Axl Rose wrote the lyrics as a joke. It was rumored that the song is about his dog, with the story that he loved the pooch but had to have it put to sleep and then buried her in the backyard.
This song played a macabre role in a murder trial when it became evidence in the case against Justin Barber, a Florida man who was accused of killing his wife in 2002. At the trial, a forensic analyst testified that Barber had downloaded the song just hours before the murder (the song was found in the deleted files of Barber's hard drive). The tune was then played for the jury, with the lyrics displayed in the courtroom. Barber was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.
The song was involved in a second murder trial, this one involving Thomas Michael Wilhelm, who allegedly sang along to the tune just before he shot 45-year-old Christine Murray in 2012. Although Murray and Wilhelm had once dated, they were only business partners at the time of the alleged crime. According to Senior Deputy District Attorney Jim Mendelson, 11 minutes before the shooting, Wilhelm sent a text message to a friend saying that he was listening "Used To Love Her." He was charged with first-degree murder and sentenced to 50 years to life.
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