Aaron Hernandez Indicted in Double Murder From 2012
Ex-NFL star Aaron Hernandez was indicted for two more murders Thursday, adding to his prior indictment for the 2013 slaying of Odin L. Lloyd.
The former New England Patriots tight end was charged with the 2012 murders of Daniel Abreu and Safiro Furtado, who were shot and killed at a stoplight. According to the Boston Globe, Hernandez allegedly orchestrated Odin Lloyd's murder in 2013 to silence him about Hernandez's alleged role in the killings of Abreu and Furtado.
Have things changed now that Hernandez has been accused of three murders?
2012 Murders of Abreu, Furtado
Although a grand jury returned an indictment against Hernandez almost two months after his arrest on suspicion of Lloyd's murder, police have been investigating Abreu and Furtado's killings for nearly two years.
After Hernandez's arrest in June in connection with Lloyd's death, police seized a silver Toyota 4Runner with Rhode Island plates -- one that matched descriptions of a vehicle that "fled the scene" of Abreu and Furtado's murder. The Hartford Courant reports that as early as September, police had surveillance footage showing Hernandez and the victims at the same Boston nightclub on the night of their deaths.
Like most grand jury investigations, much of the evidence collected about Hernandez's involvement in Abreu and Furtado's deaths was sealed and not available to the public. Thursday's criminal indictment is the culmination of months of investigation, as jurors found there to be probable cause that Hernandez was responsible for the 2012 murders.
More Legal Trouble Awaits
In addition to these new criminal charges, Hernandez also has to deal with various civil suits related to this and other shootings. Here's a brief roundup of his civil cases:
- A injury suit over the February 2013 shooting of Alexander Bradley after a Miami club altercation;
- A wrongful death suit by Lloyd's family, in which they have seized Hernandez's mansion; and
- A wrongful death suit by Abreu and Furtado's families for $6 million apiece.
The two wrongful death suits will likely be put on hold until the related criminal charges against Hernandez are resolved. But even if the former Patriots player is acquitted on all three murder charges, the victims' families can still pursue him for wrongful death.
Doesn't look like Hernandez will be playing for the Pats anytime soon.
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Related Resources:
- Source: Aaron Hernandez indictment expected in 2012 double homicide (CNN)
- Aaron Hernandez Arrested, Charged With Murder (FindLaw's Tarnished Twenty)
- Dolphins' Mike Pouncey Subpoenaed in Aaron Hernandez Case (FindLaw's Tarnished Twenty)
- Aaron Hernandez Indictment: Ex-NFL Receiver Charged with First Degree Murder (FindLaw's Courtside)
