Aaron Hernandez May Face Charges for a Double Murder in 2012
Prosecutors are trying to convince a grand jury to charge former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez with the unsolved shooting deaths of two men that took place outside of a Boston nightclub in 2012, according to the Boston Globe.
.Update, 2:28 p.m. The prosecution successfully argued for a continuance in the case today while they build a case to a grand jury against Aaron Hernandez. Patriots coach Bill Belichick spoke for the first time since the tight ends's arrest and said he is "personally disappointed and hurt" by Hernandez's actions. His next court appearance will be August 22.
Original: Prosecutors are trying to convince a grand jury to charge former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez with the unsolved shooting deaths of two men that took place outside of a Boston nightclub in 2012, according to the Boston Globe.
According to reports from the Globe and the local Fox affiliate last month, Daniel Abreu and Safiro Furtado were killed on July 16, 2012 after a fight broke out at the Cure nightclub in Boston's theater district between two groups of people. In one corner was Abreu and Furtado, and in the other was Hernandez and his crew. Abreu and Furtado, two old friends who grew up together in Cape Verde, left the club in a BMW with three others. A few blocks away, an SUV with Rhode Island plates pulled up and opened fire on the BMW and killed Abreu and Furtado. It should also be noted that, if proved true, Hernandez will have played a full season of football (barring injuries and such) after killing two people.
"The case against Hernandez appears to be strengthening," an anonymous source told the Boston Globe this morning. An investigation into court documents by the Boston Herald revealed the SUV with Rhode Island plates was recovered at Aaron Hernandez's uncle's home while police were gathering evidence related to the murder of Odin Lloyd, the person Hernandez is accused of killing in an industrial park not far from his North Attleborough home. A source speculated to the Globe last month that Lloyd may have had information on the double shooting, and that may have been Hernandez's motive to kill Lloyd.
The case against Hernandez in the Lloyd murder investigation is already fairly strong, with mountains and mountains of evidence working against him and a witness pointing the finger at him already. But he remains innocent until proven guilty. What won't help Hernandez is that the story of Abreu and Furtado matches another shooting being investigated that involves Hernandez. A similar nightclub brawl, this time in Florida, when the guys on the other side who left the club were shot at a few blocks away.
As Deadspin points out, Hernandez is due in court later today for a procedural probable cause hearing and, at the same time, Hernandez's former coach Bill Belichick will speak with the media for the first time since his arrest. Should be an interesting day in Boston.