Patriots owner Robert Kraft testifies at Aaron Hernandez trial
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft testified on Tuesday that Aaron Hernandez told him he was not involved in the murder of Odin Lloyd and that he was at a club when the killing took place.
Hernandez is charged with the 2013 murder of the 27-year-old Odin Lloyd after the former semi-professional football player's body was found in an industrial park near Hernandez’s home. Lloyd was the boyfriend of Hernandez’s fiancée’s sister.
Hernandez also faces five weapons charges. He faces life in prison if convicted of all charges.
Kraft said he spoke with Hernandez for 5-10 minutes at the team’s headquarters after Hernandez was initially linked to the murder. Hernandez’s claim that he was at a club at the time has previously been shown to be false.
After the conversation, Kraft said that Hernandez hugged and kissed him to thank him for his concern.
Hernandez’s fiancée, Shayanna Jenkins, finished testifying on Monday and said she removed a box that smelled like marijuana from his basement the day after the murder occurred. She also testified that Hernandez was drunk during the hours before Lloyd’s killing.
Hernandez, 25, played three seasons for the Patriots and has been in jail since 2013.
Hernandez is also charged separately with two counts of murder, three counts of assault with intent to commit murder and a weapons charge in the 2012 deaths of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado.
Authorities say that Hernandez shot de Abreu, Furtado and one other man after one of them spilled a drink on him at a nightclub.
- Paul Palladino
