Key witness takes stand at Hernandez trial

BOSTON — The jury in the Aaron Hernandez double murder trial has already heard from 43 witnesses, but the next key witness began testimony on Monday.

The key witness is Alexander Bradley. He is Hernandez’s former friend who allegedly was with him on the night of the double murder.

The prosecution is working to make the case that Hernandez was the one who pulled the trigger, killing Daniel De Abreu and Safrio Furtado.

The defense claims it was actually Bradley who did it.

But Bradley testified in court Monday Hernadez opened fire on a car because he believed two men inside had taunted him at a Boston nightclub.

Bradley said Hernandez ordered him to pull up next to the victims' car at a stop light, then repeatedly fired a revolver into the car. Safiro Furtado and Daniel de Abreu were killed.

Relatives of the men wept as Bradley testified.

Bradley said Hernandez used a racial epithet and said, "What's up now?" before firing.

The prosecution previously told the jury about Bradley’s own troubled history, saying he wasn’t going to tell a soul about the South End shooting in 2012 until Hernandez shot him in the face months later because he feared Bradley would talk to police.

Before the trial ended last week, the jury heard testimony about a tattoo of a gun and the words God Forgives.

Hernandez got the tattoos eight months after the two men were shot and killed. Prosecutors said the tattoo was done to memorialize the killings.

The defense said that’ speculation.

Bradley has been in a Connecticut jail and was brought to Massachusetts on Friday.

Associated Press