A man linked to the murder case involving Aaron Hernandez cast the former New England Patriots tight end as the triggerman in a police interview, according to documents filed Tuesday morning in Florida.
The Broward County court records, obtained by CBS4 Miami and provided to NFL.com and NFL Network, also show a vehicle wanted in connection to a 2012 double killing in Boston had been rented in Hernandez's name.
More: Complete court records
See court records, obtained by CBS4 Miami and provided to NFL.com and NFL Network, in which an associate of Aaron Hernandez claimed the former
Patriots tight end told another associate that he fired the fatal shots in Odin Lloyd's death.
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The Associated Press first reported the contents of the documents.
Hernandez has been charged with murder in the June 17 killing of Boston semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd. The court records say Hernandez associate Carlos Ortiz told Massachusetts investigators on June 25 that another man, Ernest Wallace, said Hernandez shot Lloyd in an industrial park near Hernandez's home in North Attleboro.
The documents were filed in court by the Miramar, Fla., police department to justify a search of Wallace's mother's home in that city. Police executed that search July 1 and took 14 items, including clothing and two cellphones.
The records also show that police, while investigating Lloyd's killing, searched in Hernandez's hometown of Bristol, Conn., on June 26, and found a vehicle wanted in connection with a July 2012 double homicide near a Boston nightclub.
Hernandez has pleaded not guilty in Lloyd's killing. His legal team did not return email messages Tuesday. Wallace, who turned himself in to Miramar police June 28, faces an accessory to murder charge in the case and has pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors say Hernandez, Wallace and Ortiz drove with Lloyd in a rented Nissan Altima to the industrial park where Lloyd was fatally shot.
Ortiz told police that Hernandez told Lloyd during the June 17 drive that Lloyd had been "chilling" with people Hernandez had problems with, the documents say. But Ortiz told police the two men shook hands and the problem seemed smoothed over. Ortiz said he fell asleep on the car ride, which happened after 2 a.m., but awoke when the vehicle stopped and Hernandez, Wallace and Lloyd exited to urinate.
Ortiz told police he then heard gunshots before Hernandez and Wallace got back into the car without Lloyd and sped away. Ortiz said he couldn't see who fired the shots because it was dark.
Back at Hernandez's home, Ortiz said, Wallace asked him to get a small gun out from under the driver's seat. Ortiz said he did and gave it to Hernandez once they were inside the home.
Ortiz said he then went to sleep. When he woke up in the afternoon, according to his account, the three men returned the Altima and rented a Chrysler 300 before returning to Hernandez's home. Ortiz and Wallace then went to an area apartment that Hernandez and other football players used. Wallace let Ortiz in before leaving for a long time, Ortiz said. The two then drove to Bristol, and Ortiz told police Wallace said Hernandez "admitted to shooting" Lloyd.
The gun used in the killing has not been found.
Hernandez, Wallace and Ortiz appear linked through Bristol. Wallace told Florida police he grew up with Hernandez's father. Ortiz's attorney, John Connors, said Tuesday his client, who's around the age of Hernandez's older brother, is from Bristol.
Ortiz was arraigned last month on a charge of illegally carrying a firearm on the day of the shooting, and a not guilty plea was entered on his behalf.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
