New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez has been linked to a murder near his home in North Attleborough, Massachusetts, about 40 miles south of Boston.
Police say the body of a 27-year-old man was found at an industrial park near Hernandez's house, and that the man knew Hernandez personally. He has been identified as Odin Lloyd, and his family says that he was dating the sister of Hernandez's girlfriend. His body was discovered by a jogger on Monday.
The jogger said, "He was stiff, motionless, one of the police officers came back later and said it looked the guy had been shot somewhere else and dumped here." Police have also linked Hernandez, 23, to a rental car - a black Chevrolet Suburban with Rhode Island plates - under his name that was found near the body in a clearing about a mile from his residence. The NFL player's home was searched for more than two hours Tuesday night, and the area between his house and where the body was found was also canvassed.
Police are asking the public for help in locating a silver mirror cover believed to have been broken off the rental car and may possibly be somewhere along the route between Dorchester, were Lloyd was, and North Attleborough.
The NFL has refused to comment at this point. Hernandez returned home Wednesday night, completely ignoring the crowd of reporters waiting outside about 100 feet away.
This is not the first violent incident Hernandez has been connected with in the past week. Last Thursday, Alexander S. Bradley, a former friend, sued him, accusing him of shooting him in the arm back in February, and leaving him for dead outside of a strip club in Miami. According to Bradley, the bullet traveled to his head, causing him to lose his right eye. However, police are not investigating that case as of yet, as there is apparently not enough evidence to support Bradley's claims.
Hernandez was drafted to the Patriots out of Florida in 2010. Since then, he and Rob Gronkowski have become one of the top tight end duos in the NFL. He missed 10 games last season due to an ankle injury and underwent shoulder surgery in April, but is expected to be ready for training camp. Hernandez signed a five-year contract worth $40 million with the Patriots last year.
