Ex-UVa. lacrosse player's murder trial starting

Jury selection begins today in a University of Virginia murder case that drew national attention two years ago.

George Huguely is accused of killing his on-again, off-again girlfriend, Yeardley Love. The two were athletes, well-known and well-liked on campus.

For the first time in this case on Monday, Huguely will step foot inside a Charlottesville, Va., courtroom. He's expected to plead not guilty before jury selection begins, kicking off a grueling trial that will detail a relationship gone terribly wrong.

The wounds are still deep 21 months later. The slaying of a classmate with another on trial for murder has left University of Virginia students eager for answers.

Dan Morrison, the University of Virginia student body president, said, "In many ways, people are just bracing themselves as many of these uncomfortable memories are going to be put back on the table again."

On May 3, 2010, Love was found dead in her off-campus apartment, face-down in a pool of blood. The accused killer is her sometime boyfriend, Huguely, who is now 24. Both were seniors on the University's top-ranked lacrosse teams. Their story gripped the campus in sadness and gained national attention.

Anya Havriliak, a third-year student at school said, "It forced us to take a hard look at what this school was doing as far as domestic violence and domestic abuse."

On the day of the murder, Huguely reportedly went into a drunken rampage.

He admitted to police that he "kicked" in Love's "bedroom" "door"... "shook" (her) and her head repeatedly hit the wall."

She died officially from blunt force trauma. But Huguely's attorneys argue he had no intention to kill.

There were also reports of an abusive relationship and of prior Huguely run-ins with the law -- incidents the university knew nothing about until it was too late.

University of Virginia dean of students Allen Groves says that, following the tragedy, the university beefed up its student outreach and security procedures.

Now, a school website prompts all students to disclose any previous arrests.

When asked if the university's new policy may have changed the outcome in this case, Groves said, "Possibly, I can tell you that I would have liked to have had that chance."

Huguely is facing six felony charges, ranging from first-degree murder to burglary. The prosecution is seeking a life sentence.

For more on the case, click on the video in the player below for legal analyst Jack Ford's take on the case. Watch Whit Johnson's piece in the player above on the case.