Opening statements heard in Hernandez trial

January 29, 2015 1:39 pm

By: Samantha Lavien and the AP

Opening statements got underway in the murder trial of former New England Patriots Star Aaron Hernandez Thursday.

A prosecutor told jurors that Hernandez orchestrated the killing of a semiprofessional football player, then orchestrated a cover-up.

Bristol County Assistant District Attorney Patrick Bomberg took jurors through the sequence of events that led to Odin Lloyd’s death.

He played video surveillance that prosecutors say showed Lloyd getting into a car driven by Hernandez shortly before his killing, then video taken at Hernandez’s home shortly after the killing without Lloyd in the car.

He showed them an image taken off Hernandez’s video surveillance system that showed Hernandez standing outside his basement, holding what Bomberg said was a gun.

“He drove for more than 2 hours the only purpose of which was the get the victim into the secluded area and orchestrated and participated in the killing and covered up the killing,” said Bomberg.

Hernandez has pleaded not guilty to killing Lloyd in 2013. Lloyd was dating the sister of Hernandez’s fiancee, Shayanna Jenkins.

A defense lawyer says police and prosecutors targeted his client in the murder case from the beginning.

His lawyer Michael Fee told jurors in his opening statements that Hernandez is an innocent man and did not kill Odin Lloyd in 2013.

Lloyd was dating the sister of Hernandez’s fiancee, Shayanna Jenkins.

He says Hernandez “never had a chance” because authorities locked in on him right away.

Fee says the investigation into Lloyd’s death was “sloppy and unprofessional.”

He says evidence will show that Hernandez did not kill Lloyd and did not ask anyone to do so.

“Aaron Hernandez is an innocent man. the evidence will show that Aaron Hernandez did not murder his friend Odin Lloyd nor did he ask or orchestrate any one else to murder him,” said Fee.

The first two witnesses were called on Thursday. Most notably the teen who found Lloyd’s body. Opening statements did get off to a late start due to a jury problem that was resolved around 11 am. The judge ended up selecting a new juror as a result.

Testimony is set to continue Friday.