Dr. Jack Daniel, a pathologist in private practice, said he disagreed with the coroner's finding that Love, 22, died from blunt force trauma to the head. Love had Adderall in her blood stream, Daniel testified, which can cause irregular heartbeats, resulting in diminished oxygen to the brain, The Washington Post reported.
AP / ZUMA Press
George Huguely, left, has been charged with the murder of Yeardley Love, but a defense expert contends that the University of Virginia lacrosse player died from cardiac arrhythmia caused by drugs in her system.
Adderall, often prescribed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, contains amphetamine. Love also had a blood-alcohol level of 0.14 percent. Love's body was found face-down in her bed in May. Police arrested her sometime boyfriend George Huguely, who lived next door, and charged him with murder. He admitted to kicking in her locked door and shaking her as her head banged against a wall, but said she was alive when he left.
He has been held in solitary confinement in a Charlottesville, Va., jail ever since.
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His attorney asked during Wednesday's hearing that Love's medical records be made public, but Judge Robert H. Downer Jr. ruled they will remain sealed until he reviews them and determines whether they are relevant, The Washington Examiner reported.Prosecutor Dave Chapman argued that releasing her records would enable defense lawyers to go on a "fishing expedition." Her mother, Sharon Love, submitted a letter asking the court to deny the defense motion, The Baltimore Sun reported.
Huguely, 22, did not appear in court Wednesday. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for next month. If convicted, he could face life in prison.