A Massachusetts judge has delayed the double murder trial for former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez.
The Sporting News reported that Hernandez’s lawyers requested the trial delay for the 2012 killings of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado so they can prepare for his other murder trial set to begin in January.
"At the defense’s request, Judge Jeffrey Locke agreed to continue the previously scheduled Suffolk County trial date but declined to set a new date at this time,'' a spokesperson for the Suffolk County District Attorney's office said in a statement Tuesday.
As the Associated Press noted, the ex-NFL star is accused of fatally shooting the two men outside of a Boston nightclub after having an altercation with them inside the club. The date for the trial was originally set for May.
The separate January murder trial is for the 2013 slaying of semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd. The victim’s body was found shot to death in an industrial park about a mile away from Hernandez’s home. The former NFL player was arrested several days later in connection with the shooting.
Jury selection for that trial will start on Jan.5.
The 25-year-old did not appear in court on Tuesday.