By Mary Whitfill, editor-in-chief

Aaron Hernandez, former tight end for the New England Patirots, has been indicted in the deaths of Daniel Jorge Correia de Abreau and Safiro Teixeira Furtado in connection with a 2012 shooting. Neva Coakley, Boston Police Department spokeswoman, confirmed the news on Thursday.

Hernandez was investigated in the deaths of Furtado, 29, and de Abreau, 28, after being held without bail last year for the unrelated murder of Odin Lloyd. Lloyd, 27, was a semi-professional football player whose body was found in North Attleborough near Hernandez’s home. He plead not guilty.

A Suffolk County Grand Jury indicted Hernandez after obtaining surveillance footage from outside the Boston South End nightclub Cure on July 16, 2012. The shooting victims entered the club before Hernandez and while his movements inside the club were not recorded, police said he and another man, Alexander Bradley, downed drinks and quickly left.

An hour and a half later, around 2 a.m., the BMW de Abreu and Furtado left the club in was open fired upon by two men in an SUV, according to survivor Aquilino Freire. The SUV was later found in the garage of Hernandez’s cousin in Bristol, Conn. Court documents suggest Hernandez was both the shooter and driver of the second vehicle.

The timeline of events shows that Hernandez played the entire 2012-2013 season with the Patriots after the two murders occurred, following the signing of a $40 million contract in August of 2012. Both families have filed wrongful death lawsuits against Hernandez, seeking millions.

Following the announcement, David Frank, managing editor of Massachusetts Lawyer Weekly, tweeted the following: “Hernandez will appear in Suffolk Superior Court in the next few days to enter a not guilty plea on the murder indictment.”

The former NFL player is expected to be arraigned at a later date.

Photo courtesy fullscalesports, Creative Commons