New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez is caught in a tough situation as he is investigated by police for possible involvement in a murder and due to the high profile nature of the case, the media has staked out his house waiting for the next move in the investigation.
Police searched his home multiple times and left with evidence and he also had the areas around his home searched, including a pond and woods area. The police have been slow to give out news of his possible arrest in the case, as they want to ensure that they have proper evidence. Reports have the tight end with Odin Lloyd the night he was murdered and also says that Hernandez destroyed his cell phone and home security system, which is why he could be brought in for obstruction of justice.
Journalists, photographers and television cameramen remained across the street from Hernandez's sprawling suburban house on Sunday after conflicting reports by local news outlets that an arrest warrant may have been issued.
An official at the local prosecutor's office declined comment except to say the investigation remained active. There was no police activity at the house by midday on Sunday.
Hernandez also is being sued by a Connecticut man for allegedly shooting him in the face and partially blinding him after the two visited a strip club in Miami in February.
Florida police said they abandoned their investigation of that shooting after the alleged victim, Alexander Bradley, refused to cooperate. Hernandez, 23, a tight end and rising star in the National Football League, is at the center of an investigation into the death of Odin Lloyd, a semi-professional football player for the Boston Bandits.
Lloyd's body was discovered on Monday in an industrial park about a mile from Hernandez's home in North Attleborough, some 40 miles south of Boston, near Gillette Stadium, where the Patriots play.
Investigators searched Hernandez's house for nearly four hours on Saturday, removing several bags of material. A law enforcement official with knowledge of the case said on Sunday that police investigators were now busy examining the items, but he declined to give details.
Hernandez has not spoken publicly about the case, and his agent and lawyer have repeatedly declined comment. Hernandez has also been slapped with a civil lawsuit by a Connecticut man, Alexander Bradley, who claims the Patriots tight end shot him in the face after the two left a Miami strip club in February, causing him to lose an eye.
A Florida police official said late on Wednesday police had investigated the February shooting, but abandoned the case after Bradley refused to cooperate.
Hernandez could not be reached for comment. His agent, his attorney, and a spokesman for the Patriots all declined comment.
In a scene reminiscent of former National Football League player and actor O.J. Simpson's televised car chase two decades ago, a news helicopter tracked Hernandez for hours on Wednesday as he left his house and drove to Gillette Stadium, the Patriots' home turf.
At one point, Hernandez had to push through reporters who were shouting questions at him as he pumped gas into his white SUV at a local service station.
The body of 27-year-old Odin Lloyd, a semi-professional football player for the Boston Bandits, was discovered on Monday in an industrial park in the town, which lies about 40 miles south of Boston. Police have since searched Hernandez's house and questioned him.
A spokeswoman for the Bristol County Prosecutor's Office, Yasmina Serdarevic, said on Thursday prosecutors were not prepared to discuss possible suspects. "All I can say is that this is an active homicide investigation," she said.
(Reuters Quotes)