The jurors in the trial of former New England Patriots star player Aaron Hernandez have found him guilty of first-degree murder. He was also found guilty of unlawful possession of ammunition and unlawful possession of a firearm.
Hernandez was on trial for the shooting death of Odin Lloyd. Lloyd’s body was found in a Massachusetts industrial park in June 2013.
According to CNN, prosecutors say Lloyd was last seen on June 17, 2013, around 2:30 a.m. with Hernandez and Hernandez’s friends. They were reportedly in a rented silver Nissan Altima. Carlos Ortiz and Ernest Wallace, the friends of Aaron Hernandez, were also charged with murder and have pleaded not guilty.
Wallace and Ortiz will be tried separately.
Hernandez attorney, James Sultan, told jurors that Hernandez “witnessed” Lloyd’s killing by somebody he knew.
The 11-week trial, which included 135 witnesses, ended in a guilty verdict against Hernandez, which carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Family members are currently reading impact statements during the sentencing phase.