Aaron Hernandez trial: Jury still deciding former NFL star's fate
FALL RIVER, Mass. – Jury deliberations in the Aaron Hernandez murder trial will carry into next week, as the panel of seven women and five men broke for the weekend on Friday afternoon.
The case was given to the Bristol County jury late Tuesday afternoon. They have deliberated for 20 hours thus far. They've had six notes for Superior Court Judge E. Susan Garsh, a couple of which suggest they are taking a detailed look at the submitted evidence.
They will resume their work Monday at 9 a.m. ET here at the Fall River Justice Center.
Hernandez, a former star for the New England Patriots, is facing charges of first degree murder, weapons and ammunition in the June 17, 2013, shooting death of Odin Lloyd.
The victim was found in an undeveloped plot of industrial land near Hernandez's spacious North Attleboro, Mass., home. His defense team acknowledged in closing arguments that Hernandez was present for the murder but did not do it or orchestrate it.
Prosecutors have alleged Hernandez was the triggerman, although under Massachusetts' joint venture law they merely need to prove he was involved with intent. Two co-conspirators, Ernest Wallace and Carlos Ortiz, a couple of small-time drug dealers from Connecticut and friends of Hernandez, were also present.
The lengthy and closely followed case featured 135 witnesses (132 by the Commonwealth) and 439 pieces of evidence in 41 days. Jury selection began in early January and the case was often delayed by inclement weather in an unusually harsh New England winter.
Lloyd, a 27-year-old landscaper from Boston, was dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancée. Hernandez and Lloyd hung out together and shared an affinity for marijuana.
Hernandez played three seasons in the NFL from 2010-2012 and was in the midst of a $40 million contract when he was arrested. He also faces two counts of murder in Suffolk County for a 2012 drive-by shooting in Boston's South End neighborhood. The trial for that is expected to begin later this year.
Friday's deliberation featured no questions for the Judge and was otherwise quiet. The jury had previously requested to stop at 1 p.m., as was common for a Friday during the trial.
Hernandez's fiancée, Shayanna Jenkins, came to court Friday and spent most of the day seated in the front row of the fifth-floor courtroom, chatting with a friend and reading a magazine.
She and Hernandez were able to share a smile as he left court for the day, headed back for another weekend at the Bristol County House of Corrections, his fate still unknown.
