Episode 2 Yeardley Love
At the University of Virginia, famously founded by Thomas Jefferson, no student had ever killed another. In 2010, that changed. Popular and athletic senior Yeardley Love was found in her bed by her roommate, bloodied and battered. A hole in her bedroom door told police that her killer had been very angry – and one man in Yeardley’s life was known for his violent rages. Her ex-boyfriend, fellow senior George Huguely, was arrested for her murder. Huguely stood trial and was convicted. Yeardley’s mother and sister sued both the school and Huguely, but the suit against UVA was dropped. Yeardley’s family won a large civil verdict against her killer, and as a result of Yeardley’s death, UVA now requires students to report arrests, and the Virginia General Assembly passed a law making it easier for people who are in a relationship to obtain a protection order against their abusive partner.