George Huguely, the University of Virginia lacrosse player accused of murdering his ex-girlfriend, Yeardley Love, who also played UVA lacrosse. Apparently the pair had broken up in recent weeks and on Sunday evening, police say Huguely entered Love’s apartment through an unlocked front door and then kicked down her locked bedroom door. Huguely admitted to police that the pair had an argument and he shook Love and slammed her head against the wall. He allegedly grabbed Love’s computer and retreated to his place, leaving his ex-girlfriend with a bruised face and a swollen eye, where she died lying face down on her bed in a pool of blood on her pillow.

Not surprisingly, police are investigating reports that Huguely had been drinking on Sunday when he allegedly killed Love. But I so very much hope that Love’s murder does not get chalked up to “a hard-partying lacrosse lunkhead drank too much and killed his girlfriend.” On the contrary, Huguely’s behavior was textbook: it is a fact acknowledged by advocates for domestic violence victims that a woman is most at risk when she tries to leave an abusive relationship. Keep reading »