News

Victim in N. Attleboro death investigation ID'd as Boston Bandits football player

NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. (MyFoxBoston.com) – The victim at the center of a death investigation in North Attleboro involving Patriots' TE Aaron Hernandez has been identified.

A family member told FOX 25's Crystal Haynes that 27-year-old Odin Lloyd had died this week. The man, who identified himself as Lloyd's uncle Ed, said that Lloyd was a member of the Boston Bandits semi-professional football team.

The coach of the Boston Bandits, Olivier Bustin, told FOX 25 that he had heard from players and social media that Lloyd had been found dead in North Attleboro.

On Monday, a jogger found a body at an industrial park less than a mile away from Hernandez's $1.3 million North Attleboro home.

Police had not confirmed the identity of the body.

Lloyd's uncle told Haynes that the had last seen his nephew last Sunday. He said Lloyd was a "good guy" who lived in Dorchester and loved football.

According to Sports Illustrated, Hernandez was questioned Monday evening in connection with the death. Police were both outside and inside Hernandez's $1.3 million home Tuesday night and again Wednesday.

Hernandez is not believed to be a suspect; however, a 2013 Chevrolet Suburban rented in his name has emerged as a key piece of evidence in the investigation, a source told Sports Illustrated. The vehicle was registered to Enterprise Rent-A-Car.

On Tuesday two men tried to leave Hernandez's property and were stopped by state police. Both were seen a short time later entering the North Attleboro Police Station, FOX 25's Ted Daniel reports. The men were later released. One told Daniel that police confiscated his phone and that he knew nothing about the body.

Some authorities walked around the driveway and in the garage with flashlights. Before wrapping up their work for the night, one officer took a box out of the massive house.

In an exclusive interview with FOX 25, Dave Swithers, who owns a business near where the body was found, described the deceased as a black male in his late 20s. He says the man was nicely dressed in a button-down shirt and slacks.

"One of the police officers said to us it looked like he had been shot and dumped there," Swithers said.

The Bristol District Attorney's Office told FOX 25 Tuesday that based on the "nature and circumstances" the death was under investigation.

Residents living in the Westwood Estates neighborhood, an affluent new development, say the neighborhood is normally quiet.

Most neighbors say Hernandez kept to himself. Although one neighbor told FOX 25's Heather Hegedus that she heard yelling coming from inside the home Friday. SKYFOX was over an area just outside of the neighborhood Wednesday as police were conducting an apparent search.

Hernandez reportedly purchased the home from former Patriot Ty Warren, and former Patriot Tedy Bruschi also lives in the neighborhood, neighbors say.

Hernandez is represented by the Athletes First agency, which said it has no comment "on the Aaron Hernandez situation." The player's mother said by telephone from Connecticut on Tuesday she had no knowledge of a case involving him.

"I am aware of the reports, but I do not anticipate that we will be commenting publicly during an ongoing police investigation," Patriots spokesman Stacey James said.

Media reports surfaced Wednesday about a person named Alexander S. Bradley who filed a lawsuit against Hernandez claiming he shot him after the two got into a fight at a Miami strip club in February. Bradley, who claims he lost his eye in the alleged shooting, sought $100,000 in damages, but the suit has since been dropped.

>>Click here to read the lawsuit

TMZ.com reports the suit was dropped because of improperly filed paperwork. Bradley reportedly planned to file again Wednesday.

Hernandez, a University of Florida Graduate and native of Bristol, Conn., was drafted by the Patriots in 2010. He had five touchdowns for the Pats during the 2012 season.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.