Aaron Hernandez arrested for murder, released by Patriots

[Otule's Glass Eye]

http://espn.go.com/boston/nfl/story/_/id/9424056/aaron-hernandez-new-england-patriots-charged-murder

ATTLEBORO, Mass. -- Aaron Hernandez has been charged with murdering his friend after the two had a dispute during a trip to a nightclub.

Hernandez was arrested Wednesday and charged with the first-degree murder of 27-year-old Odin Lloyd, a semipro football player whose body was found in an industrial park about a mile from the former New England Patriots tight end's home.

Hernandez, released by the Patriots less than two hours after his arrest, pleaded not guilty and has been ordered to be held without bail. He also faces five gun-related charges, which were revealed Wednesday afternoon in Attleboro District Court.

Lloyd's relatives said he was dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancée, that the two men were friends and that the men were out together on the last night of Lloyd's life. He was shot multiple times in the back and chest, authorities said.

In court, prosecutors described a killing borne out of a trip to a Boston nightclub on the night of June 14.

Hernandez and two friends picked up Lloyd at home at 2:30 a.m. on June 17, prosecutors said. Surveillance footage from Hernandez's home shows him leaving earlier with a gun. He also told someone in the house that he was upset and couldn't trust anyone anymore, prosecutors said.

After picking up Lloyd, Hernandez said he was upset with Lloyd because Lloyd had spoken with people Hernandez had trouble with during their outing to the nightclub, prosecutors said.

After that conversation, Lloyd texted his sister, "Did you see who I am with," prosecutors said. When his sister asked who, he answered at 3:22 a.m., "NFL," then, a minute later, "Just so you know," prosecutors said.

Between 3:23 a.m. and 3:27 a.m., people working the overnight shift at the industrial park reported hearing gunshots, authorities said.

It's not clear who investigators believe fired the shots.

Hernandez's attorney, Michael Fee, asked for bail, saying Hernandez is not a flight risk, is a homeowner and lives with his fiancée and their 8-month-old baby. He also said Hernandez never had been accused of a violent crime.

"It is, at bottom, a circumstantial case. It is not a strong case," Fee said.

Hernandez was wearing a white V-neck T-shirt with his arms inside the shirt and behind his back as he was led from his sprawling North Attleborough home at approximately 8:45 a.m. Wednesday. He casually spit into some bushes on his way to a police cruiser.

At about 10:20 a.m. Wednesday morning, the Patriots announced they had released Hernandez and expressed sympathy to Lloyd's family and friends.

"Words cannot express the disappointment we feel knowing that one of our players was arrested as a result of this investigation," the Patriots said in a statement. "We realize that law enforcement investigations into this matter are ongoing. We support their efforts and respect the process. At this time, we believe this transaction is simply the right thing to do."

The NFL also released a statement Wednesday, saying that Hernandez's arrest is "deeply troubling."

"The involvement of an NFL player in a case of this nature is deeply troubling," the league's statement said. "The Patriots have released Aaron Hernandez, who will have his day in court. At the same time, we should not forget the young man who was the victim in this case and take this opportunity to extend our deepest sympathy to Odin Lloyd's family and friends."

The Patriots drafted Hernandez, who is originally from Bristol, Conn., out of the University of Florida in 2010. Last summer, the team gave him a five-year contract worth $40 million.

Hernandez is one of 28 NFL players arrested since this year's Super Bowl on Feb. 3, according to a database kept by U-T San Diego.

[Groin_pull]

Man, the NFL is packed with thugs.

[keefe]

Man, the NFL is packed with thugs.

Unlike the NBA?

[NavinRJohnson]

Just heard today that 29 NFL players have been arrested since the end of last season.

[GGGG]

Unlike the NBA?

NBA has the rep...but the NFL has the rap sheet.

[Sunbelt15]

NBA has the rep...but the NFL has the rap sheet.

I like!

[keefe]

NBA has the rep...but the NFL has the rap sheet.

Clever. And true, sadly.

[Tugg Speedman]

Just heard today that 29 NFL players have been arrested since the end of last season.

That is about 1% of the league since the Super Bowl.  At that rate (5 months) the arrest rate of the NFL is about 2.4% a year.  The larger population has an arrest rate of 0.5%/year.  So, the NFL has an arrest rate about 500% that of the larger population.

Keep this in mind the next time you hear a commentator/NFL apologist say the NFL "reflects the problems of society."  No, the NFL is a bunch of millionaires getting arrested at 500% the national average.  The problems of the NFL is orders of magatitude worse than society.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Plenty of arrests in both sports, but of course there are many more NFL players than NBA players so that will influence the numbers. 

[keefe]

That is about 1% of the league since the Super Bowl.  At that rate (5 months) the arrest rate of the NFL is about 2.4% a year.  The larger population has an arrest rate of 0.5%/year.  So, the NFL has an arrest rate about 500% that of the larger population.

Keep this in mind the next time you hear a commentator/NFL apologist say the NFL "reflects the problems of society."  No, the NFL is a bunch of millionaires getting arrested at 500% the national average.  The problems of the NFL is orders of magatitude worse than society.

Not to be argumentative but to make it fair one would need to limit the comparative sample to males 20-35. If one were to weight by ethnicity I would think the delta would be fairly tight.

[warriorchick]

Hernandez and two friends picked up Lloyd at home at 2:30 a.m. on June 17, prosecutors said

Call me an old fuddy-duddy, but seriously, who leaves their house at 2:30 in the morning to go clubbing? On a Monday morning?  

As the saying goes, nothing good happens after Midnight.

The only time I left my own home at 2:30 a.m. was when I was having contractions ten minutes apart.

[Golden Avalanche]

Call me an old fuddy-duddy, but seriously, who leaves their house at 2:30 in the morning to go clubbing? On a Monday morning?  

People who don't live the life you do.

[Silkk the Shaka]

Call me an old fuddy-duddy, but seriously, who leaves their house at 2:30 in the morning to go clubbing? On a Monday morning?  

As the saying goes, nothing good happens after Midnight.

The only time I left my own home at 2:30 a.m. was when I was having contractions ten minutes apart.

Especially in Boston, where the bars close at 1 most nights and SOME places 2 on weekends.

[keefe]

Call me an old fuddy-duddy, but seriously, who leaves their house at 2:30 in the morning to go clubbing? On a Monday morning?  

As the saying goes, nothing good happens after Midnight.

The only time I left my own home at 2:30 a.m. was when I was having contractions ten minutes apart.

I have done a lot of O Dark Thirties in my time. My wife always wondered what was so important about 0300 that the USAF forced pilots to get out of bed at that time. Not that she cared about my sleep, mind you. It was that my wake up routine fractured her sleep.

[warriorchick]

I have done a lot of O Dark Thirties in my time. My wife always wondered what was so important about 0300 that the USAF forced pilots to get out of bed at that time. Not that she cared about my sleep, mind you. It was that my wake up routine fractured her sleep.

But was it to go to work or to party?

[keefe]

But was it to go to work or to party?

Man, I loved being a barrel chested freedom fighter flying fast jets in defense of a grateful, if imperiled, nation. I couldn't believe they paid us. But yea, it was to be a responsible, contributing member of an advanced civilization.

[warriorchick]

Man, I loved being a barrel chested freedom fighter flying fast jets in defense of a grateful, if imperiled, nation. I couldn't believe they paid us. But yea, it was to be a responsible, contributing member of an advanced civilization.

No sexy pic of Mrs. Keefe painted on the side?

[keefe]

No sexy pic of Mrs. Keefe painted on the side?

Please. She was a nice, dignified Midwestern Catholic girl who went to Marquette. She had phenomenal gams but she would have skinned me alive if I had her half-nekkid image on the jet.

Besides, our squadron had to have the shark's teeth nose art paint scheme by tradition. The Unit flew P 40's then P 47's in WWII so the USAF Heraldry Office dictated we earned the right to carry on that custom. We were proud to do so.

[martyconlonontherun]

Unlike the NBA?

Unlike college basketball?

There's more thugs in college. They just have less money and publicity.

[martyconlonontherun]

Just heard today that 29 NFL players have been arrested since the end of last season.

That comes out to about 1% of players. Considering it is a group of young males who just received a lot of money and have a job that requires high intensity, I consider that pretty low.

ETA some of you guys hit on this already I guess. Also, if you break it down to more controversial demographics, I bet its lower than average.

[77ncaachamps]

A buddy posted this on FB. Spit my drink out.

[LloydMooresLegs]

That comes out to about 1% of players. Considering it is a group of young males who just received a lot of money and have a job that requires high intensity, I consider that pretty low.

ETA some of you guys hit on this already I guess. Also, if you break it down to more controversial demographics, I bet its lower than average.

But if you break down the demographic by socio-economics, the NFL arrest rate is off the charts out of whack with the rest of the comparably finanially situated.  We can cut the stats in all sorts of ways to get to the result we want to achieve.

[Tugg Speedman]

But if you break down the demographic by socio-economics, the NFL arrest rate is off the charts out of whack with the rest of the comparably finanially situated.  We can cut the stats in all sorts of ways to get to the result we want to achieve.

+1

Look at the NFL arrest rate versus all adult males that report income of more than $500k/year and the NFL's arrest rate so far above it you will think it is an error.

The NFL has a big image problem.  Their players are thugs and animals and when they are not attacking each other on the field, they are attacking the public at large in the street during the off-season.

[StillAWarrior]

The NFL has a big image problem.  Their players are thugs and animals and when they are not attacking each other on the field, they are attacking the public at large in the street during the off-season.

I'm not sure whether I agree with your basic point or not, but I do think it's worth keeping in mind that 99% of their players are not getting into trouble.  Also, of those 27 arrests, it appears that about 18 of them are non-violent offenses.  So...perhaps you could tone down the hyperbole a bit.

[MerrittsMustache]

I'm not sure whether I agree with your basic point or not, but I do think it's worth keeping in mind that 99% of their players are not getting into trouble.  Also, of those 27 arrests, it appears that about 18 of them are non-violent offenses.  So...perhaps you could tone down the hyperbole a bit.

In case anyone wants to look up some of these offenses.

http://www.utsandiego.com/nfl/arrests-database/