Newly unsealed warrants in the murder case against Aaron Hernandez reveal more information on what led police to search two residences and a vehicle in Bristol, Connecticut as part of the investigation.
Police in Massachusetts began investigating on June 17, when the body of Odin Lloyd was found in a secluded area of North Attleboro, not far from Hernandez's home. Lloyd's family told investigators that hernandez was the only person who he knew in North Attleboro.
Massachusetts reached out to police in Bristol, Connecticut, when they learned that it was Hernandez’s hometown, according to court documents.
Massachusetts authorities had identified Ernest Wallace, 41, and Carlos Ortiz, 27, as suspects in the case and learned that both men were known to Bristol Police detectives and that Ortiz was on active probation.
Ortiz was scheduled to meet with his probation officer in Connecticut on June 25, so authorities went to interview him. Massachusetts police also asked local authorities to be on the lookout for a 2013 Chrysler 300 that Hernandez had given the men, according to police.
It was during that interview that Ortiz told police that he was friends with Hernandez and Wallace, according to court records, and gave his account of what happened in the hours before and hours after Odin Lloyd, of Boston was found dead.
Ortiz told police that he and Wallace live at 114 lake Street and that they were home on June 16 when Wallace communicated with Hernandez to make plans for the three of them to visit Hernandez’s home at 22 Ronald C. Meyer Drive in North Attleboro according to police.
Ortiz told police that he and Wallace made the drive that night.
They arrived just after midnight on June 17, according to court documents, and Hernandez and his girlfriend were out, so a babysitter let them in.
Ortiz told police he saw both a small handgun and a large one in the house and that Hernandez was carrying one when he arrived home.
At 1:09 a.m. on June 17, the three men left the house in a Nissan Altima. Surveillance video shows the car stopping at the Blue Hills Service Station in Canton and Hernandez and Ortiz going into the store, according to court documents.
They continued up to Boston, picked Lloyd up at his house and began driving back to North Attleboro, according to court records.
Otiz told police that he overheard Hernandez say to Lloyd that Lloyd was “chilling” with people that Hernandez had problems with. They two men shook hands and “it” was squashed, Ortiz told investigators.
During the ride back to North Attleboro, Ortiz fell asleep, he said. When he woke up, the car was stopped and Hernandez, Wallace and Lloyd got out of the car to urinate.
He said he heard gunshots and Hernandez and Wallace got back into the car without Lloyd. Ortiz told investigators he could not make out who fired the shots because it was dark.
Minutes later, they returned to Hernandez’s house.
Ortiz said Hernandez asked him to get the small gun from under the back seat of the car, which he did, and he gave it to Hernandez in the house, records state.
Ortiz said he then went to sleep.
When he woke in the afternoon, the three men went to Enterprise Rental in North Attleboro, returned the Nissan Altima and picked up a 2012 Chrysler 300.
Ortiz and Wallace dropped Hernandez of at his house and drive in the Chrysler to an apartment nearby that Hernandez and other football players use, Ortiz told police. Wallace drove off, but Ortiz stayed until Wallace returned a long while later, then they returned to 114 Lake St. in the Chrysler, Ortiz said.
Ortiz also told police that Wallace said Hernandez admitted to shooting Lloyd and that Ortiz remained at Lake Avenue, but Wallace left in the Chrysler.
Around 11 p.m. on June 27, a resident of an apartment complex on Blakeslee Street in Bristol called police about a car parked near the pool and police verified that was the vehicle they were looking for in connection with the murder.
When police searched the Lake Avenue home, they took clothing, a bill in Wallace’s name, a Department of Correction intake sheet and in in Wallace’s name, documents from probation offices,a prison ID card for Ortiz, a gun box and ammunition.
They also searched Ortiz’s other home on Federal Street and the Chrysler 300.
Photo Credit: AP