Aaron Hernandez is back in court for his arraignment today, the start time of which is expected to be around 2:00 p.m. ET at Fall River Superior Court. The former New England Patriot and Florida Gator standout is accused of murdering Odin Lloyd, 27, for which he was indicted on a first-degree murder charge as well as five gun charges. Just yesterday new evidence emerged linking Hernandez to a 2012 double murder that left two Dorchester residents dead by drive-by shooting.
Lloyd was found shot dead in a suburban industrial park just south of Boston in North Attleboro, MA where Hernandez also resided. The once-NFL tight end has been held without bail since being apprehended.
According to NECN, “Prosecutors say Hernandez planned Lloyd’s killing because he was upset with Lloyd for talking to people Hernandez had problems with at a Boston nightclub” though at this point they are unable to pin Hernandez as the one who pulled the trigger on Lloyd. Ernest Wallace and Carlos Ortiz, associates of Hernandez, accompanied the collegiate All-American during Lloyd’s untimely demise and could offer answers to who put the buried the bullets in Lloyd’s body.
According to court documents, Ortiz told police Wallace said it was Hernandez. Fox 25 News Boston continues to note that, “Wallace was indicted on a charge of accessory to murder after the fact. He earlier pleaded not guilty to the same charge in district court and was ordered held on $500,000 bail. Carlos Ortiz pleaded not guilty to a firearms charge and is being held without bail. He has not been indicted.”
The evidence continues to mount against Hernandez though it’s important to note that the majority of it is circumstantial, perhaps pointing to Hernandez as the gunman but not confirming so. Still, it’s hard to argue with what we know.
A rented vehicle found at the crime scene was registered in Hernandez’s name and he proceeded to destroy as much home-surveillance and cellphone evidence as possible, though a photo courtesy of that same surveillance shows Hernandez holding a firearm that appears to be a .45-caliber Glock which happens to be the same match to the weapon that killed Lloyd. It has yet to be recovered.
Be sure to tune in to BostInno this afternoon as we’ll be live streaming the arraignment if it’s allowed to be aired publicly.
