FALL RIVER, Mass. (KRON) – Jurors in the Aaron Hernandez murder trial began their sixth day of deliberations to decide the fate of the former New England Patriots player.
Hernandez pleaded not guilty to 2013 killing Odin Lloyd, the boyfriend of his fiancee’s sister. The jury must reach a unanimous verdict to either convict or acquit him of first degree murder. If convicted, Hernandez faces life in prison without possibility of parole.
So far the jury has deliberated for more than 27 hours.
The defense flipped the script in the final days of trial, raising questions about the mysterious box Hernandez asked his fiancee to dispose. Many believe the box contained the murder weapon, but Hernandez’s lawyers asked his fiancee if she smelled the box. According to court documents, she said that the box smelled like marijuana.
That bomb shell raised questions to whether or not the box was disposed of because it contained evidence, or because he feared for his professional football career off petty drug charges.
The jury will decide whether he is guilty of murder, as well as whether to convict Hernandez of weapon and ammunition possession charges.