Testimony In Hernandez Murder Trial Centers On Street Sweeper
BOSTON (CBS) -- It appeared to be bombshell testimony in the Aaron Hernandez murder trial. A street sweeper took the stand with a story the defense hopes can clear Hernandez in the crime.
Today the judge sent the jury home so he could hear from street sweeper Warren McMaster. He drove past the murder scene while on the job the morning of July 16, 2012 and says he told police that he saw what appeared to be a white SUV with a woman standing through the sunroof with a recording device.
"She could have been making a phone call or looking for help. Did you tell this to officers?" defense attorney Jose Baez said. "Yes," answered McMaster.
McMaster nervous on stand, rolling eyes says police were in his face the night of murders #AaronHernandez #wbz
— Beth Germano (@BethWBZ) March 6, 2017
It's an account Boston Police say they never got from McMaster the morning of the double murders and only learned about it when McMaster was questioned last week after being subpoenaed.
It raises the possibility that someone else was at the scene where Hernandez is accused of gunning down Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado after an encounter at a Boston nightclub.
Detective Paul MacIsaac testified McMaster never told him and he was "surprised" to hear it. The defense claims it's evidence the prosecution kept from them, including McMaster's claim that he was "forced" by police to empty the contents of his trash container so they could look for evidence of any shell casings he may have picked up while sweeping the street.
McMaster says police told him to empty hopper and says officers helped him rake through debris #Wbz
— Anna Meiler (@AnnaMeiler) March 6, 2017
Police say McMaster emptied the hopper on his own, and didn't think he was even close enough to the scene to have picked up anything crucial. The judge will now decide how much of the testimony the jury will be allowed to hear when the trial resumes.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Bernice Corpuz reports