FALL RIVER, Mass. — A Massachusetts grand jury has indicted former New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez on a first-degree murder charge in the death of a man whose bullet-riddled body was found in an industrial park near his home.
The grand jury returned the indictment Thursday. It charges Hernandez with the killing of 27-year-old Odin Lloyd, a semi-professional football player who was dating the sister of Hernandez’s girlfriend.
Hernandez pleaded not guilty to murder and weapons charges in June. His lawyers say the case against him is circumstantial and they’re confident he will clear his name. He’s being held in jail without bail.
Prosecutors say Hernandez orchestrated Lloyd’s killing because he had talked to people Hernandez had problems with at a nightclub.
Hernandez could face life in prison if convicted.