Former Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez has been in jail awaiting trial since late June, when he was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Odin Lloyd. On Monday, according to the Associated Press, prosecutors provided Hernandez's defense team with surveillance video from a Boston night club where Hernandez allegedly had a dispute with Lloyd days before his death.
Defense attorney James Sultan, who represents Hernandez, said outside Attleboro District Court on Monday that he received a "substantial amount" of information that his team would begin going through in the hopes of clearing Hernandez's name.
Neither the prosecutor's office nor the defense team described what was on the surveillance video.
More details via the AP:
During the hearing, Judge Daniel O'Shea ruled in favor of the defense request to preserve surveillance from the club and from a nearby homeowner -- from 10 p.m. on June 14 into the early morning hours of June 15, when authorities say Hernandez and Lloyd were at the club.
Bristol County Assistant District Attorney William McCauley said the material included video from Rumor nightclub and surveillance from a nearby hotel. He said the prosecution also would be providing surveillance from the homeowner.
Hernandez has pleaded not guilty to murder in Lloyd's death, and he has reportedly written at least two letters in which he has said he's innocent of the charges that currently have him behind bars.
Last week, investigators searched a lake in Bristol, Conn., for the murder weapon. Police believe Lloyd was killed with a .45-caliber Glock, which has yet to be recovered. Days later came a report that Hernandez put two guns in a box in his basement. And last month, a photo emerged showing Hernandez roughly 15 minutes after Lloyd was killed, and he appears to be holding a gun in his left hand.
Additionally, Hernandez is reportedly the focus of a grand jury probe into a 2012 double-slaying in Boston, as well as a police investigation into Florida shootings that took place in 2007.
The Patriots have done their best to distance themselves from the former tight end. Team owner Bob Kraft said recently that he was "duped" by Hernandez less than a year after giving him a $40 million contract extension. The Pats also offered a free jersey exchange for fans wanting to swap their Hernandez jerseys, and quarterback Tom Brady told TheMMQB.com that he has "moved on" from Hernandez and is “focusing on the great teammates I have who are committed to helping us win games."
