Testy Verbal Sparring Continues In Aaron Hernandez Double Murder Trial
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Aaron Hernandez double murder trial was briefly put on hold Wednesday afternoon while the judge in the case addressed jurors about a possible social media post by one of them about the case.
Judge Jeffrey Locke addressed the jurors after an attorney saw a Reddit post from someone accusing another of commenting "from the jury room."
Looks like someone on reddit being accused of posting "from the jury room". Judge asked jurors about the name "Heartofanother". #wbz pic.twitter.com/20LNs5fRDc
— Christina Hager (@HagerWBZ) March 22, 2017
It appears the post wasn't what it seemed, and testimony continued after Judge Locke reminded jurors to have no contact with the case outside of court.
More: Follow Christina Hager's tweets live from the courtroom
For the second day in a row, defense attorney Jose Baez sparred with the prosecution's star witness Alexander Bradley, a former friend of the ex-NFL star, during cross examination.
Alexander Bradley's tone is mocking toward #AaronHernandez defense attorney Jose Baez. "My answer to you, MR. BAEZ, is no." #wbz
— Christina Hager (@HagerWBZ) March 22, 2017
Bradley, Hernandez's ex-best friend and former drug dealer, was seen with Hernandez on the night of July 16, 2012, when Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado were shot to death in Boston's Back Bay.
On Monday, he testified that Hernandez pulled the trigger because the men had "disrespected" him after spilling a drink on him in a club.
Throughout Bradley's testimony Wednesday, Hernandez watched, at times tugging on his bottom lip.
#AaronHernandez has been tugging at his bottom lip, what appears to be a nervous habit, throughout x-pal Alexander Bradley's testimony #wbz pic.twitter.com/A0gnCSrumt
— Christina Hager (@HagerWBZ) March 22, 2017
Hernandez has pleaded not guilty in the murders–and defense attorneys say Bradley killed the two men over a drug deal.
Defense attorney Jose Baez attempted to poke holes in Bradley's account of the shooting, pointing out discrepancies between his past accounts of the murder and his Monday testimony.
"Your memory didn't get better with time, did it Mr. Bradley?" asked Baez at one point.
"Apparently not, Mr. Baez," Bradley responded.
Going over Bradley's past testimony on # of bullets. Baez:"It was a discrepancy wasn't it?" Bradley:"I don't know, was it?" #AaronHernandez
— Christina Hager (@HagerWBZ) March 22, 2017
Bradley said that, on the night of the murder, he drove Hernandez's silver Toyota 4Runner as Hernandez ordered him to follow Abreu and Furtado in their BMW. Bradley claims Hernandez leaned over him in the driver's seat, and fired out the window five times, killing the two men.
Baez:You were "OK" w/driving up to victims' BMW. AB:"Because I never expected Mr. Hernandez to shoot those individuals" #wbz #AaronHernandez
— Christina Hager (@HagerWBZ) March 22, 2017
After the shooting, Bradley testified earlier in the trial, he and Hernandez drove to the house of Brooke Wilcox, the mother of Bradley's daughter, in Bristol, Connecticut. Baez pointed out that, according to Bradley's timeline, they arrived in Bristol around 5 a.m.--making the drive 2 1/2 hours, much longer than it should have been, though Bradley maintained there were no stops along the way.
Baez & Bradley going through search history from computer at home #AaronHernandez & Bradley went to after murders. #wbz pic.twitter.com/f64gKHntyf
— Christina Hager (@HagerWBZ) March 22, 2017
They also discussed internet searches from Wilcox's house. Bradley claimed Monday that Hernandez searched for info about the shooting of Abreu and Furtado when they arrived at the house in Bristol.
Baez & Bradley on search history from gf's computer day of murders. Searches for Hartford shooting, Boston shooting #AaronHernandez address
— Christina Hager (@HagerWBZ) March 22, 2017
The focus then turned to the February 2013 shooting of Bradley, which left him with a prosthetic eye.
Months after the shooting of Abreu and Furtado, Bradley claims, Hernandez brought Bradley to Florida, where Bradley was shot in the head in an alley in an industrial park.
A look at the alley in a Florida industrial park, where Alexander Bradley says #AaronHernandez shot him & left him for dead. #wbz pic.twitter.com/2LEEliPbsW
— Christina Hager (@HagerWBZ) March 22, 2017
Bradley said Hernandez pulled the trigger; prosecutors claim it was because, as a witness to the 2012 Boston shooting, Bradley knew too much.
But Baez pointed out that Bradley claimed he was shot by Hernandez inside a car--but that a shell casing found by police at the scene was in a grassy area, appearing to conflict with his testimony.
Baez shows Bradley pic of shell casing after he said he was shot in car. "That is outside in a grassy area & not in the car" #AaronHernandez pic.twitter.com/0FEXOb6EfV
— Christina Hager (@HagerWBZ) March 22, 2017
Baez also asked why Bradley texted his lawyer asking if he could be held for perjury for telling the truth about not recalling anything about who shot him.
Baez asks Bradley about text asking lawyer if he cld be held on perjury for telling "truth about...not recalling anything about who shot me"
— Christina Hager (@HagerWBZ) March 22, 2017
The defense attorney posed a theory to jurors that it wasn't Hernandez who shot Bradley in Florida, but that it was the result of a drug deal gone bad.
Baez suggests Alexander Bradley didn't cooperate w/police "because of your fear of retailiation" from "drug dealers." #AaronHernandez #wbz
— Christina Hager (@HagerWBZ) March 22, 2017
He brought up the fact that Bradley didn't cooperate with police in the investigation into his shooting. Bradley's excuse for this on Monday was that he wanted to take revenge on Hernandez himself.
"I don't believe in snitching," Bradley said.
"What are you doing right now?" Baez responded.
Hernandez is already serving a life sentence for the 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd, a semi-pro football player who was dating Hernandez's fiancee's sister at the time.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Bernice Corpuz reports