Charlottesville Breaking News

"This is the kind of injury you get when you've been launched or projected. She's landed on her head."

So testified a forensic pathologist hired by the defense in Eric Abshire's first degree murder trial to offer an alternate theory in the injuries sustained by 27-year-old kindergarten teacher and 1997 Western Albemarle High School grad Justine Swartz Abshire on the  night she died in what initially was reported to be a hit-and-run.

"My opinion is that she was standing at the time she was struck by a vehicle," said that pathologist, Dr. Jonathan L. Arden, a former New York City medical examiner who's been a paid legal consultant since 2003. Arden pointed to the fracture in Justine's femur as evidence of the vehicle involvement in her November 2006 death, and claimed none of her injuries appeared consistent with being run over while already prone.

Instead, he testified, her 113 external injuries and numerous additional internal injuries were likely sustained nearly simultaneously as a car struck her in the pelvis and leg region and sent her hurtling through the air. The broken bones and lacerated organs weren't the cause of her death, he asserted. While he agreed with the prosecution's assertion that a neck injury contributed to her death, he disagreed with the state's assessment of how she might have sustained it.

"I don't believe strangulation played any role in her death," said Arden. "The mechanism of her death is the ce...

Former mayor Blake Caravati appeared in Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court October 21 to face an assault and battery charge on a family member.

Greene Commonwealth's Attorney Ron Morris was brought in as special prosecutor for the brief hearing. Caravati and his wife, Paula, both clad in dark suits, stood before Judge Dwight Johnson, who agreed to a deferred disposition of nine months of counseling and a condition of good behavior because it was the first time Caravati had been charged with domestic assault. After that, the charge may be dismissed.

Morris told the judge that the defense stipulated there was enough evidence to find Caravati guilty. He said Caravati had been attending counseling since September and was addressing personal and anger-management issues.

The prosecutor recommended that Caravati continue with the counseling, including battery intervention counseling, and said he'd discussed it with Mrs. Caravati. "She doesn't want to testify," said Morris.

The action stems from September 9, when Paula Caravati called police to say that as she and her husband had an argument he'd grabbed her arm. The officer who responded to their Little High Street home observed a bruise on her arm, Morris told Judge Johnson.

Blake Caravati told the officer they'd had an argument and pushed each other, said Morris.

Caravati, who was mayor...