Aaron Hernandez will be charged in connection with the shooting death of Odin Lloyd, according to several media reports.
An arrest warrant has been issued for Hernandez, a former Florida Gator and current member of the New England Patriots, on a charge of obstruction of justice, according to Reuters and Boston radio station WBZ.
WBZ reported that Massachusetts State Police "will be responsible for arresting Hernandez, but it is not yet clear when and where Hernandez was going to be arrested."
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Reuters reports that Hernandez is suspected of interfering with a murder investigation, a law enforcement official familiar with the case said on Friday.
Michael Fee, an attorney for Hernandez, did not return a telephone message seeking comment.
Hernandez is at the center of an investigation into the shooting death of 27-year-old Lloyd, a semiprofessional football player for the Boston Bandits.
Lloyd reportedly left a club with two men, including Hernandez, late Sunday night or early Monday morning, but only two men returned to Hernandez's home in North Attleborough, Mass.Reports indicate a jogger found Lloyd's dead body at 5:30 p.m. Monday in an industrial park one mile from the Patriots player's home and that a vehicle rented in Hernandez's name was nearby. According to reports by SI.com, Lloyd died between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. Monday.Hernandez has been under scrutiny ever since.On Thursday night, Boston's Fox 25 News reported that neighbors heard shots fired between 3 a.m. and 3:30 a.m. Monday and that there was video surveillance footage showing Hernandez and two other men wearing hooded sweatshirts entering Hernandez's home moments later. An hour before that, Hernandez was seen at Lloyd's home.The television station also reported that a hard drive to Hernandez's home security system was heavily damaged and a cell phone destroyed.Police visited his home on Tuesday and Wednesday, then returned with a warrant Thursday and reportedly had serious questions regarding why the home security system and cell phone they took from Hernandez were destroyed and why a team of house cleaners was hired Monday to clean the football player's mansion.Fox 25, citing an anonymous source, reported Wednesday night that forensic evidence linked a vehicle driven by Hernandez to the crime scene. The TV station also reported that Hernandez was with Lloyd at a Boston bar on the night of Lloyd's death.
Hernandez reportedly hasn't been cooperating with investigators in the case and has hired a lawyer. He was seen leaving the home with a woman earlier Wednesday in a white Audi SUV. He didn't stop to offer a comment to reporters. The Patriots released a statement offering no comment.
Police searched Hernandez's home for several hours on Tuesday night and left with a large box. They also returned on Wednesday. Two men leaving the home Tuesday were stopped in the driveway and questioned by police. Officers also searched the industrial park area where the body was found for evidence.
According to NFL.com, Hernandez visited Gillette Stadium on Thursday, although coaches and players were on vacation and owner Robert Kraft and other team executives were also not there. Reportedly, the only players there were a few rookies.
Lloyd was a linebacker for the semi-pro Boston Bandits. There were indications that he was shot and the body dumped in the industrial park. Lloyd had practiced with the team on Saturday.There was an additional report from WBZ-TV that Lloyd was dating the sister of Shayanna Jenkins, Hernandez's girlfriend and mother of his child, at the time of Lloyd's death."(Lloyd) was in fine spirits, he played well, he was mentoring another player who is aspiring to get into college," Bandits coach Olivier Bustin told WBZ NewsRadio 1030 in Boston. "He was thanked for his assistance and giving pointers during the scrimmage. He had a very good scrimmage, he was a very well-liked and personable player. Obviously, this is devastating news for us as an organization."
SI.com uncovered two incidents in which Hernandez was associated with guns and police. SI.com obtained a Providence police report that detailed an incident in which police found a gun disposed under a car after a Jets fan confronted Hernandez at 2:26 a.m. on May 18, though there was no evidence that the gun belonged to Hernandez.In 2007, Hernandez was interviewed by Gainesville police about a shooting that occurred after Florida's 20-17 loss to Auburn. Hernandez wasn't considered a suspect. His mother confirmed to the Orlando Sentinel that her son and a friend from Connecticut were in a nightclub near where the shooting took place.On Tuesday, the story of a lawsuit in Florida emerged. in which Alexander S. Bradley alleged that Hernandez pointed a gun at him and it discharged while they riding in a vehicle, striking Bradley in the face and resulting in the loss of his right eye and other facial injuries that required surgery.
According to the suit, the two men had argued outside a strip club.Bradley is seeking $100,000 in damages. The suit was filed earlier this month and withdrawn four days later, but USA Today reported that there was a paperwork error and it would be re-filed Wednesday."We don't know whether it was accidental or deliberate," Bradley's attorney, David Jaroslawicz, told USA Today when asked about the gun allegedly discharging. "If we get to take Mr. Hernandez's testimony, perhaps he will tell us he accidentally pulled the trigger or maybe he did it on purpose."
Wire services were used in this report
Roger Simmons is the executive sports editor for the Orlando Sentinel. You can reach him via email at
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Its all over yahoo...
Dude is done
[ Edited by dugo on Jun 21, 2013 at 6:07 PM ]
