To no surprise, former Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez has pleaded not guilty to charges that he murdered Safiro Furtado and Daniel de Abreu in July 2012. Hernandez also pleaded not guilty to the other charges emerging from an incident allegedly sparked by an altercation at a Boston nightclub.
The hearing included an explanation from prosecutors that the murders were the culmination of a chain of events that began when one of the two men accidentally bumped into Hernandez, causing him to spill a drink.
Prosecutors explained in court that Hernandez believed de Abreu deliberately bumped into Hernandez. He allegedly tracked down de Abreu, opening fire on the SUV in which de Abreu and Furtado were riding.
The defense objected to the details shared by prosecutors in court, contending that those allegation will unfairly prejudice Hernandez. Magistrate Gary D. Wilson responded with a forceful, matter-of-fact explanation that it’s standard practice for the Commonwealth’s representatives to share with the court some of the facts of the case, adding that the arraignment was ultimately no different than the 1,900 other capital-murder arraignments over which Wilson has presided since 1983.
Hernandez will return to court of June 24 for a scheduling hearing. It’s possible but not likely that a trial date will be set at that time.
Charged with the murder of Odin Lloyd, Hernandez has been held without bail since being arrested in June 2013.