Closing arguments were made on February 18, and jury deliberations began on Tuesday, February 22, following the Monday Presidents' Day holiday. After deliberating for about nine hours, the jury delivered a verdict of guilty of second-degree murder and grand larceny. After a further two hours of deliberation, the jury recommended a 26-year sentence: 25 years for second-degree murder and one year for grand larceny. The jury ruled out the "heat of passion" clause that characterizes voluntary manslaughter. A few of the jurors who spoke to the news media cited the importance of the videotape of Huguely's police interrogation, which was a central part of prosecutor Dave Chapman's case: the jury found that "pretty much every opportunity he had, he lied first. He was not telling the truth on several occasions."
