The fiancé of Aaron Hernandez was indicted on a charge of perjury on Friday in the murder case involving the shooting death of Odin Lloyd, which reports say was related to the police investigation into the incident.
According to ESPN.com, Jenkins was charged with perjury in the case after an indictment was handed down by a grand jury, which says that she hindered the investigation in some way. No details have yet been released at exactly what she said or why she was charged, but District Attorney Samuel Sutter's spokesman Gregg Miliote said comments would not be made until Jenkins was properly arraigned in court.
The news about Jenkins came as a surprise to many, but for those following the case it was not totally unexpected, as she was investigated by police previously for possibly misleading authorities. Police searched a storage unit in her name after the murder after they saw her in video surveillance taking a bag out of the house the day after the murder, but the gun was not found.
The death of Lloyd shocked the NFL and the Patriots and the 27-year-old semi-professional football player was found dead on June 17, riddled with bullets. An accomplice in the crime, Carlos Ortiz, said that another man Ernest Wallace admitted that Hernandez told him that he committed the murder, but now Ortiz has changed his story and the could be bad for the trial in the future.
One wrinkle in the Jenkins indictment could have to do with her sister, as the Boston Globe reported earlier in the summer that Shaneah Jenkins said that her sister, after an interview with police, said that her sister may not have been completely truthful about what happened the night of the murder in the house she shared with Hernandez as well as about knowledge of the murder weapon. While none of this can yet be confirmed, it is expected that the office will give more details when the arraignment finally happens.
Apart from Jenkins, Hernandez's cousin Tanya Singleton was also charged after being held for not testifying in front of the grand jury and she is now charged with conspiracy to commit accessory after the fact, which likely comes from her connection to Ernest Wallace, who she reportedly helped leave the state after the murder.
The issues related to Ortiz and Wallace could have an affect later on how the state argues against Hernandez, as Ortiz previously appeared to be the only willing witness, but now his story has changed. After previously saying that Wallace and Hernandez got out of the car with Lloyd the night of the murder, Ortiz now is saying it was just Hernandez. Ortiz was charged with being an accessory to murder after the fact by a grand jury and that also could have implications.
Hernandez was arrested for the murder of Lloyd the week after he was found dead in an industrial park less than a mile from the former Patriots TE's home and he was released from the team on that same day. Hernandez was considered to be one of the best young tight ends in football, but now his career could be over if he is convicted, as he is facing life in prison for the crime. He is charged with first degree murder as well as five other gun charges.
