Former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez is already serving a life sentence for the murder of Odin Lloyd, and his next murder trial is already off to a bad start.
Hernandez is slated for another trial on March 1 for the double murder of Daniel Jorge Correia de Abreu and Safiro Teixeira Furtado in Boston, and TMZ has transcripts from phone calls made in prison which prosecutors believe is evidence against the former Patriot.
Hernandez reportedly felt as though people were "testing, trying or otherwise disrespecting him" when he went to nightclubs, prosecutors said per the Guardian.
The word "try" is key, as Hernandez called NFL star Mike Pouncey twice. Here's what he said, per TMZ:
The first phone call with Pouncey went down on April 3, 2015:
"During this call, the defendant talks about how he has changed and now he would not want to even go in a club if there were 'black people there' because if they (referring to he and the Pounceys) go in 'imagine if I go in the club with y'all n*ggas and n*ggas try you, you already know what time it is, feel me?'"
"This statement is relevant as an example of the defendant's use of the word 'try,' referring to being disrespected. Bradley will testify (and likely be subject to vigorous cross-examination) that the defendant repeatedly told him that he felt that people — and, ultimately the homicide victims in this case — were 'trying' him."
The second Pouncey phone call took place on April 28, 2015:
"During this call, [Hernandez] stated words to the effect of, 'I'm going to get another tattoo that looks like a stop sign that will say, 'Beware, no hesitation.' [Hernandez] said, 'You feel me? Like try me and there's no hesitation.'"
"Again, as set forth above, this statement is relevant to the defendant's use of the word 'try' and ongoing perception that others were 'trying him' — and suggest how the defendant responds when tried."
That's not the only bad news for Hernandez though.
Tattoos used as evidence:
In a stunning decision, a Massachusetts judge ruled that Aaron Hernandez's tattoos may be used as evidence in the trial over the death of two Boston men in 2012 and the shooting of one reportedly known witness in 2013, per Reuters.
Via Boston Globe, a prosecutor believes Hernandez's tattoos are evidence that he shot and killed two men in Boston in 2012, and shot and wounded a known eyewitness in Florida in 2013.
"One image showed a revolver loaded with five bullets, which allegedly represents the five shots fired at the scene where de Abreu and Furtado were shot to death, Haggan said. The phrase, "god forgives," was tattooed nearby but written backward so it could be read in a mirror.
Authorities allege Hernandez used a .38-caliber revolver to murder the two men.
The tattoo artist also drew a semi-automatic handgun and a spent shell casing and a puff of smoke, Haggan said. The image, the prosecutor said, precisely matches what happened to (one-time friend Alexander) Bradley, who was shot once by a semiautomatic handgun. A single spent shell casing was recovered by Florida authorities at the scene."
Having trouble finding witnesses:
Attorney Jose Baez said the defense hasn't received the full list of witnesses from the prosecution, and they're "freaked out" that the witness list includes over 200 people. Baez voiced his complaints to Suffolk Superior Court Judge Jeffrey A. Locke, and he is concerned that Assistant Suffolk District Attorneys Patrick Haggan and Mark Lee are being overly cautious.
"I just can't try this case on a handshake," Baez said, according to the Boston Herald's Laurel J. Sweet. "I have to insist that we have an exact, correct list of witnesses. I don't think (Haggan is) trying to hide the ball. I think he's being cautious. But it's fish or cut bait: Who's coming and who isn't? We have to narrow this down. If not now, when?"
"It's very difficult to get experts in this kind of case. We've been trying to get them to sign on the dotted line, but they're a little bit apprehensive."
Raychides Sanches said he had been a passenger in a car stopped at a light in the city's South End when an SUV pulled up. He said someone from the SUV said "What's up, negroes?" and then gunshots began, per ESPN.
Sanches said the gunfire struck 29-year-old Daniel de Abreu and 28-year-old Safiro Furtado.
When Sanches was asked who the shooter was, he nodded towards Hernandez and said it looked like him.
Bradley was reportedly shot in an attempt to silence him.
