A former University of Virginia lacrosse player who is accused of killing his ex-girlfriend lied about visiting friends hours before her battered body was found and that he had a “blank stare” on his face, a former teammate testified Wednesday as the prosecution rested its case and the defense began.

Ken Clausen and other lacrosse teammates of George Huguely testified at his first-degree murder trial in the May 3, 2010, slaying of Yeardley Love. Friends have testified that the woman’s lacrosse player had a jealously fueled, on-and-off again relationship with Huguely, who is 24.

Love, 22, was found dead in the bedroom of her Charlottesville apartment and had bruises on her body along with a battered right eye and neck. She died from blunt force trauma, an autopsy concluded. Huguely and Love’s apartment buildings stood next to each other.

The defense began its presentation by calling a medical expert who said that he believed Love had been asphyxiated from lying face down in a damp, bloody pillow. The testimony did not state how she came to be in that position.

“That could do it,” Dr. Jan E. Leestma stated of his pillow death theory. During cross-examination of Dr, Leestma, Prosecutor Dave Chapman sharply questioned him and asked how much he was being paid to testify for the defense. He replied $8,000.

Huguely did acknowledge in a police interrogation that he and Love’s final encounter had turned physical, he said he did not believe her injuries were serious. He said that she had a bloody nose.

His attorneys have argued that her death was accidental, possibly the result of drinking and a prescription drug the Love was taking for attention-deficit disorder. A coroner has said those substances were found in her body but not in potentially lethal doses.

Earlier, another defense witness testified that her blood alcohol level was higher than recorded in the autopsy.

Huguely has pleaded not guilty to the murder charge of Love and five other counts. He could be sentenced to life in prison if he’s convicted of first-degree murder.

Most of the prosecution witnesses that testified on Wednesday were former lacrosse players, many of whom knew Love.

The day before Love’s body was found, Huguely had gotten sloppy drunk during an end-of-the season lacrosse father-son golf tournament and dinner, his teammates said, describing Huguely’s very slurred speech and public urination. Later that night, he and some other friends went to Huguely’s apartment to watch TV and for beers.

About 20 minutes before midnight, the friends decided to go to a nearby store to pick up some more beer while Huguely remained behind in the apartment, the teammates said. They came back 15 or 20 minutes later with the beer, and Huguely was not in the apartment but he soon returned.

Clausen said he didn’t notice any injuries on Huguely, who police said he had bruised knuckles the morning they interrogated him about Love’s death.

But Clausen did say of Huguely’s mood after he returned from the beer run, “There was definately no doubt in my mind there was a change in his demeanor.”

Carroll testified, although, that he detected no difference in Huguely’s mood. “I thought he was just really, really drunk,” Carroll said.

Prosecutors have placed Huguely’s visit to Love’s apartment nearby at approximately midnight. Her body was found around two hours later.

********************************************************************

CRWEnewswire is not liable for the contents of this news, as well as not being liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. The Views and Opinions Expressed by the author are his or her opinions only and do not necessarily reflect those of this Web-Site or its agents, affiliates, officers, directors, staff, or contractors. The author at the time of this article did not own any shares or receive any consideration financial or otherwise from any company or person mentioned or referred to in the article.