Murder Case Arrest Warrant Issued for NFL's Hernandez

An arrest warrant has been issued for Aaron Hernandez, the New England Patriots' star tight end, by Massachusetts State Police on Friday in connection with the murder of 27-year-old Odin Lloyd of Boston.

The victim's bullet-ridden body was discovered Monday at around 5:30 p.m. in an industrial park less than a mile from Hernandez's $1.3 million, 5,600-square foot home in North Attleborough, Mass., The Boston Globe reports.

Hernandez, 23, was reportedly seen with the victim earlier on Sunday. Police believe Lloyd was killed between 1 and 6 a.m. Monday morning.

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On Thursday, investigators returned to Hernandez's home to conduct a second search, where a security system that included surveillance was intentionally smashed and a cellphone was given to police "in pieces," ABC News reported.

In addition, a cleaning crew was reportedly observed leaving Hernandez's home on Monday before police conducted their initial search.

The arrest warrant says Hernandez is wanted on obstruction of justice charges, but police say he has not been ruled out as a murder suspect.

One officer close to the investigation told ABC News, "He has not been ruled out. We are not calling him a suspect, but he is definitely not in the clear."

One of Hernandez's attorneys, Michael Fee, released a statement this week in which he said: "Out of respect for [the investigation], neither we nor Aaron will have any comment about the substance of that investigation until it has come to a conclusion."

Before this murder, Hernandez has had a history with violence and guns, and is believed to have ties to questionable individuals, Sports Illustrated reported.

In 2007, Gainesville police interviewed Hernandez about a shooting near a nightclub in Florida, though he was not considered a suspect in the incident.

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In another case, a handgun was recovered from beneath a car following a verbal dispute between Hernandez and a New York Jets fan on May 18, Sports Illustrated reported. The man who authorities believe placed the gun beneath the car was involved in the dispute, as captured on surveillance cameras, though police could not determine if he was an associate of Hernandez's or of the heckler.

Also on Tuesday, a civil lawsuit emerged accusing Hernandez of shooting an employee of his in February with an illegally possessed handgun, leading to the victim losing vision in his right eye. According to the suit, the man and Hernandez were involved in a fight at Tootsie's Cabaret in Miami Gardens. The shooting happened in a car that was heading from the club to Palm Beach County, according to The Miami Herald.

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