Lawyer for murder victims' families claims 'abundance of evidence' in Hernandez suit

FALL RIVER, Mass. (MyFoxBoston.com) -- The families of the two men shot and killed in Boston on July 16, 2012 haven't said much publicly, until this week.

The fathers of Daniel Abreu and Safiro Furtado spoke to reporters for the first time at the office of the Quincy lawyer they hired to represent them. The lawyer, William Kennedy, says the evidence proves that former Patriot Aaron Hernandez was the gunman.

He says the families want Hernandez held to be held accountable, and that's why they are suing the former Patriot for $12 million.

Salvatore Furtado, Safiro's father, wants $6 million and Ernesto Abreu, Daniel's father, wants the same.

FOX 25 first reported back in July that police had linked Hernandez to the crime through surveillance images and a rented SUV the football player was allegedly driving that night.

In October, one of the survivors of the shooting told FOX Undercover Hernandez was the triggerman. Kennedy says that witness is not the only one.

"There is an abundance of evidence to support this civil claim, which is different than a criminal claim, against Mr. Hernandez," he said.

A Suffolk Grand Jury has been investigating the double murders for eight months, but no charges have been filed.

Kennedy says the families can't control the criminal side of this case and the wrongful death civil suits can still move forward, even if Hernandez is never charged. The fathers of the two Cape Verde immigrants gunned down in a BMW while driving with others in Boston's South End want justice for their sons.

"What the families of these two young men want is they want justice. They want the deaths of their sons to be the people responsible, the person responsible to be held accountable," Kennedy said.

Danny Abreu moved to Dorchester from Cape Verde about six months before he was killed. He was a police officer in his home country and his father says he hoped to be one here.

Safiro Furtado moved to Dorchester about three years before his murder. He worked as a translator in Cape Verde and is fluent in French, English and Portuguese.

The big question remains, why would a rising NFL star target them?

Kennedy says he's not prepared to discuss motive but he did say this: "Going to a night club and maybe having some words with somebody or something like that is hardly reason to be gunned down in the street."

Cox Media Group