Aaron Hernandez Fiancee Shayanna Jenkins Testifies at Murder Trial
— -- Aaron Hernandez's fiancee, Shayanna Jenkins, said today in a Massachusetts courtroom that the former New England Patriots star denied involvement in a friend's alleged murder.
Hernandez, 25, is accused of orchestrating Odin Lloyd's slaying June 17, 2013. Prosecutors say Hernandez and two other men picked up Lloyd from his house and brought him to an industrial park near the Patriots' Gillette Stadium. Hernandez has pleaded not guilty.
Jenkins, who was on the stand for four hours today, said that after she found out Lloyd had been killed, she asked Hernandez whether he did it, and he said "no."
"That was the extent of our conversation," she added.
Jenkins, 25, who was granted immunity in February, was called by the prosecution. Surveillance video previously played for the jury showed Jenkins' removing a garbage bag from their home with what appeared to be a box inside. Prosecutors said before the trial that they believe the box contained the alleged murder weapon, which has never been found.
Court recessed for the day just as prosecutors started asking about the trash bag.
Jenkins and Hernandez were high school sweethearts and have a 2-year-old daughter together.
At the break for lunch, Jenkins walked off the stand, looked at Hernandez and mouthed a quick "I love you." Minutes later, she walked across the street and greeted Hernandez's mother and stepfather with a big hug before joining them for lunch.
Court was delayed about an hour this morning about an hour as nine jurors were called into the courtroom individually to be questioned by Judge Susan Garsh. One juror in particular was brought back three times, but it is unknown what was discussed. One juror was dismissed this morning for "reasons that are personal," bringing the number down to 15.
Proceedings were then delayed longer after the defense filed a motion to limit Jenkins' testimony. The result was a session this morning without the jury present during which the prosecution asked her a number of questions to gauge what her testimony would be.
Jenkins said when police came to her home on the evening of June 17, she asked Hernandez what it was about, and he said he didn't know. "I just asked what was going on and he said he didn't know," Jenkins said.
Jenkins then drove Hernandez to the police station. When prosecutors asked whether they had a conversation in the car, Jenkins said "No."
"We both had question marks," she said this morning. "We didn't have any further conversation."
Jenkins said she and Hernandez didn't talk about whether Hernandez and Lloyd were together the night of the alleged murder. She said they also didn't have a conversation about Lloyd's body being found near their home.
Jenkins said there was one gun kept in the home she shared with Hernandez. The gun was stored in the junk drawer in the kitchen, but she said she doesn't remember when she last saw the gun in the drawer.
She took the stand again in the afternoon, this time before the jury, but did not repeat the morning's testimony.
In the afternoon, Jenkins was asked about Hernandez and Lloyd's friendship.
"They were always together when he came over," Jenkins said. "If that isn't friends don't know what is." The defense has claimed that Hernandez and Lloyd were good friends and Hernandez wouldn't have a reason to kill him.
Jenkins also testified that Hernandez was a frequent marijuana user, an important piece of information for the prosecution because Hernandez's DNA was found on a blunt at the scene of the alleged crime.
Prosecutors also asked Jenkins about her withdrawing $500 to give to Hernandez's friend. Prosecutors have said that the withdrawal was getaway money, and that if Jenkins didn't have immunity, she would have been charged as an accessory.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
