Earlier today, Aaron Hernandezwas arrested at his Massachusetts home and taken away by two police officers. But the Massachusetts State Police refused to reveal what charges they were filing against the NFL tight end, who was released by the New England Patriots shortly after he was arrested. So we've been anxiously awaiting his arraignment all afternoon to see exactly what he was arrested for today.
Now we know. Hernandez just appeared before a judge at the Attleboro District Courthouse. He was charged with the murder of semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd. What does that mean for Hernandez? Well, it means that he's screwed in for one hell of a legal battle over the course of the coming months. In addition to the murder charge, he was also charged with five gun-related crimes. He pled not guilty to all of the charges.
Stay tuned for more developments in the case as they become available.
UPDATE #1:
In addition to charging Hernandez with murder during the arraignment, the prosecutor in the case also unveiled a ton of info/evidence that he says the state currently has related to the case. Some key info he provided:
- Odin Lloyd was shot in the torso with a semi-automatic weapon.
- Aaron Hernandez has 14 surveillance cameras positioned around his home. All footage from those cameras that was captured around the time of the murder is missing.
- Hernandez was caught on one of his own surveillance cameras holding a gun on the night of Lloyd's murder. He was also caught on a surveillance camera later that evening, after Lloyd's murder, holding the same gun.
- Police can prove Hernandez picked Lloyd up at 2:30 a.m. on the morning of his murder. They can also prove his whereabouts for most of that evening using records from cell phone towers and surveillance cameras at several businesses.
- Just prior to the time of his death, Lloyd made a reference to being with "NFL" in a text message that he sent out.
- A gun shell casing was found inside of a rental car that Hernandez returned after Lloyd's murder. Police were also able to put the car at the crime scene using tire tracks found there.
- Police believe Hernandez killed Lloyd "execution" style and planned the murder.
UPDATE #2:
After the prosecutor in the case spoke, Aaron Hernandez's lawyer spoke as well. He brought up several points on behalf of his client:
- He referred to the state's case against Hernandez as "circumstantial."
- He referenced Hernandez's fiance and young child and said that he feels Hernandez deserves to be released on bail.
- He said it wouldn't be possible for Hernandez to flee from the law due to his celebrity status.
- He asked the judge to force everyone involved in the case (lawyers, police, etc.) to keep quiet about the case against Hernandez.
UPDATE #3:
Hernandez was denied bail.
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