Hernandez denied bail
FALL RIVER, Mass. — Former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, charged with murder for what prosecutors say was the execution-style killing of a friend near his house, was denied bail on Thursday.
Hernandez’s lawyer argued that his celebrity status means even if he wanted to flee he couldn’t and that the case against him is circumstantial.
“He wants to clear his name,” lawyer James Sultan told the judge.
But Bristol County Assistant District Attorney Bill McCauley called the evidence in the June 17 slaying of Odin Lloyd overwhelming and said police had made discoveries Wednesday when they searched a condo Hernandez leased and a Hummer registered to him that was parked there.
A jogger found Lloyd’s body in a remote area of an industrial park about a mile from Hernandez’s home in North Attlebo- rough, Mass., 10 days ago. Lloyd was a semipro football player from Boston who was dating the sister of Hernandez’s fiancee.
Prosecutors said Hernandez orchestrated the killing because Lloyd talked to the wrong people at a nightclub. Hernandez, a 2011 Pro Bowl selection who signed a five-year contract with the Patriots worth $40 million, could face life in prison if convicted.
In laying out more of the government’s case Thursday, McCauley said prosecutors believe that the murder weapon was a .45caliber Glock and that a gun Hernandez is seen holding on his home surveillance video, a weapon they haven’t found, appears to be a Glock.
The prosecutor said that inside the Hummer, investigators recovered an ammunition clip for .45-caliber bullets and that ammunition was found inside the condo. McCauley said a photograph had emerged online of Hernandez holding a Glock.
District Attorney Sam Sutter would not be specific when asked when the photo was taken, saying only that the information would emerge with the continuing investigation.
Hernandez’s lawyer said as far as he knew there was no eyewitness testimony and the prosecution had not given evidence that shows who shot Lloyd or whether there was a plan to kill him. He said Hernandez has no criminal record, owns a home and lives with his 8-monthold daughter and fiancee.
Hernandez appeared in court with his hands cuffed in front of him and occasionally looked at his fiancee during Thursday’s bail hearing. She cried when Bristol Superior Court Judge Renee Dupuis denied the request, but Hernandez showed little emotion.
The judge said that it is rare for someone charged with first-degree murder to get bail and that Hernandez had the means to flee if he chose to do so. She acknowledged the prosecution’s case was circumstantial but said it was “very, very strong” and called the scenario the prosecution described “coldblooded.”
The Patriots cut Hernandez shortly after police arrested him on Wednesday.
The Oklahoma City Barons have signed center C.J. Stretch and defenseman Joey Leach.
Stretch, an Irvine, Calif., product, previously signed with OKC soon after the NHL lockout ended. The Barons released him but re-signed Stretch late in the season.
A solid No. 3 line center, Stretch scored eight points in 17 regular season games. He made a big impression in the playoffs, scoring nine points in 17 games, including five goals.
Stretch, 23, played much of the 2012-13 season with the Ontario Reign in the ECHL. Stretch scored 62 points in 60 games with Ontario. He also scored five goals in a four-game sweep of Utah in the play-