NFL Update: Aaron Hernandez Has Been Charged With Murder & 5 Gun-Related Charges

Earlier today Aaron Hernandez was arrested and then shortly after released from the Patriots. A press conference was just held and details were finally released.  He has been charged with murder and five gun-related charges.  He plead not guilty & will be held without bail.  Odin Lloyd’s family was in the courtroom for Aaron Hernandez’s arraignment.  Such a sad story all around.
Story developing…

GameTimeGirl

 

Via TMZ:

In addition to murder, Hernandez has been charged with 1 count of carrying a gun without a license, 2 counts of possession of a large firearm, and 2 counts of firearm possession. He has pled not guilty.

FYI, there is no death penalty in Massachusetts … so that’s not an option in this case.

The DA said Lloyd was shot multiple times in the groin, arm, side, chest and back with a .45 caliber semi automatic weapon before his body was discovered last Monday.

Prosecutors say there was communication between the victim and Hernandez just 10 hours before the victim’s death. They believe they have video showing Lloyd getting into Hernandez’ car around that time. They also say Hernandez had been texting Lloyd.

The DA said keys were found in Lloyd’s pocket to a car that had been rented by Hernandez.

The Friday before Lloyd’s body was found, prosecutors say Hernandez and Lloyd went to a nightclub together.

As for the motive, prosecutors believe Odin had said something recently to Hernandez that destroyed his trust.

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Prosecutors believe they have a CRUCIAL piece of evidence that proves Aaron Hernandez murdered Odin Lloyd … and the proof tastes like cotton candy.

As Aaron stood shackled in a Massachusetts courtroom moments ago, prosecutors spelled out their case against the former New England Patriots player.

During the hearing, prosecutors say they can prove Hernandez stopped at a gas station hours before the murder and purchased gas, cigarettes and BLUE COTTON CANDY FLAVORED BUBBLICIOUS BUBBLE GUM.

After Odin was murdered, investigators say they found a shell casing that matched the caliber of the bullet used to kill the 27-year-old … and next to the casing — A CHEWED PIECE OF BLUE COTTON CANDY FLAVORED BUBBLICIOUS BUBBLE GUM.

Officials believe the gum places Hernandez at the scene of the crime — and proves he killed Odin.

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DETAILS via ESPN:

Aaron Hernandez has been charged with murdering his friend after the two had a dispute during a trip to a nightclub.

Hernandez was arrested Wednesday and charged with the first-degree murder of 27-year-old Odin Lloyd, a semi-pro football player whose body was found in an industrial park about a mile from the former New England Patriots tight end’s home.

Hernandez, released by the Patriots less than two hours after his arrest, pleaded not guilty and has been ordered to be held without bail. Hernandez also faces five gun-related charges, which were revealed Wednesday afternoon in Attleboro District Court.

Lloyd’s relatives said he was dating the sister of Hernandez’s fiancee, that the two men were friends and that the men were out together on the last night of Lloyd’s life. He was shot multiple times in the back and chest, authorities said.

In court, prosecutors described a killing borne out of a trip to a Boston nightclub on the night of June 14.

Hernandez and two friends picked up Lloyd at home at 2:30 a.m. on June 17, prosecutors said. Surveillance footage from Hernandez’s home shows him leaving earlier with a gun. He also told someone in the house that he was upset and couldn’t trust anyone anymore, prosecutors said.

After picking up Lloyd, Hernandez said he was upset with Lloyd because Lloyd had spoken with people Hernandez had trouble with during their outing to the nightclub, prosecutors said.

After that conversation, Lloyd texted his sister, “Did you see who I am with,” prosecutors said. When his sister asked who, he answered at 3:22 a.m., “NFL,” then, a minute later, “Just so you know,” prosecutors said.

Between 3:23 a.m. and 3:27 a.m., people working the overnight shift at the industrial park reported hearing gunshots, authorities said.

It’s not clear who investigators believe fired the shots.

Hernandez’s attorney, Michael Fee, asked for bail, saying Hernandez is not a flight risk, is a homeowner and lives with his fiancee and an 8-month-old baby. He also said Hernandez never had been accused of a violent crime.

“It is at bottom, a circumstantial case. It is not a strong case,” Fee said.

Hernandez was wearing a white V-neck T-shirt, with his arms inside the shirt and behind his back as he was led from his sprawling North Attleborough home at approximately 8:45 a.m. Wednesday. He casually spit into some bushes on his way to a police cruiser.

At about 10:20 a.m. Wednesday morning, the Patriots announced they had released Hernandez and expressed sympathy to Lloyd’s family and friends.

“Words cannot express the disappointment we feel knowing that one of our players was arrested as a result of this investigation,” the Patriots said in a statement. “We realize that law enforcement investigations into this matter are ongoing. We support their efforts and respect the process. At this time, we believe this transaction is simply the right thing to do.”

The NFL also released a statement Wednesday, saying that Hernandez’s arrest is “deeply troubling.”

“The involvement of an NFL player in a case of this nature is deeply troubling,” the league’s statement said. “The Patriots have released Aaron Hernandez, who will have his day in court. At the same time, we should not forget the young man who was the victim in this case and take this opportunity to extend our deepest sympathy to Odin Lloyd’s family and friends.”

The Patriots drafted Hernandez, who is originally from Bristol, Conn., out of the University of Florida in 2010. Last summer, the team gave him a five-year contract worth $40 million.

Hernandez is one of 28 NFL players arrested since this year’s Super Bowl on Feb. 3, according to a database kept by U-T San Diego.