Aaron Hernandez Murder Case Update: Football Player's Associate Arraigned In Massachusetts On An Accessory Charge

One of ex-New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez’s alleged accomplices has pleaded not guilty in connection to the murder of Odin Lloyd. On Thursday, Ernest Wallace appeared in Fall River, Mass., Superior Court and will be held on $500,000 bond until a bail hearing on Sept.26.

Wallace has been charged with being an accessory to murder after the fact. Wallace’s lawyers will look to reduce the bail amount at the hearing.

“I think it is a very safe assumption that during the bail hearing you will learn about matters that you’re not aware of right now,” Bristol County District Attorney C. Samuel Sutter said. “This is a very serious offense. Accessory after the fact of murder [carries] a seven-year state prison sentence. We allege that he assisted, in a material way, Aaron Hernandez after the fact of the murder of Odin Lloyd.”

It is believed that Wallace and Carlos Ortiz were with the football player at the time of Lloyd’s death. Ortiz, however, only faces a weapons charge and has not been identified as an accessory to murder.

According to prosecutors, the three men have been seen on video going into Hernandez’s house just minutes after Lloyd was killed. Authorities have been looking for the murder weapon, but been unable to recover it. Court documents say Ortiz didn’t see the shooting, but he told police that Wallace claimed Hernandez was the killer.

Wallace has been described as a bodyguard for the former New England Patriots tight end. He’s 41 years old with no job and appears to be supported by Hernandez.

Hernandez remains in jail on no bail after he’s pleaded not guilty to murder charges. He is also being investigated in connection with a separate homicide from July of last year.