Aaron Hernandez has been charged with first degree murder of Odin Lloyd and will be held without bail.
Hernandez appeared in Attleborough District Court Wednesday afternoon after being arrested that morning. He also received five additional gun charges to go along with the first degree murder charge in the homicide case, NBC reported. Hernandez pled not guilty to all six charges.
Immediately following the arrest Wednesday morning, the New England Patriots released the 23-year-old tight end.
Massachusetts State Police led Hernandez from his North Attleborough home Wednesday morning in handcuffs and placed him in a police cruiser around 9 a.m. From there, he was taken to the North Attleborough police station.
From the police station he was transported to Attleborough County Court where he was scheduled to be arraigned at 2 p.m. The Massachusetts State Police said via Twitter that the charged would not be released until revealed in court.
The Patriots' organization released a statement following Hernandez's release:
"A young man was murdered last week and we extend our sympathies to the family and friends who mourn his loss. Words cannot express the disappointment we feel knowing that one of our players was arrested as a result of this investigation. We realize that law enforcement investigations into this matter are ongoing. We support their efforts and respect the process. At this time, we believe this transaction is simply the right thing to do."
The NFL also released a statement on the matter:
"The involvement of an NFL player in a case of this nature is deeply troubling," the league's statement said. "The Patriots have released Aaron Hernandez, who will have his day in court. At the same time, we should not forget the young man who was the victim in this case and take this opportunity to extend our deepest sympathy to Odin Lloyd's family and friends."
According to the police, Lloyd was found in an industrial park less than a mile from Hernandez's home with a fatal gunshot wound to the back of his head. For nearly a full week, police searched his home and even a pond nearby.
As the investigation unfolded, police discovered Hernandez's home security system had been destroyed intentionally, his cell phone smashed and a cleaning crew hired to clean his million-dollar home the same day the body was found.
Law enforcement officials told Fox Boston a text message sent by Lloyd to a friend to confirm that Hernandez had been driving a car with Lloyd and two other men early Monday morning.
Hernandez and Lloyd were seen on surveillance tapes with two others at a Boston bar the night before the murder. The four men left together, but only three returned to Hernandez's home at the end of the night (early Monday morning). Lloyd's body was found around 5:30 p.m. that day.
Hernandez signed a five-year contract worth $40 million last summer, which did not include a "failure to perform" clause, reported NFL.com's Ian Rapoport. Hernandez could still receive $2.5 million of that deal even if the murder case prevents him from taking the field.
