Ex-boyfriend George Huguely V guilty in lacrosse slaying

A jury on Wednesday found former University of Virginia lacrosse player George Huguely V guilty of second-degree murder in the 2010 death of his ex-girlfriend.

Huguely, 24, faces five to 40 years in prison for the charge, less than the lifelong sentence he could have received if found guilty of first-degree murder as charged.

The jury deliberated for about nine hours.

Jurors also found Huguely guilty of grand larceny, punishable by one day to 20 years in prison. He was found not guilty of the remaining charges he faced.

Prosecutors say Huguely walked into 22-year-old Yeardley Love's apartment while she was asleep, kicked in her bedroom door and slammed her head against the wall.

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

This undated file photo provided by Media Relations University of Virginia shows Yeardley Love. George Huguely is charged with first-degree murder, robbery, burglary, breaking and entering, grand larceny and murder in the commission of robbery in the death of Yeardley Love during a drunken confrontation in May 2010. Huguely pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and other charges on Monday. Jury selection continues in Huguely's trial continues Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012 in Charlottesville Circuit Court.

Huguely and Love were both seniors and members of the university's nationally ranked men's and women's lacrosse teams at the time.

The trial drew national media attention to the quiet college town of Charlottesville, Virginia.

Defense attoeys argued prosecutors failed to prove Huguely intended to kill Love and suggested instead she suffocated in her bloody pillow.

In his closing argument, defense attoey Francis Lawrence acknowledged Huguely "played a role" in Love's death.

The defense said Huguely had visited Love in an attempt to patch up their relationship and was intoxicated, loud and clumsy the night of her death. Huguely told police he may have shaken Love "a little bit" but said she hit her own head against the wall.

Huguely, of Chevy Chase, Maryland, did not testify during the trial.

This is a 2010 file booking photo provided by the Chrlottesville Police Department of George Huguely. Huguely, a former University of Virginia lacrosse player charged in the death of a women’s lacrosse player is due in court Monday April 11, 2011 for a preliminary hearing.