Update: Former Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez charged with murder

[premium]

Last edited Wed Jun 26, 2013, 03:04 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: NBC News

By Elizabeth Chuck, Staff Writer, NBC News

Former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was formally charged Wednesday afternoon with murder, more than a week after a body was found near his Massachusetts home.

Hernandez was also charged with several counts of unlawful possession of firearms.

Hernandez, 23, was placed in handcuffs and put in a police cruiser just before 9 a.m. on Wednesday by Massachusetts State Police and North Attleborough police. Authorities have searched his home, on the Rhode Island line not far from the Patriots' stadium, several times over the past week.

Hernandez was being arraigned at Attleboro District Court.



Read more: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/06/26/19152123-former-patriots-tight-end-aaron-hernandez-charged-with-murder?lite

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He has now been charged with murder and 5 firearms charges.

I would say that this young man has a tough road ahead of him

[aggiesal]

1. Bad week for . . .

New England area sports teams.

Congratulations Blackhawks!

[VWolf]

3. First rule of being a fan:

Live by the sword: Amazing comeback in game 7 vs Toronto
Die by the sword: Amazing collapse in game 6 vs Chicago

As a Bruins fan, I can only say that it was a relatively clean, hard-fought series between two class organizations.
Hats off to Chicago.

[aggiesal]

21. Being a Blackhawks fan . . .

I appreciate your sentiment.

Most Boston Bruins fans were really nice, cheered for their team, and
were pretty civil around me. Friends that I work with, shared friendly
banter during the series. And we all agreed that this was going to be a
long grinding series, which it turned out to be.

But I have to relay a story, that happened to me at a local Costco before
the series started.
I was walking around Costco with my 15 year old daughter while wearing
my Blackhawks hat, when another customer wearing a Bruins t-shirt
approached me. I knew he was going to talk hockey, but the guy got
in my face.
I couldn't believe it. I kept saying things like "It's going to be a good
series", "It's going to be fun to watch", . . .
But this guy kept yelling at me saying "We shut down Crosby and Malkin,
and we're going to shut down Toews and Kane"
"We have a solid defense and our goalie is the best".
"Bruins are going to win in a sweep" . . .
He wouldn't stop until his wife came by and asked him
"You're going to do that here?"
I just wished him good luck and walked away.
My daughter turned to me said "What a jerk"

I like Boston fans. Their passionate about their teams like we are in
Chicago. And the few friends that I have from the Boston area are
always considerate.

But, I really want to meet this guy again.
Not say anything, just a smile.

[VWolf]

22. Yeah, there are always a few bad apples

I've found that those types are typically the ones whose lives are so meaningless they resort to overaggressive support for their team. It gives them purpose, I suppose.

[Marrah_G]

10. I'm sad about the Bruins, but not about Hernandez

And I am a big Pats fan. No room for that crap in Foxboro!

[VWolf]

23. I'm not really sure what to think about Hernandez yet

Gonna let the legal system run its course first.

[Marrah_G]

25. He is currently also being sued by a mad who says he shot him in the face in ct

He originally told the cops he didn't know who shot him outside a nightclub.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out. I liked him as a player, but had heard not so great things about him off the field.

[Doctor_J]

32. Tying the B's postseason to the Marathon Murderers was really dumb

Seriously, does the fact that they lost in the finals make the bombings worse? Or if they'd won, would that make the bombings not as bad? I don't get these ad hoc causes.

[aggiesal]

41. WOW! Who said anything about the Marathon Bombings? n/t

[Doctor_J]

42. You haven't been paying attention?

everyone in Boston basically, including the players.

[alp227]

2. What? No car chase on I-95?

OJ Simpson is smirking.

[VWolf]

4. Well, he's a Patriot,

not a ..... Bronco

bada bing, bada boom

[edbermac]

16. Ex-Patriot now, they just cut him from the team.

http://www.boston.com/2013/06/26/aaron-hernandez-taken-away-from-his-home-handcuffs-state-police-charges-not-yet-known/wK61wqDS7zOjYdOHIpq80O/story.html

[Jennicut]

27. I-95 is too congested to have car chases on it.

As a CT resident, you are taught at an early age to avoid 95 at all costs.

[Agschmid]

43. At ALL costs!

[Poll_Blind]

5. I am very, very confused by this case or whatever it is. I think the police were, too.

Something the fuck is going on, or at least any reasonable investigator would make that inferrence based on Hernandez's actions.

But did Hernandez commit a crime or the crime?

I think the police were holding off until they could at least get something solid in the way of a criminal complaint and I'm not sure that that was an easy thing. People do weird stuff. People also have shady pasts. But sometimes something that looks suspicious is superficial.

Let's say for the sake of argument, that Hernandez had no part in the crime. We're just talking here, I'm not trying to start an argument with anyone. Let's say, though, he was innocent. But he had something big, really big, to hide. Something he did not want to come out if police investigated him. From what I've read so far, his extremely suspicious behavior could have been an attempt to cover that up.

Now, do I believe that? I have no idea, nor am I asking anyone to.

PB

[monmouth3]

6. I'm thinking that if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, well ....

[Poll_Blind]

8. And I can't say I disagree with that way of looking at things. Cali posted an OP about this a...

...week or so ago, here, and I have my own pet theory about what Hernandez's role might have been, based on his past.

But I have to realize that sometimes, the reality of a situation can be a lot more complex and confusing than it can appear.

PB

[Sienna86]

7. Any idea as to motive?

Guess I need to read more on this case.

[Poll_Blind]

9. My first guess after reading the article is that it was alcohol-related gunplay.

There's this back and forth between HooptieWagon. HW's "roid rage" is also not a bad guess. Tough to say. Not a lot out there except Hernandez's actions after the crime had been committed, like allegedly destroying his home security system and cellphone.

PB

[premium]

14. While not illegal to destroy his own property,

it does raise suspicions about why he did it pending a search warrant.

My question is, if he hasn't been charged as a suspect in the crime, then why was he removed from his house in cuffs?

The body of Odin Lloyd, 27, was found June 17 about one mile away from the tight end's North Attleborough home. The death was ruled a homicide; Hernandez has not been named as a suspect in the case.

Curiouser and curiouser.

[Poll_Blind]

15. I'm not entirely sure how the law works in a situation like this, but AFAIK, as long as...

...someone at the police, and probably DA/whomever, is convinced this dude has something to do with the crime, they can get him into custody. It may be that they have reason to believe that he, himself, didn't commit the crime but that he may know who did or some other aspect of the crime for which he could be culpable.

Just a guess.

PB

[premium]

17. Good point.

They may have taken him in as a material witness, which they are allowed to do.
It would have had to been the DA that ordered him to be taken into custody as a material witness, if that's why he was removed from his home in cuffs.
We should know something in the next couple of days.

[Poll_Blind]

19. There may also be some element of mental health to this. The smashing of the...

...home security system and cellphone, given the nature of data recovery, would lead me to believe that someone who might do something like that, for whatever reason, may not be in a clear state of mind.

PB

[premium]

20. Good points all.t

Also, in my last post, I meant to say that the order to arrest him on a material witness warrant would have to have come from the DA's office because a judge would have to sign the warrant.

[Marrah_G]

26. Maybe

"As if the murder investigation wasn't enough trouble, it was also reported Hernandez is being sued by a Connecticut man who says the player shot him in the face after the two left a Miami strip club in February. The complainant is seeking unspecified damages after suffering devastating injuries from what he claims was caused by being shot by Hernandez. However, NFL.com's Ian Rapoport tweeted that upon filing an official police report at the time of the shooting, the victim told authorities he did not know who had shot him."

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/england-patriots-aaron-hernandez-legal-issues-part-troubling-110400253.html

[Baclava]

45. The victim talked the "wrong guy" in a club in Boston - - evidently that was enough

bazillions in the bank, now lost, but you got that street cred going for ya

good luck with that sucker

[Bully Taw]

11. When keepin' it real goes wrong...n/t

[Arkana]

12. Hope shooting that guy was worth his future.

What a fucking stupid thing to do. He threw away everything.

[premium]

13. He hasn't been charged as a suspect in the case yet,

The body of Odin Lloyd, 27, was found June 17 about one mile away from the tight end's North Attleborough home. The death was ruled a homicide; Hernandez has not been named as a suspect in the case.

So, the question is, why would they take him out of his house in cuffs if he hasn't been charged yet?

[RebelOne]

34. He has now been charged with murder. n/t

[geek tragedy]

18. You know you're having a bad day when

your team releases you before the police do.

[savalez]

29. -->

[MizzM]

24. What a shame

As a Patriots fan for many years, I don't understand how someone as young and talented as Mr. Hernandez - and with the world by the tail - can get himself into this mess. Even if he is found innocent, he's done with the Patriots. He's not the only star athlete to self-destruct, of course. BTW, Aaron Hernandez is Rachel Maddow's favorite Patriot, or should I say "was" her favorite player. She is a resident of MA.

[Jennicut]

28. He grew up the next town over from where I live, in Bristol, CT.

He was a star player for Bristol High School. He grew up watching Tom Brady play. This was his dream and he blew it. Not sure if it's murder but utter stupidity, yes. May have shot someone at a club in CT. It's crazy.

[tofuandbeer]

30. Was he first string (if they still call it that) or was he a backup player?

Bizarre behavior: maybe he was taking steroids.

[premium]

31. I believe he was their starting tight end.

I don't know about steroids, the NFL has a pretty strict testing policy in place now, but, it is a possibility.

[cali]

36. first string, star player

<snip>

Although Hernandez's stats were eclipsed by Gronkowski's, Hernandez still ranked in the top 5 in receptions, yards, and touchdowns among tight ends; according to NBC Sports, Hernandez and Gronkowski are the first pair of tight ends in NFL history to catch 5 touchdown passes in consecutive seasons with the same team. In 2011 they also set NFL records for yardage, receptions, and touchdowns by tight ends on one team, combining for 169 receptions, 2,237 yards, and 24 touchdowns. The previous records for receptions and yards by tight ends on a single team was set in 1984 by the San Diego Chargers, who had four tight ends combine for 163 receptions and 1,927 yards;[19] the 24 touchdowns eclipsed the record of 18 touchdowns caught by Gronkowski, Hernandez, and Alge Crumpler in 2010.

<snip>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Hernandez

Patriots inked a $40 million dollar deal with him just last year with a $12.5 million signing bonus

[tofuandbeer]

38. Wow! ...thanks.

[Baclava]

48. "Patriots inked a $40 million dollar deal with him just last year with a $12.5 million signing bonus

and they'll pay him $2.5M a year for the next two years, regardless of the $7-8M he already pocketed in his latest signing bouns


I bet that all pays for a lotta weed in the joint

[Baclava]

33. yeah - they found a few clues....DOOMED!

The DA reported having video surveillance of AH vehicle in Dorchester, Attleboro and his home with time frame and text messages from victim stating he was with "NFL".


3:23 - Surveillance of Hernandez leaving car with Lloyd.

Between 3:23-3:27 Workers in surrounding buildings report hearing gunshots.

3:27 - Hernandez returns to car alone.

2 minutes later surveillance shows Hernandez coming into his house with a gun in his hand.

Rental car Hernandez was driving returned to dealer. Dealer starts cleaning car and finds shell casing that matches those found next to dead body.



Not even Ray Lewis could get out of this one

[premium]

35. Judging by this,

I'd say, stick a fork in him, he's done.

[Baclava]

37. details released by the prosecutors:

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/blog/eye-on-football/22536196/prosecution-details-what-allegedly-happened-night-odin-lloyd-died


So Hernandez basically threw his entire life and career and multimillion dollar fortune away because the victim talked to the 'wrong' people at a club in Boston.


Hernandez: "Can't trust anyone...."

[Marrah_G]

39. I'm left shaking my head

Such stupid destruction of so many lives for NOTHING!

[premium]

40. I don't understand this young man,

he had it all, a career he loved, financial security, a beautiful home, why would he throw it all away?
Now, if he's convicted, he'll more than likely spend the rest of his life in prison. (shakes head)

[Baclava]

44. these alpha guys think they're bulletproof

bazillions in the bank, now lost, but you got that street cred going for ya

good luck with that sucker

[RILib]

46. or very stupid

hard to tell which. "Star" athletes seem to think the law is meaningless. They're often right - animal abuse, rape, murder with get out of jail free cards.

We may have been naive to believe this, but in my day, professional athletes were supposed to set good examples.

[Baclava]

47. this guy was a "star", but only 23 y/o...of course he was stupid

power and money - above the law - that shit only works in the movies

some people are just gonna think that way, I can't blame the Pats for picking a bad seed