George Huguely V found guilty in murder of Yeardley Love

A jury late Wednesday found George Huguely V, a former University of Virginia lacrosse player, guilty of second-degree murder in the 2010 death of ex-girlfriend Yeardley Love and recommended that a judge sentence him to 25 years in prison. 

Huguely, 24, showed no emotion as that verdict, and another — that he serve one year in prison for a grand larceny conviction resulting from an allegation that he stole Love's laptop — were read, The Daily Progress reported.

Huguely, of Chevy Chase, Md., stood head down, with members of his defense team, as the sentence recommendation was announced, according to ABC News. 

Circuit Judge Edward Hogshire, who asked Wednesday that there be no outbursts in the courtroom as the sentences were read, will formally sentence Huguely, 24, on April 16.

The Charlottesville, Va. jury deliberated for about nine hours before finding Huguely guilty of killing fourth-year student Love, 22, in a drunken rage May 3, just weeks before she was to graduate from the University of Virginia.

Reuters recounted prosecutors' allegations that Huguely entered Love's apartment while she was sleeping, after kicking in her bedroom door, and slamming her head against the wall.

An expert witnesses said Love, from Cockeysville, Maryland, died about two hours later from blunt force trauma to the head.

Both Huguely and Love were star lacrosse players on the university's nationally ranked teams. 

Huguely originally faced charges first-degree murder, felony murder, robbery, burglary, statutory burglary and grand larceny. 

However four of those charges were dropped, and — as intoxication is a defense against first-degree murder in the commonwealth of Virginia — the murder charge downgraded to second-degree, which constitutes an act committed unintentionally but with malice.

That meant Huguely escaped a life sentence.

"Every year that goes by, I would like to know what she would be doing now," Reuters quoted Sharon Love, the victim's mother, as telling the court Wednesday. "Also, every year that goes by, I'm like afraid that I'm forgetting little pieces about her."