UVA Lacrosse Death: The Latest on George Huguely and Yeardley Love

The news has shocked a campus as intrigued the nation as details point more and more toward an act of violence and a murder.

University of Virginia men's lacrosse player George Huguely is in custody in Charlottesville, W. Va., accused of murdering women's lacrosse player Yeardley Love.

Police responded to Love's apartment three blocks away from the UVA campus at 2:15 a.m. Monday where they found Love already dead, her body bloodied after an apparent struggle.

Three hours later, the police trail led to Huguely's apartment, where he was arrested at 6 a.m.

What's the connection between the two students? How did Huguely become the prime suspect? What does this mean for the school and the teams the players represented?

Huguely appeared by videoconference Tuesday at a court hearing, wearing a gray-striped jail uniform. He was silent during discussions between his lawyer and the judge and there was no discussion of bond for him. He has withdrawn from school just three weeks before graduation.

Here's a primer on what we know so far.

What Happened?

When Love's roommate first discovered the 22-year-old, she called 911 fearing that Love was suffering from alcohol poisoning. Her face was head down reportedly in her bed.

When police arrived and turned the body over in Love's bedroom, they quickly saw signs of foul play.

Police questioning of Love's friends and family led them to Huguely, who went to the police station voluntarily for questioning, acco

Charlottesville police chief Tim Longo appeared on "Today" this morning to give early details of the case.

Romantically Involved

The reason police zoned in on Huguely so quickly is that the two have reportedly been dating on and off for the last 12 to 15 months.

ABC News reported that friends told investigators that the couple were at first the All-American athletes, but that the relationship soured and became more yoyo -- on-again, off-again -- toward the fall.

A Break-in and Struggle

Details leaked from the investigation late Tuesday that Huguely has told investigators that a struggle occurred at the apartment, that he kicked in the door to her bedroom, that he did grab her head and hit it repeatedly against the wall.

That led investigators and attorneys to feel confident enough to charge Huguely with first-degree murder.

Documents released today describe " ... the door to Love’s bedroom had been forced open and had a hole in it that appeared to have been made by a fist.”

The arrest affadavit said Love was found with chin scrapes, a large facial bruise, and an eye swollen shut— as she lay in a pool of blood on the pillow.

Attorney Maintains It Was an Accident

Huguely's attorney, Francis McQ. Lawrence, told reporters Tuesday that the incident was an accident and that his client did not mean to kill Love.

"We are confident that Ms. Love's death was not intended, but an accident with a tragic outcome," Lawrence said outside the Albemarle County Court House in Charlottesville. "Grief has descended on this community as we attempt to understand what happened and why."

One bombshell released Tuesday was that Huguely admitted after waiving his Miranda rights that that he “communicated with Love by email” and then “took Love’s computer from the residence and disposed of it." according to the arrest warrant.

His own words are painting a different story.

Who Is George Huguely?

Huguely is a former All-American lacrosse player from Chevy Chase, Maryland.

He graduated from the Landon School in Bethesda.

Teammates were mostly quiet Tuesday, but according to ABC News, friends of Huguely told reporters that the 22-year-old is a popular and gregarious kid.

Another side of his personality became clear as well, as some students said Huguely had a bad temper, that the relationship with Love had gotten volatile lately and that Huguely was a vulgar and obnoxious borderline alcoholic.

A History With the Law and the Duke Lacrosse Case

Huguely has shown a history of abusing alcohol.

Court documents obtained by reporters Tuesday from Rockbridge County, Va. show Huguely was convicted of resisting arrest and public intoxication in 2009 stemming from an incident in November 2008.

The punishment was six months probation and a $100 fine.

Oddly enough, Huguely has a connection to the last big national scandal involving lacrosse.

Several of the players involved in the Duke scandal attended Landon.

“They’ve been scrutinized so hard and no one knows what has happened yet. In this country, you’re supposed to be innocent until proven guilty,” Huguely told the Washington Post in 2006. “I think that’s the way it should be.”

Who is Yeardley Love?

The victim here, the 22-year-old Love, was born in Baltimore in July 1987.

Her uncle Granville Swope was an All-American lacrosse student-athlete at Virginia. Friends say that the game and UVA became a goal very early on in her high school days.

She was a four-year member of the varsity lacrosse and field hockey teams at Notre Dame Prep before heading off to UVA.

Love made a big splash, scoring a goal in her first collegiate game with the Cavaliers.

Realizing a Dream

Love was far from the star of the team, but according to ABC News, recently told the UVA athletics website that playing for the Cavaliers was the realization of a childhood dream.

She was one of the most gentle, compassionate, kind and loving people I have ever known,” said Drew Jordan, a friend of Love.

Mary Bartel, who coached Love at Notre Dame Prep, told FoxNews.com that Love was a “great athlete and a pleasure to coach.”

“Yeardley was fun-loving, happy-go-lucky,” she said. ”There was not a mean cell in her body.”

“She was a beautiful girl,” added Catherine Meredith of Cockeysville, Md., a neighbor of the Love family and a former substitute teacher at the preparatory school where she once attended.

The Athletic Impact

Huguely played in 15 games this season for the top-ranked Cavaliers, registering four goals and three assists.

Love also played in 15 games this season, starting three for the fourth-ranked UVA women.

Will the Cavaliers Play Their Postseason?

Both teams are favorites in the upcoming NCAA tournaments. School officials said late Tuesday that both teams are expected to begin play iMay 15-16.

The coaching staffs met Monday and decided to continue with the remainder of the season, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Both teams are likely to receive first-round home games in the tournament.

“We’re moving slowly and taking small steps,“ men's coach Dom Starsia told reporters Tuesday in what he said would be his only comment on the tragedy.

This is not the first tragedy the men's team has dealt with. Senior Will Barrow committed suicide in November 2008. Teammates still write Barrow's number 23 on their eye black in tribute.

What's Next For Huguely?

While the case appears to be open and shut, the investigation continues.

First degree murder carries a sentencing range of 20 years to life in Virginia, Alexandra, Va. criminal defense attorney Chris Leibig told the New York Daily News.

Leibig told the News the rush to judgment should be avoided.

"Based on the publicly known information, it's far too early to make a judgment about what happened,” he said. “There's nothing that talks about the relationship between [Love and Huguely], where they were earlier in the day, what various activities they were engaged in during the day and night, nothing, really. There's just an absence of anything, really.”

Leibig's comments were made before details were released later Tuesday, but there is still plenty more details to be investigated here.