Victim's family confronts officer over Hernandez court kiss
FALL RIVER, Mass. - The family of the man former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez is accused of killing confronted a security officer Wednesday after Hernandez's mother was allowed to kiss her son's hand in the courtroom.
The kiss happened Tuesday when the judge and jury were out of the courtroom. Hernandez, 25, has pleaded not guilty in the June 17, 2013, killing of Odin Lloyd. Lloyd, 27, was dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancee.
During a morning break, Hernandez's mother, Terri, leaned toward her son sitting at the defense table and asked permission from a court officer to touch him.
He said yes, and she grabbed his hand, then kissed it. Hernandez gave a broad smile, then rubbed his eyes as his aunt and uncle wiped away tears. He then thanked the officer.
Such contact between prisoners and the public is usually not allowed.
Outside the courtroom during a lunch break Wednesday, Lloyd's family quietly and calmly spoke to the officer and told him they no longer have a son to kiss. The officer listened, then left to a back hallway while Lloyd's family departed in the elevator.
On Wednesday, more surveillance camera footage played that showed headlights moving away from the crime scene the night of the killing.
Lloyd was shot to death in an empty lot in an industrial park near Hernandez's home in North Attleborough.
Prosecutors on Tuesday played four grainy surveillance video clips that showed lights moving toward and from the scene.
On Wednesday, they played two more that showed headlights leaving the industrial park at 3:27 a.m., four minutes after Lloyd sent his last text message.
The grainy videos were taken from so far away that it is unclear how many passengers were inside or what kind of car it was. In some, it is not even clear that it was a car.
Also Wednesday, Massachusetts State Police Lt. Steven Bennett testified about footprints found at the scene. Among them was one made by what he said appeared to be a left shoe with three or four waves of a herringbone-type design in the middle.
An expert from the shoe company Nike testified Tuesday that Hernandez could be seen in surveillance video shortly before and after the killing wearing a Nike shoe with a herringbone design on the bottom. However, he also said that that is one of the oldest designs for shoe soles in the industry.
Bennett testified that the shoeprint was found a few feet from Lloyd's body and on the other side of two tire tracks.