Following up on our previous article, “Surveillance Becomes Key Evidence in the Aaron Hernandez Trial,” former NFL tight end Aaron Hernandez was found guilty by a state court in Massachusetts on Wednesday of first degree murder in the killing of Odin Lloyd. In addition to the murder charge, Hernandez was found guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition. He has been sentenced to life in prison without parole. The jury deliberated for about a week before reaching the verdict.
According to the Associated Press, prosecutors suggested Lloyd may have been killed because he knew too much about Hernandez’s alleged involvement in a deadly 2012 drive-by shooting in Boston. They were not allowed to share this with the jury because the judge said it was speculation.
Some of the evidence that convicted Hernandez was text messages and video surveillance that showed Hernandez and two others, Ernest Wallace and Carlos Ortiz, picking up Lloyd the night of the shooting and taking him to an industrial park near Gillette Stadium. Other evidence presented includes video of Hernandez carrying a Magnum ballistics gun around his home, disabling his home security system and Hernandez’s DNA found on a shell casing linked to Lloyd’s death.
Hernandez’s lawyer acknowledged that Hernandez was at the scene of the shooting. The defense maintains, however, that Wallace and Ortiz were responsible for the shooting. Wallace and Ortiz are facing separate trials for first degree murder. Hernandez’s attorney says that the conviction will be appealed.
Hernandez still faces additional consequences with two first degree murder charges in Suffolk County, Massachusetts. He is accused of killing two men in 2012 after one of them bumped into him at a night club in Boston. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges. A date for trial has not been set. It is a long fall for the talented 25-year-old who had signed a $40 million contract extension with the NFL to now facing a life behind bars.
If you have questions about the content of this article, or any personal injury legal concerns, contact TJ Grimaldi at McIntyre Thanasides Bringgold Elliott Grimaldi & Guito, P.A.
TJ Grimaldi joined McIntyre in 2011. McIntyre recruited TJ to create the divisions of personal injury and family law, as well as to expand the existing criminal defense practice at the firm. During TJ’s tenure at McIntyre, he has helped oversee and grow these practice areas. He continues to practice in these divisions while also expanding his own practice areas to include estate planning and immigration law. TJ is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Florida and the United States District Court for the Middle and Southern Districts of Florida.
