New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez is being investigated by North Attleborough, Mass. police in conjunction with a murdered body found near his home.
The 23 year-old Hernandez was the fourth-round pick for the Patriots in the 2010 draft, but broke out in the 2011 season, nabbing 79 receptions for 910 yards, scoring seven touchdowns, all the while backing up Patriot star tight end Rob Gronkowski.
Now, Hernandez faces an off-field offensive blitz on two fronts. Mass. police are investigating Hernandez’s possible connection to Odin Lloyd, a 27 year-old linebacker for the semi-pro football team, the Boston Bandits, whose body was found dumped in an industrial park less than a mile from Hernandez’s home. Hernandez is also facing a civil personal-injury suit, filed by Alexander S. Bradley, who alleges that Hernandez shot him in the arm and face after the two left Miami club Tootsie’s Cabaret in February.
Hernandez has been haunted by rumors and hearsay since his college days at the University of Florida. NFL league officials, speaking to WBZ-TV anonymously, said that reports surfaced pre-draft that Hernandez had gang affiliations in his home town of Bristol, Conn. Additionally, he admitted to scouts and several NFL team officials during pre-draft interviews that he smoked marijuana. Collectively, the various unconfirmed rumors and accusations formed a discouraging miasma around him that reportedly hurt Hernandez’s draft stock considerably. According to another unnamed league official, speaking to TMZ, Hernandez was “off the board” entirely for several NFL teams.
Those teams may feel justified in light of Hernandez’s recent legal troubles. More than a dozen state police searched Hernandez’s residence for nearly three hours Tuesday, ultimately leaving with only a single box, and returned to the areas surrounding his residence Wednesday, searching through tall grass and ravines nearby.
Meanwhile, Bradley’s lawsuit now takes on greater significance, enjoying widespread attention from its association with the potential murder charges. Bradley claims that Hernandez drew a handgun on him in a vehicle the two shared, and fired on him at point blank range. The resulting damage, alleges Bradley, severely damaged his arm and face, including the total loss of his right eye, and necessitating reconstructive surgeries. According to Bradley and his suit, he is now “substantially disabled,” requiring medical care for the rest of his life.
Police have tied Hernandez to the scene via a rented 2013 Cheverolet Suburban — rented to Hernandez by Enterprise — and Ted Daniel, of FOX Boston, reports that police are confident that four men left Hernandez’s residence, including Hernandez and Lloyd, and only three returned, a few hours later. Phone records confirm that Lloyd sent a text to a friend referencing Hernandez only hours before his death, as well.
Investigators are still searching for a rented 2013 Chrysler 300 that they say is involved in the murder. They are also asking for the community’s help to locate a silver mirror cover, likely from the same vehicle.
There has been a lot of speculation regarding Lloyd’s connection to Hernandez. Lloyd’s family said in a statement to the Associated Press that Lloyd “had connections” to Hernandez, but declined to elaborate or clarify. Several, unconfirmed reports indicate that Lloyd may have dated the sister of Hernandez’s girlfriend. Some reporting on the story are confident that the murder was drug related — particularly marijuana — but there has been no official confirmation of any of these items from law enforcement.
Hernandez, through his lawyer Michael Fee of Ropes & Gray, has maintained silence, offering no comment on either the pending lawsuit or the murder investigation. According to WBZ-TV in Boston, based on reports from law enforcement, Hernandez has definitely not been eliminated as a suspect, and is reportedly not cooperating with the investigation.
