Attorneys for George Huguely V are asking a judge to sentence the Chevy Chase native and former University of Virginia lacrosse player to 14 years rather than the 26 years set by a jury in the 2010 death of Yeardley Love, his ex-girlfriend.
Their appeal in a sentencing memorandum was filed Wednesday, a day before Huguely, 24, is set to hear his prison term from Charlottesville Circuit Court Judge Edward L. Hogshire.
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Attorneys for Huguely are asking a judge to sentence him to 14 years rather than 26 years.
The Chevy Chase native faces up to 26 years in prison.
The judge has decided that the public will not have access to medical records or any photos showing Love’s body.
The court filing also contains testimonials to Huguely from his mother, grandmother, and more than a dozen others who describe him as loyal, protective and religious, even as some also describe the impact alcohol abuse had on him.
In February, a Charlottesville jury convicted Huguely of second-degree murder in Love’s death during an argument at her off-campus apartment. The jury also found Huguely guilty of stealing Love’s computer as he left.
The panel sentenced Huguely to 25 years on the murder conviction and one year for grand larceny. Hogshire can accept or lower the jury’s sentence but not increase it.
More than one relative calls Huguely “Georgie” in the remarks — a nickname that also arose during his trial.
Huguely’s mother, Marta Murphy of Chevy Chase, says in the sentencing memo that “We love Georgie deeply and will stand by him forever.” She asks the judge to “please have mercy and be lenient” on “my beautiful son.”
Shortly after Huguely’s arrest, his mother had said that Love had become part of the family’s life. She repeats that in the court filing: “I don’t have enough words to express my deep sorrow for the loss of Yeardley’s life.”
Huguely’s parents have been divorced since 1998. The sentencing memo does not mention comments from Huguely’s father, George Huguely IV of Potomac, who was with his son in Charlottesville playing golf and going to dinner in the hours before Huguely went to talk to Love about their tempestuous relationship.
In a taped police interview, Huguely admitted leaving Love bleeding after kicking through her bedroom door following a day of drinking and then shaking her and wrestling with her during an argument over their breakup. Friends and teammates testified that Huguely’s drinking had become so uncontrolled that they had discussed an intervention to get him help after school ended — but his final argument with Love occurred first.
“Despite his immaturity at the time of the offenses and his heavy use of alcohol, his background demonstrates that he is capable of being rehabilitated and integrated into society” and has the “traits and characteristics” to contribute “a great deal to his community,” the sentencing memo states.
Love was found facedown in a bloody pillow by a roommate in the early hours of May 3, 2010, and Huguely was arrested by dawn. She died of blunt-force trauma to her head, a medical examiner ruled.
Love, 22, was from the Baltimore suburb of Cockeysville. Like Huguely, she was a senior at the school and a varsity lacrosse player.
The 14 years cited by the defense would be at the low end of Virginia sentencing guidelines for the convictions, the defense team noted. The sentence would be appropriate because of Huguely’s “negligible criminal record” and the absence of aggravating circumstances attorneys Francis McQ. Lawrence and Rhonda Quagliana wrote.
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