Patriots Coach Bill Belichick Could Be Called As Witness In Aaron Hernandez Murder Trial
BOSTON (CBS) -- New evidence in the upcoming Aaron Hernandez double murder trial has been released, including transcripts from jailhouse cellphone conversations and a lengthy potential defense witness list that includes Patriots coach Bill Belichick.
The list contains nearly 270 names, and Belichick is listed as number 11.
He was also on the potential witness list when Hernandez was first tried and convicted for the murder of Odin Lloyd, but Belichick was never called.
See defense witness list (PDF)
"Ninety-eight percent of them will not be called," said legal expert Harry Manion. "What a defendant does in all trials, and especially murder one trials, is name the conceivable universe."
Manion sees only a limited circumstance this time around for Belichick.
"The evidence may go in a way where the Commonwealth challenges that he was known to be a thug in the locker room, that he was known to be a bad guy," said Manion. "They may bring Belichick out and say, have you heard any of that? I'm doubting the Commonwealth would do that, though."
Earlier in the month, a defense motion said Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels may testify on the possible meanings of some of Hernandez's tattoos.
WBZ-TV Sports Director Steve Burton is also listed as a potential witness in the court paperwork. The documents cite Steve's 2011 interview with Hernandez.
Hernandez is about to go on trial for the a double murder in Boston's South End in July of 2012. Daniel Abreu and Safiro Furtado were both gunned down in a drive-by shooting.
Prosecutors contend Hernandez told a friend that one of the victims was "trying" or challenging him during an encounter at a nightclub.
They want to submit a jailhouse cellphone conversation where he tells a former college teammate he plans to get another tattoo in the shape of a stop sign that will send the message, "beware, no hesitations Feel me, like no try me there's no hesitations."
In another call, prosecutors say Hernandez tells his mother she cannot be trusted with information.
Manion believes the calls "are a reach," but prosecutors hope it helps get to motive in the case, a case Manion sees as a tough one for the defense.
"What's the defense, somebody else did it?" Manion said.
According to the documents, the defense also plans to call experts to testify about marijuana use in the NFL, and the correlation between marijuana and violence.
Jury selection continues with the trial set to start March 1.
Hernandez is already serving a life sentence without parole for the 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd.