The jury in the Huguely trial is deliberating, they’ve asked one question about a definition of the word “reason” in their instructions and they’ve viewed the interrogation video. Apparently, they are working through lunch as a menu was sent in.

While we wait, here is a timeline of the day of Yeardley Love’s alleged murder.

All agree he was involved, the defense would like us to believe her death was purely accidental. This is the best breakdown of the charges and elements against that I have seen (thanks to NBC29 @nbc29)
George Huguely faces the following charges: 

• First-degree murder  – the jury can pick from a series of charges in regards to the first-degree murder charge:
  • Guilty of first-degree murder – premeditated, intentional killing.
  • Guilty of second-degree murder – murder with malice that is not premeditated.
  • Guilty of voluntary manslaughter – intentional killing in the heat of passion.
  • Guilty of involuntary manslaughter – unlawful and unintentional killing.
  • Not guilty.
• Felony murder in the commission or attempted commission of a robbery
• Robbery
• Burglary – Breaking and entering with intent to commit larceny
• Statutory Burglary – Breaking and entering with intent to commit assault and battery
• Grand larceny 

On the murder charge:

How do you have heat of passion when you’ve sent an email threatening to kill – “I should have killed you.”?

Was there intent?

Was he malicious?

Did he commit robbery?

If they don’t find robbery, than no to felony murder. If they don’t find premeditated murder, than the most they can find is Murder 2…  with malice.

I predict 1st degree, most analyst think either 2nd degree or voluntary manslaughter. We may know today.

Pudding Pie

After a week of trial drama we have closing arguments.

Let’s see the trial was delayed by the defense attorneys flu-like symptons. Described on Twitter in full, graphic, projectile detail.

We had the defendant’s aunt who referred to him as “Georgie” – look there’s Georgie.

Then we had the hired gun… an expert witness who’s planned testimony was severely truncated by the defense emailing their witness the answers before the test. What he did testify to didn’t hold up, in my opinion. He sounded like a hired mouthpiece. And a petulant one, at that.

The jury instructions have been given, closing arguments are underway and soon, maybe even today, we shall know.

I want to hear the details of how the instructions were given, the jury will be deciding whether this was an intentional act, if was 2nd degree murder, if there was grand larceny or petit larceny – goes to felony murder, or if it was manslaughter. If the law was made clear they should convict of first degree murder. The kicked down door provides all the intent they need and nothing the defense put forward offers any other sensible explanation.

Of course the jury could even OJ and go with involuntary manslaughter or even acquit and decide it was all an unfortunate accident and she was too drunk to move off the bloody pillow and asphyxiated herself. (Laughable, really, but this is the defense’s theory.)

Did he intend to attack her? Absolutely. Did he intend for her to die? I don’t know if he put the thought in those terms. I believe he intended to control her, destroy her.

The jury by the way is young. Someone in the trial or the press referred to them as smart looking. But juries are unpredictable and at this stage I always get nervous.

Georgie Porgie Pudding Pie
Kissed the girls and made them cry
When the boys came out to play
Georgie Porgie ran away

Reading the live tweets of the closing I picture this…

Yeardley hears George, she wants him to go away and her door is locked.

Then he kicks the door down and pounces….  everything that happened -however it happened – after the kicking down the door resulted in her death.

He quickly overpowers her, when he leaves she is at the very least unconscious never to recover.

Back at his apartment suddenly the life of the party has nothing to say, he goes to bed and hopes that by morning it will all go away.

The jury will have the case soon, lets see what happens

Follows: @CBS19huguely @NBC29huguely