One of Aaron Hernandez's lawyers revealed why the defense team wanted to call New England Patriots Coach Bill Belichick as a witness in the ex-NFL star's double murder trial during a radio interview on Monday morning.
Hernandez, who is already serving a life sentence for a 2013 murder, was acquitted Friday in a 2012 double slaying prosecutors had claimed was fueled by his anger over a spilled drink. The defense team claimed Alexander Bradley, a former friend of Hernandez, was responsible for the killings.
In an interview on WEEI-FM's "Kirk & Callahan" show, attorney Ronald Sullivan said defense lawyers had hoped to ask Belichick about a 2013 trip Hernandez allegedly made to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis to meet with his coach. Sullivan said Hernandez requested a trade because he wanted to get away from New England because he was afraid that Bradley might try to kill him. But Belichick reportedly nixed the trade request.
Instead, Sullivan said Belichick gave Hernandez some advice on getting another apartment that he could use to lay low and improving his home security system.
"Belichick said he would help (Hernandez) with certain security measures here internally in Boston, but that he wasn’t in a position to trade him,” Sullivan told WEEI.
In court two weeks ago, it was revealed that an Ohio attorney representing Belichick had called a clerk to inquire about a subpoena he was served in connection with the trial. Belichick reportedly wanted to know if there would be any consequences for not appearing in court.
One of Hernandez's attorneys, Jose Baez, told the judge that Belichick's testimony was not "critical to the defense."
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Sullivan said in Monday's radio interview that the defense team felt that prosecutors had failed to prove their case, so there was no longer any need for Belichick to testify.
