Closing arguments in the Hernandez murder trial

April 7, 2015 7:00 pm

By: Melissa Randall
mrandall@abc6.com
MRandallABC6

The fate of accused murderer Aaron Hernandez is now in the hands of the jury. Both the prosecution and defense gave their closing arguments before the jury of 12 was chosen and charged.

Defense Attorney James Sultan was up first. His arguments were carefully crafted. The jurors paid close attention for all 90 minutes.

“Did he make all the right decisions? No. Did he make all the right choices? No. He was a 23-year-old kid who witnessed something,” Sultan told jurors.

Sultan told jurors that there is no clear motive for why his client, Hernandez, would kill his ‘friend’ Odin Lloyd, who was dating the sister of his fiancée. The 27-year-old was gunned down in the North Attleboro Industrial Park in June of 2013. Sultan attacked investigators so-called sloppy police work in the case and tried to pin the murder on Hernandez’s co-defendants.

“I ask you to focus carefully on what you know about Ernest Wallace and Carlos Ortiz and their use of PCP,” he told jurors.

The prosecution portrayed Hernandez as a pot smoking professional athlete. Someone who was used to getting what he wanted and who thought he was untouchable.

“Walking around with a gun in his hand, like it was a trophy of some sort. Keeping a gun in the house. You know who would? Aaron Hernandez would.”

Assistant District Attorney William McCauley side stepped around the motive instead focusing on Hernandez’s alleged plan to kill Lloyd and the cover up. He reminded jurors of testimony from Hernandez’s fiancée, Shayanna Jenkins, who admitted to getting rid of a box that allegedly contained the missing murder weapon. He also spoke about Jenkins leaving the couple’s North Attleboro home in the middle of the night to pay Ernest Wallace and Carlos Ortiz hundreds of dollars.

“This idea of the perfect murder. The perfect place. Nobody is going to think I did it. Leaving the marijuana cigarette. Left his footprint there didn’t he? Left his tire print there didn’t he?” asked McCauley.

The jury has a lot to consider including nearly two and a half months of testimony from 135 witnesses. Deliberations in Hernandez’s first murder trial are underway.