The Aaron Hernandez murder case will move to its next stage on Friday in superior court in Massachusetts where the former Patriots tight end will be arraigned for the summer of Odin Lloyd and after that, it will get closer to a trial date being set in the case.
Hernandez is scheduled to appear in court on Friday at 2 pm for his arraignment in the shooting murder of Odin Lloyd and the court appearance will be in Superior Court in Fall River. The body of Lloyd was found in June less than a mile from the home of Hernandez and he was arrested the following week after police determined that he may have been involved in the crime. Hernandez was denied bail twice and he was released by the Patriots the day he was arrested despite them giving him a $40 million contract extension.
Hernandez is tied to the murder through shell casings, video evidence, text messages and other evidence and while his lawyers have called it circumstantial, the state feels the case is strong. The murder weapon has not yet been found and that could make things tougher for the state, along with the fact that their witness Carlos Ortiz is a criminal and drug addict. Ortiz and Ernest Wallace are both in custody in connection with the crime and the arraignment on Friday will have a formal reading of the charges against Hernandez, which includes five gun charges and the first degree murder charges. Hernandez can also ask for bail again, but it will likely be denied.
The 27-year-old Lloyd was a semi-pro football player and had been reportedly dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancé and that was the main connection between the two. The 23-year-old has been held in jail since being arrested in solitary and has been in the Bristol County Jail while waiting for trial. Hernandez is also connected to a double murder from Boston last year that is still unsolved and while no charges have been filed in that case, police are still looking into it.
Lloyd's body was found shot five times in an industrial park and Hernandez is accused as the orchestrator of the crime, which lawyers say stemmed from a dispute at a nightclub. Some reports have said that Lloyd's death may have been connected to information he knew about Hernandez's involvement in the double murder from last year, but that has not been confirmed. Hernandez is dealing with other legal issues and now he will be in court on Friday for the arraignment in superior court.
