'Devastated': UVA rocked by lacrosse death, arrest

news-lacrossedeathPolice have arrested fourth year UVA lacrosse player George Huguely in the death of fellow student and women's lacrosse player Yeardley Love.

Police have arrested 22-year-old UVA men's lacrosse player George Huguely and charged him with first degree murder in the death of Yeardley Love, a fellow UVA fourth year and a member of the women's lacrosse team. Love was discovered in her apartment at 222 14th Street on May 3 at around 2:15am by one of her two roommates, who called 911.

Speaking at a press conference Monday afternoon, Police Chief Tim Longo says that while emergency responders initially believed they would be dealing with an alcohol overdose, upon arrival they realized the situation was more serious.

There was "obvious" trauma to Love's body, Longo says, and efforts to revive her failed. Longo says he doesn't believe a weapon was involved, and says a cause of death will be determined following an autopsy.

Love and Huguely had been in a relationship, Longo says, however the nature of that relationship and its status as of the fateful night are focal points of the investigation. Longo said he did not believe Huguely has a criminal record and says Love had not sought a restraining order against Huguely–- nor had police been called to the apartment for previous domestic disturbances.

The crime has stunned the university community, which for the past week had been celebrating the men's lacrosse team's ACC Championship victory.

"We're torn apart by the news of Ms. Love's death," says UVA athletic director Craig Littlepage, who joined Longo and UVA's chief operating officer, Leonard Sandridge, at the press event.

"That shock and disappointment and concern is magnified by the fact she could have been murdered by one of our own," added Sandridge, who promised investigators the school's full support  and expressed gratitude that an arrest was made so quickly.

"Uncertainty and not knowing is very difficult," said Sandridge, perhaps thinking of Morgan Harrington, who disappeared after attending a concert at John Paul Jones Arena in October and whose death remains an unsolved crime more than three months after her body was discovered on an Albemarle County farm.

Huguely is being held at the Albemarle Charlottesville Regional Jail.

–story updated at 3:41pm


You go Dude! And Delro, YOU are the one who is way too class conscious. Way too worried about acceptance in fraternities, way too little concerned about honoring and protecting the weak. I like the modern definition of "gentleman", not one from a certain class, but one with certain ideals of character that express nobility.

It's NOT a cover up!

It's CYA at UVA!

The pantera shirt, confirmed to belong to Ms. Harrington, found on 14th Street, is the connection.

Try the B-school for a look at appalling attitudes of entitlement.

What is a "lacrosse death"? Is it a cause, a sympton? Can I catch it? Does Obama know about this pandemic?

That is one entitled looking, smug face in that mug shot.

We get it The Dude. You're the loser who didn't get a bid to any frat. You sat through your years at UVa angered that these athletes, who bust their ass everyday (have you ever played lacrosse? if yes, at a high level? - the video games don't count)were courted by attractive girls, and still not all the rich girls you paint with a broad stroke. Girls like athletes?? NO WAY!! I have a feeling you've harbored this envy for a long time, and now you have your chance to vent. You are a sensationalist, everything you say has to deal with some conspiracy to cover up. How the hell do you know that they all know each others business? Because they're on the same team and some hang out in the same places? I truly believe that if there had been something that the players on this team would have confronted Huguely about it. These guys are passionate about lacrosse, and the #1 team in the nation. Dom Starsia is a world class coach. I feel terrible for him and his family being blamed by people who have NO idea what they are talking about. Before you go ahead and blame the coaches and other players why don't you research a little more about the team and the character that Starsia instills in these guys. To blame the team and the coaches for this is absurd. Some of you people need to get off your soap box and not watch Nancy grace all day. These guys, with the exception of Huguely, are not monsters the media will try to portray them as.

Wow. So sad for yet another death at University of Virginia. My condolences are with the family of the deceased.
That being said, this city is a jungle. No rules and no laws. I hope the police can get to the bottom of this and not mess it up; like they have messed up almost everything since..well..at least 7 years.

Do you even know what Operation Smile is? Healing children's smiles. Making the world a better place. I would guess he wass the UVA chapter's VP at one point.

The Operation Smile Medical Student Association exits as a humanitarian and educational organization in which medical students from the University of Virginia may participate in a reciprocal relationship with Operation Smile International by providing support and additional personnel in both the USA and in other countries. The purpose of this organization is to educate medical students, the community, medical professionals and businesses about Operation Smile. To volunteer with local physicians, Operation Smile Chapter representatives, and the public school system to assist in providing reconstructive surgery to children in the United States and countries. To raise funds and/or donate supplies for stateside patients and Operation Smile medical missions. To provide and educational lecture to all interested medical students, area physicians, and health care providers. Also to ultimately assist medical professionals on Operation Smile missions to other countries by making available an elective to place 4th year medical students in clinical rotation under supervision of medical mission. During this elective 4th year students will serve hospital and clinic in developing areas of the world. Students will be exposed to places where the vast majority of people do not have access to rudimentary care and where disease and malnutrition are prevalent.

re: Never Been to a Game May 3rd, 2010 | 2:22 pm
A few salient observations on this”Š
1) UVa Athletics needs to be quicker in removing athlete bios from the web sites. This little rich brat’s lacrosse bio begins with Ã¢â?¬Å?Can Also Play Attack” and ends with Ã¢â?¬Å?Vice President of Operation Smile.” How’s that for irony!

I would be interested to hear Liz Seccuro's take on this.

I'm a dangerous maniac?

Interesting choice of words. Did you read the affidavit? It describes the result of a true dangerous maniac's rampage. Recommended reading for all who seek to downplay the horrific nature or this crime.

I will repeat what I wrote before. ANYONE, "lacrosse community" member or not, who heard this man express threats against this woman and who did not report it or him to the authorities is complicit in this crime.

If the rumors are true, then those that heard the threats have some real explaining to do. If the rumors are not true, then the "lacrosse community" has nothing to be ashamed of.

Judging from the reaction to the posting of this rumor, I'm guessing that the rumor IS true and some people are lashing out due to a guilty conscious.

But the police are investigating. They'll ask around and search for the truth. Those friends of his that may have heard his threats are perfectly free to lie to the police..... It's only a murder investigation.

Fran Lawrence also co-defended convicted rapist William Beebe so we can fully expect the "sex gone wrong" defense. @ Sabbath: Smith - didn't he beat up a gay student on the Ed School bridge? Memory is foggy.

Lawrence is known as an excellent criminal defense attorney in these parts.

Guess George the V won't be playing in that golf tournament later this month....it's so sad for both of these young people. One lost their life, the other has ruined theirs.....such a shame.

Sabbath Lily, you seem to harbor ill feelings to those with 'class envy.' What is so different at UVa that is not at all the Ivy league institutions you have been around? If you came here many years ago then you should know that the 'hooliganism' is not anything today like it was years ago.

Let's not forget that Lacrosse is also the sport that the departed loved and excelled in. She and her teammates are a part of the Lacrosse community as well.
On the Guilty till Proven Innocent debate - I think that concept applies to depriving someone of their liberty through incarceration, not being shielded from the opprobrium of the community. That being said - it is possible he's innocent.

Old timer

You are entitled to your opinion about my comments and my admittedly amateur poetry. However, my family member was murdered in Charlottesville. That murder remains unsolved. UVA has NOT paid a lot of attention to Morgan's murder. The Harrington's have said that there is someone loose there in Charlottesville who has successfully committed murder, and someone in the community knows about it. Given where Morgan was found, and where her shirt was found, it is not unlikely that a student or students were involved. There is still a murderer loose in Charlottesville. That may not concern you if you dont fit the demographic of being a young beautiful college student. But it is true.
This latest murder is horrible, especially if it could have been prevented. The culture that anything goes, and that women are responsible for whatever happens to them: that they provoke brutality or even death seems to have some special resonance in Charlottesville. Again, if you aren't a young women, this doesnt impact you. That is what I have written about. Incidently, you are right, the syle of my writing could be better. My message is accurate. It is telling that style seems to be your chief concern on the subject of women's abuse in Charlotttesville.

Were the roommates home when the door was kicked in? What the hec, someone surely must of heard something in an apartment complex. Then the roomates call the police to report a possible alcohol OD when Love is lying face down dead in a pool of blood? Bizarre.

A few salient observations on this...
1) UVa Athletics needs to be quicker in removing athlete bios from the web sites. This little rich brat's lacrosse bio begins with "Can Also Play Attack" and ends with "Vice President of Operation Smile." How's that for irony!

2) If the murder of the local volunteer firefighter a few years back on 14th Street is any indicator, this guy will get all lawyered up (he is from the upstanding town of Chevy Chase, MD), blame it on the booze, and walk with a relative slap on the wrist.

3) Re: your comment, "Sad," please amend your presentation to your teenager to say: "If I ever catch you drinking, I will strangle you!"

4) As for you, Amanda Hll, this student did not disappear and die. She was in plain sight. Usually, if this punk is guilty, it is not the first time he got testosteroned-up and abused a female in one way or another.

With regards to the comments about UVA needing to change it's culture:

I graduated from UVA 2 years ago. The subculture that this piece seems to be referring to (i.e. a preppy, predominantly upper class Caucasian culture with the ensuing entitlement, etc)... and it is a subculture at the school, definitely exists. However, it constitutes only a portion of what defines UVA.

About 20% of UVA undergrads are Asian American, another 10% are African American, and in my experience these groups tend to have their own subculture within the school, based more around their own cultural experiences.. and this doesn't even count the Latino / Middle Eastern "cliques" at the school (the lack of socializing between different races is another issue, though generally minority students tend to associate with each other at UVA, and the preppy / fratty scene does have a rather clear dearth of minorities). In addition, among the Caucasian students, I would argue that about half do their best to dissociate themselves from the preppy / fraternity scene... if anything, there's a strong hipster / skateboarding / counterculture element at the school. Just take a stroll down the downtown mall in Charlottesville and you'll see any number of UVA students, with far more similarities with San Francisco hipsters than with the preppy / fratty crowd.

What remains are about 1/3 of the undergrads, predominantly Caucasian and upper class, who continue to abide by the stereotypes assigned to UVA. When you factor in that UVA has about 14,000 undergrads, what remains is almost 5,000 students in the rather insular preppy / fraternity culture, rarely interacting with the rest of the school, who by and large give UVA the reputation for being an elitist institution. When you factor in the 6,000 or so graduate students, almost none of whom are a part of this culture, then less than a quarter of UVA is defined by the elitism described by some comments.

I myself am an Asian American UVA graduate who spent most of my time there hanging out either with more independent-minded students, skateboarding around Grounds and showing up for my friends' indie rock bands when they played at the Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar, or with the "Asian scene". We had our fair share of parties, but our parties were held while being totally divorced from the stereotypical UVA social scene described by some commenters. The idea of UVA as an elitist, frat based institution represents only a small (though very egregious) minority within the University.

Was just in the City Clerk's office and the deputy Clerk's were reading the arrest warrant out loud. It's...brutal, but should clear the university and lax teams of anything untoward. He did admit his involvement immediately and took the police to a couple of places he had tried to ditch evidence. THE REST OF THIS IS PURE RUMOR SO DON'T PUT MUCH FAITH IN IT: Rumors around the lacrosse community are saying that he threatened to strangle her last week (which would explain the 1st degree charge) and that he was a cocaine user (don't know if he was high when this happened).

UVA has noble pursuits and values, but these principles are resting upon a foundation of Jeffersonian double-speak that ultimately excuses all manner of violence and abuse, especially male violence against women. We somehow overlook the unseemly side of Jefferson and his partners in westward colonialism and southern slavery because they were able to articulate higher principles that helped our country to form. This kind of deference to our founding fathers is also what informs us to excuse the actions of our current brothers when they abuse the rights of others, because we somehow hope and believe that they are guided by better angels. Yet in hindsight, looking upon their legacy, we see their monuments to war and violence: In Charlottesville at the eastern entrance to the University we find a monument to General George Rogers Clark, "Conqueror of the Northwest." This monument displays Clark attacking a family of Indians. Further down University Ave. we find a sculpture of the rifle-carrying Lewis and Clark towering above Sacajawea, looking west towards U.Va.. Around the corner from there we find a larger than life bronze of General Robert E. Lee which is placed at the center of Lee Park. These violent male heroes of Virginia remain standing, floating amidst the Cavaliers. I have to wonder what they are teaching in Charlottesville at the University of Virginia about male privilege and its impact upon the rights of others not considered equal to white men by Jefferson and his peers. I hope that male privilege to abuse the rights of others is acknowledged as part and parcel of the legacy of the University of Virginia and that we must somehow withdraw from the untenable moral position that extols violence against others as justified, something a bit difficult to do so long as Virginia takes so much pride in its violent legacy.

Sorry, The Dude, but he's right. You're completely out of line trying to blame other members of the lacrosse team without any evidence.

Also, why don't you look into what is required for law enforcement to issue a subpoena on an IP address before you start throwing around threats. Delro hasn't committed any crime.

With all due respect Jake, my prior statement "It is unlikely that a premeditated crime like this, perpetrated by an individual who has a prior history of bad behavior, would occur without other members of the lacrosse community unaware something was wrong", does not necessarily implicate the entire lacrosse team, but merely points out what I think is an obvious fact -- that some members of the lacrosse community were probably aware this kid was more then just a stereotypical lacrosse punk.

By nature, forums like this are speculative, and I may in fact be wrong on that point. Nonetheless, I stand by that statement and believe that the ongoing investigation into "multiple sources" with regards to information on this kid lends credence to my statement.


In other words: "of course his lacrosse teammates would have come forward if he was making violent threats against this victim because his actions might HURT THE TEAM!!!"

delro, thanks for pointing out EXACTLY where your priorities are. The fact that a woman was lying face down in her own blood after being bludgeoned to death is NO WHERE NEAR as big a tragedy as the potential effect of this "incident" on the #1 TEAM IN THE NATION!!! WAHOOOOWA!!!!

re:"why don’t you research a little more about the team and the character that Starsia instills in these guys."

I'd say the search warrant affidavit from this murder investigation is a pretty significant exhibit in my research into the character of this team.

He was not a member of a fraternity, or any Greek group. Where are you getting the : " How can anyone ignore the fact that most of the perpetrators were over privileged punks." Where does that come from? what perpetrators? I just dont see it. I see one man that did horrible things to a lovely young woman. What groups he belonged to are irrelevant. Would this be any more or less important (and would we condemn his culture) if he were poor? black? asian? adopted? vegetarian? baptist? on the track team? Stop blaming -- the groups didnt cause this, he did.

Thanks Big Dog. I normally hesitate to come on a board - but this hits very close to home in a lot of ways. I'm happy you were at TBTN. I wish George Huguely had been.

Thank you for the kind words. This has been an awful year for my beloved alma mater (I know, people are shocked that I still love it). Big Dog, continue to fight for your daughter. I can see you are a good citizen and parent. So much will come out, so many commenters will cloud the boards, but what we have is a frightened town, 2 dead girls with destroyed families and a whole lot of hurt and pain. The affidavit is horrifying.

Liz -- I have written about this elsewhere, but Charlottesville, which used to be a little like Lexington, is now more like Charlotte or Greensboro. I wish we could go back to the innocent "bubble" days that Mrs. Harrington described and which I enjoyed many years ago. When queried, a spokesperson at UVA told me that Morgan "disappeared" and the university needed to heal. I had to tell her that Morgan did not disappear; she was abducted; and that the entire community, not just UVA, desperately needed healing. If we can figure out how to heal the community, then we have accomplished something.

Yepper, you are a self-righteous (and dangerous) maniac. You should be ashamed of your hypocrisy on this board. Painting the ENTIRE lacrosse team with a broad brush because of a RUMOR?

An anonymous, yet respectable, source has told me that Huguely was, or is, a member of the Deke frat house at UVa. Deke's at UVa are a notorious pack of hard drinking, hard partying, over privileged hooligans, mostly selected from the same circuit of private schools, Landon among them. Other luminaries have included Richard Smith, son of Fed Ex founder Fred Smith, who was booted from the University for breaking another students jaw. I remember reading in the Cavalier Daily about another Deke who knifed another student's face at a Zete kegger a few years back.

The reason I mention this is to illustrate how dysfunctional a subset of these students are. They wrongfully assume they are from the only families that matter, that given their pedigree and social standing they can, and are rightfully entitled, to behave like sociopathic narcissists.

As a former UVa graduate, I feel my characterization is accurate. UVa has a long history of violence going back to the early days when drunken students dueled on the Lawn. People should be asking hard questions about the whole lacrosse culture, the school's these kids come from, and the type of culture UVa promotes through some of the more exclusive frats.

This is just plain sad. And kudos for whoever is dislosing "suspected alcohol overdose." This is the kind of unfortunate news I make sure my teenager sees. Maybe a student will learn from this (unlike the countless UVA students who ignore what really happened at the SERP house)

Rob Buffalo - what are you spitting in your posts? The city is a jungle??? Que??? Do you now where youre going? Do you like the things that life has shown you?

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This is not about UVA , or athletics,or police. This is about domestic abuse which has become epidemic throughout the country in every socioeconomic class and every community . Wherever you work, wherever you live,throughout your entire life, you will unfortunately encounter women who have been victims of physical abuse at the hands of violent men(often in conjection with alcohol) who supposedly "love" (!) a women. It is a personal tragedy for the community at UVa,the victims family, and a deadly serious social problem which needs to addressed. It is a tragedy that this happened and that you all have to endure this immense sadness.

It appears the fourth-year 5th is still going strong.

Wow, this young man has just screwed up his life in a big way. So sorry for the you women family...

Disguested: they are investigating this as a homicide - read the next to last sentence.

This terrible event is revealing the emotions that may lead to another terrible event.

The Harrington family warned that a killer is on the loose and feared that the monster would strike again.

This is heart breaking....and even more heart breaking if tied to the Morgan Harrington case.

The debate is whether to continue with both teams in postseason. Seems continuing would not be the right message for student athletes who some feel receive preferential treatment by our legal system.

It's sad for his family as well. Both families lost a child.

I think it would be a disservice to Ms. Yeardley's memory to cancel either teams' participation in the upcoming NCAA tournament. What has the women's lacrosse team done to have their very successful season end in such a manner? One of their members is dead from a violent act. If her friends feel they are able to compete, it could be therapeutic. They've worked hard all year to earn the right to compete. The decision should be theirs and their coaches.

Rumors are words passed from person to person, often with no basis in fact. If there is nothing to prove that other members of the men's lacrosse team had any involvement in Ms. Yeardley's death, why should their season be cut short because of the alleged, vicious act of a teammate? Guilt by association? If that were true, how many of us would suffer for actions of acquaintances or family members? This might seem like a cheap shot, but should all who knew Cho at VT have been considered suspect because of their association with him.

College communities are made up of human beings. Some are evil and some are very good, just like what we see in every day life. If these young people had not been part of the University community as well as residents of Charlottesville, the story would have been reported and soon forgotten. I don't think any act of violence should be forgotten or swept under the carpet. Being students does not make this event any more tragic than John Smith killing Jane Doe on Locust Avenue, Park Street or Prospect Avenue.

Liz, I was at the TBTN rally and was sorry I did not get a chance to speak with you. Your comments here, as there, are always positive and enlightening.
I too am an alumnus('69) and my 4th year lived on 14th St only a couple houses down from 222(that house has long been torn down for those huge apts).
I have spent the past several days trying to make sense out of something that is senseless. Yes, a lot of it is the frat/alcohol/athlete subculture. Yes, top University administrators have not addressed the issue of violence against women adequately.
But then domestic violence is everywhere in society, all classes, races,geographic locations. Even as I type this there is no doubt a wife or girlfriend or acquaintance being assaulted, battered, or even murdered.
We have TBTN. We have Peter Yarrow saying all those wonderful things he said last week. But yet-now this.First Morgan Harrington, and now Yeardley Love.
In the words of a song by the late Phil Ochs-"too many martyrs, and too many dead, too many lies, too many empty words were said,too many times for too many angry men, oh let it never be again." Ochs wrote these lines in a ballad about the slaying of Medgar Evers, but they resonate beyond that.
It is time for the University to go beyond "empty words" and trying to preserve its image, to unconditionally state that violence against women will not be tolerated, that the vestiges of white heterosexual male privilege that still seem to linger when it was in fact an all white male school, no longer have a place here.
When I was an undergrad then I was involved with groups fighting for co-education and racial integration. It is joyful whenever I visit the Grounds to see the wide diversity of races and ethnicities, to see women as well as men, to know that LGBT people are acknowledged.
I love the University and cherish many memories of my days there , but the past couple days have been heartbreaking.

NOT a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon at UVa.

Read the list of active brothers.


@ Bravo: an amazingly expensive group listed under "high school" for the brothers. Certainly such institutions would rather be referred to as "college preparatory institutions". Unfortunately they also appear to be breeding grounds for entitlement.

"That is one entitled looking, smug face in that mug shot."

Really Lis? I guarantee you that if somebody had shown you that photo a year ago, and didn't tell you anything about his background you would not have thought, Now there's a smug and entitled looking guy." He looks like a guy just sitting there, wearing a sports shirt. I'm not defending this guy, but it's obvious that people see what they want to see after the fact.

* Clarification - I was referring to the shot posted at the top of this article. Lis seems to be referring to the actual mug shot. But either way he doesn't look smug or entitled in either. If anything in the actual mug shot he looks disheveled, possibly drunk. A bit of a difference.

I wonder if this guy's parents did anything besides pay his legal bills. He sounds like a time bomb ready to explode. The AP reported he was a "prankster" who once took a high school coach's car as a "joke". Obviously, this kid had a huge sense of entitlement. Joke or no joke, most people know you do not take other people's things. Also, he was arrested at least 4 times in 4 years. Did anyone around him think he had a problem?

HarryD-I believe a "lacrosse death" label is due to the fact that the lax culture is well known for alcoholic brutes that get away with a lot from prep school to college.

Havok- it was a JOKE! get it? They are no more prone to alcoholic brutes than any other bunch- they couldn't hold a candle to the downunder alcoholic brute rugby boys..............

Now what is a lacrosse death? It wasn't even remotely related to lacrosse. Did Boy George have a drivers license? Perhaps it could be called a car death........

Get real- the kid is a punk- bad to the bone because of bad parenting- "Dad will save me every time- whether it is at our vacation home in Palm Beach, at W&L or at UVa". He's all lawyered up and they are already copping a plea as we write- the punk gave up everything already, so it will be a short "I did it, I didn't mean it, she hit her head, I panicked, I am so sorry, I am on my way to 15 to 20, out in 7, good behavior, maybe 5".

It's over Johnny!

The preppy murder trial is ready to begin.


I'm a little behind..when's the brat's hearing?

Headies you'er a fool

it's time we replaced alcohol with the GanjÃ¢â??Â¢

omg why are there soo many student dying and disappearing in Virginia This has to stop

Charlottesville Police have identified the victim of an apparent homicide early Monday morning at an apartment complex on 14th Street in Charlottesville. The victim has been identified as 22-year-old Yeardley Love.

Love was a fourth year University of Virginia student from Cockeysville, Maryland and is on the University’s women’s lacrosse team.

Police were called to 222 14th Street N.W., Apartment 9 for a possible alcohol overdose around 2:15am Monday morning. Officers arrived and found Love unresponsive in the apartment. Police Officers and Rescue personnel who were called to the scene attempted to revive the victim but were unsuccessful.

Police say preliminary investigation by detectives revealed that Love is the victim of an apparent homicide. She suffered visible physical trauma, however the specific cause of her death is undetermined pending an autopsy.

George Huguely, a 22-year-old fourth year student at the University of Virginia from Chevy Chase, Maryland, has been charged with first degree murder and is in custody at the Charlottesville/Albemarle jail.

Hughely is a player for the University’s men’s lacrosse team.

According to witnesses, Huguely and Love had a past relationship.

Love went to Notre Dame Prep in Maryland. In an interview for a UVa Athletics publication, Love was asked why she enrolled at UVa: "I had wanted to play lacrosse at Virginia since I was little, so coming here was like a dream come true."

Huguely attended the prestigious Landon School in suburban Washington. In the wake of the sexual assault investigation that rocked the Duke University lacrosse team, Huguely was interviewed by the Washington Post.

very sad....and 3 wks before graduation for two kids and their families. have no idea what happened i bet this does not become 1st degree murder.

The error of omission in the last line of "Disguested's" post is that it doesn't point out the Huguely was a high-school student at the time of the Duke alleged incident. He was interviewed because some of his older classmates were at Duke, not because he was there then. This omission casts a dark cloud over the statement.

Let's all remember he's innocent until proven guilty, which is no apology for domestic violence IF that's what happened here. It's just way too early for conclusions.

Our hearts should go out to the families and friends of both these young people.

chouva....I'll bet that it does become first degree murder. Although with his background, I am sure he will be found innocent. He was one who commented on the Duke Lacrosse Rape case a few years back. Ironic

Prayers to the young girls family and friends. What a horrible tragedy.

chouva....I'm intrigued about your info on the lacrosse team. Doesn't one of Howie Long's kids play on the team?

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henry.... especially the ones that shot NINE people in DC last night...

Does it concern those who find it "coincidental" that Morgan Harrington's shirt was found at 15th and Grady, 4 blocks away from 222 14th Street?

wonder why this isn’t a lead story for the hook? It’s shoved to the side of the website.
Ummm, it's the first story under "Breaking Headlines" and rotates in the photo display. That's how the website is set up.

Has anybody noticed the resemblance to Katie Couric?

Anyhow, what a shame, at such an early age no less!

Perhaps the teams wouldn't want to play, but how would letting the teams play send the wrong message? They're obviously not going to let the accused out of jail to play, and the rest of the players (particularly the women's team) are accused of anything right now.

to Ontheroad: Are you serious? You think 40+ student athletes should be penalized for the possible actions of one? Even if the accused player on the men's team is guilty, the rest of his team shouldn't be penalized. Granted, he shouldn't be allowed to participate, but the rest should! As for the women, they probably want to play in Yeardly's memory and Yeardly would definitely want them to finish out their season.

I immediately noticed the resemblance to Katie Couric and I don't even watch TV. What a sad end for a beautiful girl.

'It's not about you' - or us. The respective Lacrosse teams are discussing amongst themselves whether they're emotionally _able_ to play after this horrible tragedy (and not focus grouping what kind of message they're sending.)

Another death at UVA...when are you people going to wake up and demand some changes in policy and some accountability by the Dean of Students office? There is a huge disconnect between what the brochures say and how the University operates. No one kills after one argument -- if this young man has any sort of "history", and was previously reported to the Dean of Students, you can be sure the records have been destroyed.

To the friends of both of these students - be forthright and honest in your discussions with the police. Do not hide evidence to protect either of these persons. And to the University, do not hide behind FERPA. If this young man was reported to you in previous times, disclose this to the police. Both sets of parents deserve to hear the truth, not innuendo, and not be led down a path of lies.

My daughter was raped by a former lacrosse player while she was a 3rd year at UVA. This story, while very tragic, does not surprise me.

This is a tragedy, but for those of you that are reading it as alcohol poisoning, RE-READ the article. It said that her body had obvious trauma, that it was originally called in as an alcohol poisoning.

"Grand Theft Auto: Cville".

At least the UVA cops are not involved. They would have swept it under the rug.

Susan - I just saw your site and I am so shocked and disappointed in the administration as well as the police! As an alum, I love UVa, but it does seem to have a sordid history of selling out students to avoid even a hint of bad publicity. I hope they don't have any culpability in todays tragic events.

His connection to the Harrington case will be determined through DNA. Let's hope this is resolved quickly.

My comment was deleted by the "moderator", strange. I guess my comments about the UVA lacrosse team didn't make the cut, but 'Henry's' racist comment did. Perhaps someone that works for the HOOK is either an ex lacrosse player or frequents the bars the lacrosse players drink underage at and doesn't like me spilling the beans. Kinda phishy if you ask me.

SO sad. Tragic. This will affect so many people. For her, we can only pray for the family. For him, we can only hope that he didn't do it.

Wow -- pretty tough to be pro-UVA with (what?) 2 student murders this year (counting Morgan) and at least another death from alcohol poisoning. Not a great time to be singing "the good ole song," sorry.
Interesting to read Casteen's remarks -- they are softer and warmer, as if the administration learned something from its aloof treatment of Morgan Harrington.

Typical anti-UVA vitriol on the hook. This is a terrible tragedy between two adults. You people are pathetic, instead of speculating about UVA's involvement and getting your "gotcha UVA moment!" how about we mourn the loss of a terrific young woman.

Just watched the 29 news. Apparently what's most important is how this affects the lacrosse teams.

@Wow: Now is the time to mourn. Agreed. Now is also the time to uncover how/why these things happen so they don't keep happening. Have we learned nothing from the past tragedies?

This is a very sad situation . What happen to the good Spider Webb and Ralph Sampson days :( . I can remember running around like a Now I am not saying My Mother was hoping I would get lost but still it seemed so much different . I am getting OLD as I am starting to sound like a broken record and my Grandfather . Statistics say things are getting better , our families should be safer . Why am I not feeling this way ?

P.S. Welcome over the hill ,Wildflower_va how did you get out of Staunton ? I gave up on the SNL , the 1000 character limit was nowhere near my rants and babble and the 30 day bans every other day was getting old . Staunton needs some help also as the Police seem to be targeting kids . This behavior is not setting well with me at all . Even if I don't like the theme of some things its not the POLICE STATE OF STAUNTON TO decide !

You will like the Hook Wildflower and welcome to a much better forum than you are used to . You deserve a break, you have been listening to my mouth for years lol .

Both of these kids lives ruined , many others also and two great educations wasted and the hands of this KID . I just cannot wrap my brain around this .

This is the first Post I have made for some time at the Hook , I guess I will be here until they figure out I snuck in :) .

I been quiet long enough .


Is the rumor a UVA football player was tazed twice today true anyone ?

@Susan: Could you please point to an instance where the University botched a homicide investigation? There is nothing at this point to indicate that the school isn't doing everything it should be doing. Let's save the cynicism for when it's appropriate.


I have read Amended Motion for Judgment in the matter you discuss on your website. The most likely version of the story is something far different based on the facts as alleged by the supposed victim. If the facts, as alleged by the plaintiff, lead to a reasonable conclusion that the allegations are more likely false than accurate, the claim is quite weak. For shame that you insist on slandering someone so long after the fact.

To put it simply, if her story were accurate and not the result of regret, she would have sought immediate medical attention (not just after telling her boyfriend), and her friend would not have oddly and immediately bolted from the car. It makes no sense whatsoever.

I do not know the victim of your slander. I do know from my time as a UVa student that rape was (and probably still is) a serious problem. What I also know is that many accusations are based in regret, and I cannot idly sit by and allow your irrational attacks to go unchallenged.

The med/grad student who disappeared 15 or 20 years ago and who U.Va. police assumed had just left town. The old C-ville Weekly staff, who then moved to the Hook, wrote articles presenting evidence that he was murdered and the investigation generally botched.

Richard Smith came to my mind, too, Duder.

To those of you mentioning the Morgan Harrington connection: I don't get it. This sounds like a domestic violence case, not a grab-and-desert job like with Harrington. The m.o.s aren't remotely similar.

Given the quick arrest and the couples history, it sounds like a relatively cut and dry case (at this point).

I just looked at his mug-shot. It's creepy that this guy doesn't have any scratches or bruises on his face.

if the roommate called to say it was alcohol poisoning, then it may point to both parties being drunk, as the roommate would of made the conclusion based on earlier observations in the day. i drank plenty in college, but wish i had not, and counsel my kids everyday to lay off as best they can; the first two drinks may help the evening; the last 6-8 will just ruin it.

@busman Where is Dick Smith hanging his hat these days?

Here is the Hook's coverage of the botched investigation of student Pat Collins, which Susan references above:

SIDEBAR- 20 years ago: UVA's lost student never found
UVA police once had a possible murder case, but they didn't treat it as one, and it has never been solved.
It started when friends and professors noticed that they had last seen 27-year-old physiology graduate student Pat Collins on Friday, March 21, 1986.

When a UVA police officer began rifling through Collins' backpack-- instead of treating his study room in Jordan Hall as a crime scene-- the case took on particularly tragic aspects, according to Hook contributor Barbara Nordin.
Best known for her Fearless Consumer column, Nordin has written several major stories on the Collins case for Charlottesville publications. One of her 1997 stories took first place for investigative reporting in the Virginia Press Association contest. The story examined some of the mistakes made by the UVA P.D., which had never before dealt with a possible homicide.

For instance, university police failed to interview many of Collins' classmates and any of his Belmont neighbors, failed to send Collins' answering-machine tape to the FBI, failed to test a Kool cigarette butt and other evidence for fingerprints, and somehow lost Collins' calendar (whose current month had been ripped out, but which might have contained impressions of lost text).
For the first five years of its investigation, the UVA police department, citing never-named missing "items," insisted to Collins' grieving family and the world that the studious Eagle Scout was a walk-away.

By 1991, however, UVA Police Chief Michael Sheffield had begun calling the case an "open criminal investigation," and Nordin suspects that Sheffield changed his approach only after Collins' stepfather, a retired California police officer, filed a request under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act to see the police file.

Sheffield responded by citing Section 2.1-342 of the Code of Virginia, which shields open criminal cases from public scrutiny. Now retired, Sheffield has long insisted that the case remains open and that all leads are being pursued. As with his no-comment approach to Nordin's stories, messages left at his home answering machine earlier this week were not returned.

Nordin has a theory about the alleged crime. She believes Collins was probably killed by a scorned lover who could have planted the dead man's personal effects back at Jordan Hall.

"I suspect he was just coming out of the closet and met Mr. Goodbar," says Nordin, noting that Collins had begun frequenting Mem Gym, which was, she says, "a no-holds-barred pick-up site in the men's locker room in the '80s."

When then-Congressman Norman Mineta succeeded in prompting a state investigation of UVA's handling of the case, the San Jose Mercury News faulted the official line supporting UVA's work as "circular reasoning."

No body was ever found.

the last few months of college are a strange time; some kids have a plan, some kids dont. some kids can go home, some kids cant. some kids want to extend college at any cost, some kids cant wait to get out. alot of conflicting emotions in the last few months before graduation that can create alot tension between friends, lovers, families.


Hmmmm, you know more than was in the motion ..... do we know each other?

You are right. It makes no sense. It makes no sense that this man that she had never kissed or dated tackled her unepectedly, struggled with her to get her clothing off, and began forcing himself on her. It makes no sense that he "kept going" even though she cried out for 2 minutes saying "stop, you're hurting me". It makes no sense that the roommate heard noises and did nothing. It makes no sense that the UVA cops waited 10 days to interview him. It makes no sense that he was found guilty by an SAB and allowed to remain on campus. It makes no sense that she went to the UVA Police and the Dean of Students and people handled it as an administrative matter rather than as a crime. It makes no sense that the University refused to assist her with classwork and allow her to take a medical leave of absence. It makes no sense that a smart young woman was traumatized and her life put on hold for years. It makes no sense that she has to continue to read insensitive remarks such as yours.

Want to debate my website? That's another day and another story. My website contains the facts, as ugly as they are.

The point here is that UVA needs a change in administration and policy to resolve why there is so much violence against women, and why we stand by idly as so many of these crimes go unpunished.

@ Susan - what UVa needs is a Congressional inquiry. The State needs to stop funding these atrocities when they violate Title IX and the Clery Act, not to mention human rights. What you describe is beyond the pale - 10 days to even interview the guy?

gee, it's too bad for this kid that he is alleged to have killed a UVA student. If she were just a firefighter from Albemarle County, a city jury would probably decide that it's not worth punishing him all that much. Since her life is clearly more valuable than that, he'll face a harsher punishment.

There is also the connection that alledgedly, Ms Harrington interacted with UVA athletes in a parking lot near JPJ, before disappearing, although not a direct connection, that and the shirt do raise suspicions.

This thread proves how much our criminal justice system has changed. And the change wasn't for the better. Whether it's a poor kid arrested for selling drugs on a corner, or a rich UVA student, they're both GUILTY until proven innocent in 2010.

There's no such thing as innocent until proven guilty in this country any longer. Every participant in this thread has convicted Huguely based simply upon his arrest and the media coverage so far. Everybody has also moved to the sentencing phase and speculating on how much time he will get for the crime.

Just because somebody has been arrested doesn't mean they are guilty of anything.

The suspect does have some marks on his body that are a result of the victim fighting back.... just not visible in the mug shot.

Yepper, don't be daft.

”His alleged actions do not speak for lacrosse players, UVa students, boyfriends, young men, men from DC, or any other group Ã¢â?¬â? they are his own and no one else’s.”

You disagree with that? UVA can be proud of the positive acts of its community and condemn the negative acts and still not OWN those actions. And you ARE aware this kid has not been found guilty yet, right? Get a life.


I am beginning to find your self righteous poetry tiresome beyond it's poor style. I don't think anyone ignored Morgan Harrington even if the local police were not well equipped to deal with the situation. No one is ignoring this particular young woman's death either.

Many of the problems I see at UVA regarding binge drinking and entitelment are spurting up on campuses all over the country. It is reflective of a generation that until now has never had to face a shortage of anything in their lives until this economic crunch. Add to that that as the costs of tuition have exploded and public support has declined, you are left with a student population that is more and more a subset. (And NO it does not suddenly make the population of students 'liberal' contrary to what Beck and Limbaugh want to shriek, it just makes them the more affluent.)

I agree that Casteen has wanted to brush a lot of it under the rug and I am thoroughly disappointed with him for it, but the reality is UVA is hardly unique and we would all do better to take a look at our societal values. I know far too many non UVA people who spoil their children in the same way. They do not require them to go out and get more physical and lower paying jobs to learn something about work for the cell phones and cars and car insurance and shoes. It's just as bad and teaches them dependency.

@Gasbag Self Ordained Expert: Really? Then why did our legislators pass HB1036 during the 2006 session? HB1036 required Campus Police to be better trained. Let's face it, murder is not "just like any other crime". If the crime scene is not properly secured from the start, the entire investigation is thwarted.

NancyDrew, I once found a wallet on 14th St. Should we assume it belonged to a dead person and this dude killed him?

I hope they find Morgan's killer but this guy isn't him.

Do you think the Men's lacrosse team will pass on the tournament? HELL NO!!!
They are in shock and disbelief because he got CAUGHT. Starsia will march on and he will continue to coach. His there mentor and he knows they are a marvalous group of boys.


Yes, and your failure to publicize the matter is evidence of a massive U.Va. coverup involving all of the local media outlets.

re:"Your class envy is ridiculous."

Wow. Now you're making it a class issue? Oh, I get it! The murderer is well-off, I condemn the murder and those that heard the threats and did nothing to prevent the murder, therefore I have "class envy". That's some real smart logic there! Let me guess, you go to UVA? How did I know?

How do you know that I'm not associated with UVA? My comments were directed at the "lacrosse community" that allegedly heard these threats and did nothing but allegedly aid and abet a murder.

Why would you have a problem with this? Do you believe that someone from UVA should NOT have to report threats of violence? Do you believe that there should be some other standard of justice for those that attend UVA and those that do not?

It is well documented that UVA has swept under the rug the violence against women pandemic in UVA's history. It is not 'class envy' that leads me to point this out, but my sense of justice. It is too bad that, for you, love of UVA means compromising when it comes to justice and safety for women.

klockner, well said and thank you.

Boys will be boys! The team will soldier on without it's fallen (I mean ARRESTED).

Heartbreaking news of ruinous tragedy for family, friends, team members, school communities and mystified strangers. I don't know the answer, but kids everywhere need more caring counsel from adults; people they can talk to whenever, wherever, whyever.

@Blanco Nino: Not any of the ones that were around in 2004!

At the arraignment, defense attorney Francis McQ. Lawrence said the death was "an accident" and "not intended" on behalf of his client, Huguely. No word yet on bond. Preliminary hearing set for June 10.

Lawrence added that Huguely will "withdraw from the University."

Just to clarify, the "rumor" I mentioned earlier didn't start going around until after this all took place, so the community bears no responsibility. Now if an individual knew about the threat, felt is was viable, and didn't report it, that's another story.

Klockner: I find it tough to put the blame on Coach Starsia. During the recruiting process a kid like Huguely passes all the tests: intelligent, well-educated, spotless record, and of course, one of the top lacrosse players in the country. The narcissistic psychopath that may have hidden behind that veil is too difficult to see, especially with the formality of recruiting visits, at-home visits, and admissions interviews.

UVA Police receive State training, as well as SWAT, forensics, etc. Some may argue that they are more qualified to deal with homicide investigations than some local agencies.

You dont know there were threats. You dont know that anyone knew anything about this before it happened. Do you have evidence that someone knew about it, or are you adding to the fire. Where is your proof that someone in the lacrosse community was involved in aiding and abetting a murder? That is a serious charge, and one you just made up because you can. You are ranting about rumors. you dont know what your are talking about, but you certainly are angry.

@valoving-- You had me until your class envy comment. That sort of arrogant verbiage is unfortunately typical of a certain percentage of UVA students and their apologists. The prevailing attitude is that if you don't approve of something they're doing, then you must be jealous that they come from moneyed backgrounds. Have you ever heard of a concept called noblesse oblige?

I've spent a great deal of my life in and around ivy league schools, and have to say that when I moved here many years ago I was fairly shocked at the degree of drunken hooliganism I witnessed, especially within the greek system. It was the fact that the drunkeness seemed almost sanctioned by UVA, and was so ingrained in UVA's identity, that was really surprising and disheartening. Also, the neanderthal attitudes I saw displayed towards women, non-white ethnicities, and GLBT students were certainly not indicative of what one would expect from those who were the beneficiaries of a supposedly "enlightened education."

What should a defense attorney say, "heck yes my client is guilty." I could never be a defense attorney. I'm not speaking of this case, I don't know the facts, but I would not be able to defend someone who I thought was guilty. I would probably have very few clients. Mr. Lawrence is doing his job for his client. He might not remain the attorney of record as the case moves forward, but for now, he is providing the accused his right to a defense attorney.

valoving, everyone should be angry. A young woman was murdered.

Why doesn't that anger you?

Sabbath!! Hush now, child!

Any display true class will confuse these victims of "class envy".

He "withdrew" from UVA....LOL...I'd say so since he's in lock up

Fran Lawrence? He also defended that POS Richard Smith, son of FedEx chairman Fred Smith. Now Smith was a real piece of work-- well known within the greek community and among his fellow DKEs as a rageaholic. He was a standout in the DKE house, and that's saying something!

Not saying that Huguely shared that tendency towards anger, merely taking a stroll down memory lane and commenting on the choice of lawyer. Hope Lawrence is not going to pull out the classic preppie defense: Sex Gone Wrong.

Simona:it is possible he’s innocent - I doubt it.

A Hook reporter has seen a court document which alleges that Huguely admits swinging the victim’s neck and shaking it violently and pounding her head against a wall.

Justbeinobjective - Ugh, that's ugly. I didn't say (and don't think) it's likely, just not impossible. Looks like his lawyer's gonna try to convince a dozen or so people as much with this accidental defense which could get him off of the 1st degree charge.

Why do so many people at UVa always make more out of something than there is. This is a terrible event where one man committed a terrible crime against one woman. All of you people bashing the whole school, the lacrosse teams and even trying to make this connect to the Harrington case are ridiculous. UVa just like any school in America has thousands of students and among those thousands you have disturbed individuals. This is a horrible crime! Feel bad for the victim and her family but dont make this into more than that!!!

@Delro-- I don't understand what you're getting at here:
"Sabbath Lily, you seem to harbor ill feelings to those with Ã¢â?¬Ë?class envy.’" No, I said that I think valoving is falsely accusing people of having class envy.

What's different about UVA? I'd say it's probably the degree of lockstep thinking and reluctance to challenge the system and right wrongs. More so than some other schools, UVA students and administration are invested in the mythic and illusory, rather than the real. As many can attest, there has been a long sordid history of sweeping assaults, criminal activity, and hooliganism under the rug. People are not only not encouraged to speak out, they have been actively shunned for daring to do so. Things have definitely been improving as UVA has been dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century, but there's still a long way to go. Hopefully the new president will be a positive change.

Cat--sorry for you loss, but you are speculating on all of that.

@Sabbath Lily: I agree with your last posting. But don't you wonder, where are the Women's Groups? They are the ones who should be speaking out on the topic of violence against women. Having been involved to some degree with these groups, I find they are not at all helpful to promoting awareness nor do they speak out when assaults occur. I can't figure out what their agenda is or why they even exist.

Paul F. is a very silly person.

OK, if you do a little research here are the FACTS you will find, some are very new...
1. Morgan Harrington was at a Concert on to UVA grounds.
2. Seen in Parking lot after she walked away with Boys.
3. Then seen on bridge by UVA.
4. Then newspaper delivery woman said she saw her leaving a UVA dorm room. She can't understand why the police never asked for a description of Boys she was with.
5. Morgan's Pantera shirt, the one she wore to the concert was found near UVA, at off-campus Student housing!
6. Her body is found at a farm...one that has years of connections to guess what....UVA!!! All of this info is out there and can be researched and documented in @ 30 mins.
Were we all led to believe that "some crazy hitchiker picked up this out of town 'drunk girl' and she just disappeared??? Q: Why are the news agency's not connecting the dots?? A: Who owns Charlottesville?, Can u guess??

The list of cover ups goes on and on: Do a little research on Will Barrow. He was the Lacrosse player, from UVA who supposedly committed suicide. Also, did you know @ the frat student that died this year?? Do you know of the UVA student that killed his father this year. The info is out there!

BD 57, Just answer this: How come every time a UVA student sneezes or swears, it's reported....but when a frat student dies only 1 out of the 4 news agencies in town even report it?? I wonder the same thing. Who is controlling the media and the stories that go out??

Yeah, just try and shut me up. Yeah, say I'm silly. Of course, UVA students can do no wrong. Do you even know there is a history of cover-ups at this school? Do you know about the frat student that died here very recently. How much news did you hear on this story???

Their are 4 news agencies in this town. 3 of them did NOT EVEN REPORT the death!!!! The one that did report, had 1 small paragraph for one day, then gone. The student newspaper, it was there for one day and gone.

You can connect every location in this city to UVA. Get real.

Sorry, Paul. I just got back with some popcorn and a refreshment. Please continue with your comedy show.

Paul---IF UVa controls so much then how come everytime a UVa athlete passes gas, the media reports it and is ready to convict them. Sounds to me like the shirt from the Harrington girl was a plant anyway.

Sabbath Lily May 4th, 2010 | 11:15 am
Fran Lawrence? He also defended that POS Richard Smith, son of FedEx chairman Fred Smith. Now Smith was a real piece of workÃ¢â?¬â?? well known within the greek community and among his fellow DKEs as a rageaholic. He was a standout in the DKE house, and that’s saying something!

When will it end? May 4th, 2010 | 11:20 am
@ Sabbath: Smith - didn’t he beat up a gay student on the Ed School bridge? Memory is foggy.


Here's a blow-by-blow account of the Richard Smith assault:


To Valoving, you are a sick individual. People have a right to be angry. It is now well established that this kid was involved in the Greek system one way or another. How can anyone dismiss the past pattern of student violence at UVa. How can anyone ignore the fact that most of the perpetrators were over privileged punks. Why is it "class envy" to seek justice and merely point out the facts. People who have real class have an obligation to do so. I hope the moderator will remove your posting privileges. Go away and take your filthy attitude with you.

Paul F. - are you saying that there might have been foul play in the death of Will Barrow?

Liz -- thanks for speaking up. This is your story in a different guise, Morgan's story, two murders in one terrible year. As the father of a southern, lacrosse playing daughter, I have been chilled to the bone by the transformation of my "community." Charlottesville was a blessed, privileged place when I moved here in 1976. No more.
I heard you speak at the TBTN rally a few weeks ago here. You are a person of great credibility. Please continue to pull no punches.

Also Delro, do not assume that because your posts are "anonymous" that your identity cannot be ascertained through a subpoena on your IP address, especially if you continue to make incendiary and disrespectful comments and/or if you have been running in the same crowd and Mr. Huguely V..

Delro...what position do you play on the lacrosse team?

Yes, yes, and yes "Parent". Two families devastated. Or at least Miss Love's is. I thought it was interesting to see the faces of the mom and step-dad(?)as they left court. Step-dad had a sort of smirk on his face, a creepy half-smile, mom looked emotionless. Perhaps they are just hiding their grief at Yeardley Love's death, but it was truly bizarre. Monsters are not hatched in a vacuum. The ultra-rich too often have a sense of entitlement, and rear up pampered narcissistic sociopaths.

His final hearing will be at Greenville- time yet to be determined.......

Sad. This used to happen almost every year, but has been on the decline lately. The pro-alcohol culture is pretty gross, and this comes from someone that likes a good drink or two.

Why are the police investigating this as a homicide?

If this student is under 21 years old the person who supplied the alcohol could be charged. It's very sad, this poor young lady and her family...wow, sad, sad, sad.

Hey SAD, there has been no cause of death released for the SERP brother who died, so stop spreading rumors that are untrue. Every indication suggests that he had a medical crisis. Shame on you for spreading false information

will not repeat some things i have heard, but this one has a chance to get ugly....uva lacrosse might take a few yrs off if some of this stuff is true

wonder why this isn't a lead story for the hook? It's shoved to the side of the website.

Anyone else think immediately of the Morgan Harrington case?
Some coincidence.... Morgan's shirt was placed on a bush outside of an apt on 14th street a month after she went missing, and now this homicide in the same area? And, Morgan's mother referred to Morgan's bones as being "crushed". Just sayin'..

scary thought "just sayin'".

just sayin,' i had the same suspicion. both girls were found extremely battered as well. very ironic, indeed.

As parents who still can, we need to take things such as this tragedy and hug our children just a little longer. Teach our sons to respect women and our daughters to respect themselves enough to leave a bad situation. This young lady must have been very bright to have been at UVA and set to graduate while also being an athlete. I have never met her but will honor her by hugging my daughter a little longer this evening and telling her how much I love her and talking to my son about how important it is to treat women with respect. My heart goes out to this girl and her family, and I hope this young man is treated fairly and IF found guilty is punished to the fullest.

Couldn't agree with you more Mac The Cheese

just sayin' 2:

You may want to look up the definition of ironic. Your example would not be it. "Coincidental," yes. Ironic, no.

But yes, to answer your question that was the first thing I thought of as well.

14th street is known as a party street..it's not that much of a connection.
Also Big Dog: The Morgan Harrington case barely has anything to do with UVA. Other then being at JPJ, and being in Charlottesville. She didn't live in this town and she went to Virgnia Tech. This isn't an alcohol poisoning case, the police were called in because that's what the team mates expected thats what it was. They then determined it was worse.

This young man is not a member of DKE Fraternity. To ignorantly name any group in connection to this incident, and to back it up with only an anonymous source is inflmmatory, and serves no perpose. Dude, get it right, and seriously, dont use this incident to relieve your anger at the Fraternity system. Same old tired argument. This young man is an individual. His alleged actions do not speak for lacrosse players, UVa students, boyfriends, young men, men from DC, or any other group -- they are his own and no one else's.

Who killed Morgan UVA?

Spring in Cville
Flowers, the lawn
Rugby Road
The corner
Hey remember those bones? That girl?
Well she wasnt from the University anyway
And we need to take care of our own
So, too bad for her
Let’s get on with our lives
That was some night wasnt it?
Kind of a rush
She shouldnt have been out
She was probably drinking
So, she deserved it
She wasnt from the University anyway
And we need to take very good care of our own
Those guys are usually decent
And she probably deserved it
Too bad for her
We take care of our own
Go Wahoo

the trend continues Another girl dead.

I blame Starsia and his coaches. He knew his "boys" were hooligans. But I guess it helped on the field to have that "intensity". What happen to coaches disciplining their players? If you get wind that your players are publicly drunk do something about it!!! They are a reflect of you and your school. This whole thing could have been prevented.

@When will it end?: I had sent numerous requests to Pres Casteen and even met with VP Lampkin to ask for a reinvestigation of the case. Pres Casteen stated in a written note to me that the 10 day wait to interview the alleged rapist was proper protocol. Campus police are not trained to handle felony crimes (rape & murder). Jurisdiction should always be transferred to the local police. Chief Longo state in the press conference that as soon as his cops responded and saw that this was a crime scene, they secured the area. They used proper protocol. Campus police just aren't trained to do that and it's ok to admit it.


WOW. So then the UVA community cannot EVER be PROUD of a student or alum that does something noteworthy and positive?

Clearly the culture at UVA is one that simply ignores the ugly side of the frat system. If a kid drinks him/herself to death, that's THEIR problem. If a student murders someone, they're an individual and in NO WAY a reflection of the school!

If a UVA student goes on to lead a successful life? THEN they are a true reflection of UVA and it's culture....

Got it. Nope, the UVA community isn't in denial AT ALL.....

quote: "Campus police are not trained to handle felony crimes (rape & murder)."

Not true. The University of Virginia cops attend the same academy and receive the same training that all other local cops do.

And murder is just like any other crime, most of them are solved based on confessions and tips from the public.

re:"Rumors around the lacrosse community are saying that he threatened to strangle her last week"

so lacrosse players heard him say that he threatened to strangle her and did what? Sounds like this is a very harsh indictment of the lacrosse community as a whole. If a lacrosse player is threatening violence against ANYONE, it should be reported. Apparently lacrosse players don't take threats of violence seriously?

Anyone that heard him threaten this girl and that did nothing has blood on their hands.

@ Big Dog - here I am. This is terribly tragic and I think that rather than targeting the lacrosse team, Deke (whether or not he was one), UVa Athletics, we should place the blame squarely on the alleged murderer.

That said, UVa engenders (at worst) or does nothing to stop (at best) the culture of violence towards women (and men, too). A beautiful town, a beautiful school, so many beautiful lives wrecked. I am thankful that Chief Longo and not the UVA Police are handling this. The UVA Police are paid by - well, UVA. Given my own experience with the UVA Police and the administration regarding my rape and its subsequent "make it go away" stance by officials, I can only hope that justice will be meted out swiftly and fairly. My heart goes out to the Love family during this horrific time. I cannot imagine what they are suffering.

I also found that the press conference really focused too much on the lax team and whether or not they'd play. Rather insensitive. This is not a lacrosse issue - it's a murder. I also wonder why the University is so silent regarding Ms. Harrington's murder. I've met Dan Harrington and he and Gil deserve a little more compassion from University brass.

@ Big Ern - wow. Not surprised. I have an employee who dated Huguely's first cousin and let's just say it ended in a restraining order earlier this year. Has he - Huguely - been arraigned yet?

I have a great deal of respect for the Hook and Ms. Stuart's ability to uncover the facts. I enjoy so many of the blog commenters on here (Gasbag, I'm looking at you!). As a current Virginia resident whose case is long over, I would ask that we stay on topic and not speculate. It's a sad chapter for my alma mater.

There are a few things that seem very odd to me. Why did the roomate call police and not 911? If it was obvious and visible to the police that there was physical trauma, why did the roomate report possible alcohol poisoning?

Couldn't of said it better myself. And you wonder why the police and medical examiners are urged to say as little as possible....
this town, I tell ya. God help any of you if you ever find yourselves in a postion where your business is all over the media. Prepare to see humanity at it's best!

squawck squawck squawck

Hi Dakota! I am boycotting the SNL. I only read that paper since it has local news. I never knew that they banned you! I thought your posts were carefully worded and not ever as bad as posts that were allowed to stay. SNL removes posts that are the truth and from their most loyal posters. David Fritz and I do not see eye to eye at all. I did miss your posts.

Now on to the "Spider" Webb/Ralph Sampson days. "Spud" Webb played for North Carolina State. Are you thinking of the Ricky Stokes/Ralph Sampson power house duo? I took some awesome pictures of Sampson & Stokes on the floor. Ricky Stokes was my favorite player.

I read The HooK once in a while. The comments section has the usual amount of off-topic comments and Trolls. I probably won't waste my time making comments.

wow, "get a life"! What a witty retort. Thanks for sharing your attempts at stifling a point of view on a public forum. TJ would be proud.

Rumors are that "the lacrosse community" heard threats against this woman by this man. What was done as a result of this? What did "the lacrosse community" do when these violent threats were heard?

Oh wait, I know. The "lacrosse community" is in no way responsible for acting or not acting when violent threats are aired!! The "lacrosse community" is merely a collection of individuals! It has no responsibility to report violent threats.

YAY!!! let's go a kegger and throw up at foxfield!! Too bad about the murdered girl, but I hope this doesn't upset the lacrosse season for the "lacrosse community". That would be a total bummer. I hope it doesn't affect UVA's ranking!! THAT would be a real tragedy.....

yepper: why are you so angry at UVa? You said it was a "rumor." That means it isnt a fact. Why are you condemning a team/community for a rumor?

Do not use this tragedy to spout your UVa hate. Your class envy is ridiculous.

"Sad, but...."

Maybe I was at the SERP house...and know that it was from alcohol. I guess all of you "brothers" would try to figure out who broke the code of silence. UVA students need to grow up and start taking care of themselves and their fellow students instead of trying to hide the truth.

read the affidavit, people. imagine the terror of this young woman's final moments. acknowledge that this man does not deny shaking her while her head hit the wall. this man kicked through her unlocked door. he then disposed of her PC (most likely to hide evidence of their interaction via email).

anyone that knew this man and heard him threaten this woman bears some responsibility for her brutal, bloody and terrifying death.

Paul, if there was a coverup, then how come at least one media agency still reported the death?

Do you know what "cover up" means?

UVA must not be very good in the conspiracy department if it can only get 3 out of 4 news agencies to hide something. Or, more likely, 3 out of 4 news agencies just aren't very good at what they do.

You decide.

Details from an affadavit are now posted. http://bit.ly/cMnMBg

It is unlikely that a premeditated crime like this, perpetrated by an individual who has a prior history of bad behavior, would occur without other members of the lacrosse community unaware something was wrong. This is a very privileged, tight knit community. They know each others business, join the same frats, frequent the same bars, date in the same circles (Theta, Kappa, Tri-Delt,). I wouldn't rule out substance abuse (cocaine) either. Once all of the facts come out, I believe we will be facing a major scandal beyond just the tragic murder. The powers that be (Casteen, wealthy alumnists) will do what they can to downplay this event, but times are a changing and the general public is fed up, almost to the point of forming a lynch mob.

valoving, I agree and you are right to emphasize his personal responsibility. But people are not shaped in a vacuum. First and foremost this is his burden to bear. I don't think reasonable people, however, are willing to overlook some of the underlying social dynamics that shape sociopathic bullies like this. Being honest and critical of certain institutions will only make them stronger and better in the long run.

Delro, not only did I graduate from UVa but was in a frat and had multiple bids.

Look, you can ignore some of the underlying problems all you want. The fact of the matter is that UVa simply does not have a good track record dealing violent episodes like this. I also have a hard time believing that others weren't aware that this kid was a meat headed time bomb.

Your mean spirited post just confirms to all of the other enlightened and reasonable people on this forum that you are part of the problem...

delro, you're bit defensive of the frat/lacrosse culture at UVA, it appears.

That's natural. But trying to project resentment onto the dude because guys like this murderer are "courted by attractive girls" probably is a little bit unseemly when you read the affidavit.

I also think you're speaking exactly to the general point. The culture (which you describe) where monsters like this man are so lauded is warped and not healthy. If the "attractive girls" are seeking out these types of men, those girls need to either grow up or get some help.

The Daily Progress is reporting that the young woman received threats from the perpetrator. The police are apparently investigating "multiple sources".

The public will find out if he made these threats and, if he did, who heard them. When that happens, remember the words you wrote.



Everyone talks about "warning signs"..........an athletic coach is a life coach. The best ones know their charges and can get the point across, and still have "winning" teams. Maybe the punk was "too good a player to fail". Maybe the team and coach wanted the win so badly that it didn't matter how they did it. The other players knew this punk too- they never had the balls to say a thing or keep him in line. Now they all say "we knew something would happen....." a little late to speak up.
