Lawyers for former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez on Wednesday asked a judge to keep out of his murder case several jailhouse conversations he had while awaiting trial on charges he killed Odin Lloyd in June 2013. Among the filings are partial transcripts of several conversations he and others connected to the case had.
They include calls with Hernandez’s fiancee, Shayanna Jenkins; college teammate and Miami Dolphins player Mike Pouncey; co-defendant Ernest Wallace, whom he sometimes referred to as his uncle; cousin Tanya Singleton, who pleaded guilty to criminal contempt for failing to testify before a grand jury; and Singleton’s sister, Jennifer Mercado. Mercado and Jenkins have been granted immunity to testify for prosecutors.
Hernandez’s lawyers argue the conversations are irrelevant and prejudicial and contain hearsay. Prosecutors said they would respond Thursday.
Here are some excerpts of the conversations:
July 12, 2013
Singleton: I know. I’m not saying nothing. I love you so much.
July 23, 2013
Singleton: He says he misses you, too.
July 23, 2013
Hernandez is recorded speaking to an unidentified woman. Hernandez’s defense team says it believes prosecutors will say it’s Singleton, who’s terminally ill with cancer. Hernandez says he has set up an account for Singleton’s two children and says “don’t tell nobody.”
Woman: I didn’t know you did that.
Hernandez: Yo, yo, so at least if they struggle now, if they can mature enough, they may have like $250,000 just to have (inaudible).
…
Hernandez: ‘Cause that’s going to be — the reason I did that is that’s my way to have some control so I can be like, hey, you guys want to do this, then once they’re old enough (inaudible). But once they mature (inaudible) do you know what I mean, and you did that. Do you know what I’m saying?
Woman: Yeah.
Hernandez: So don’t tell nobody. I don’t want nobody to know about it. Not even my girl, nobody. And, but what you call it, ’cause it already started off at $100,000 for them, do you know what I’m saying, I think about $75 a piece or something like that, and every seven years, it doubles. So it would be $100,000, $200,000. I put in $250 for Avielle (inaudible) it will be a million by the time she’s 18, 6 million by the time she’s like 30.
Oct. 14, 2013
Hernandez is recorded speaking with Pouncey. Both say they miss Wallace, and Hernandez tells Pouncey that Wallace is in jail with one of the nation’s most famous fugitives at the time, Boston mobster James “Whitey” Bulger.
Pouncey: Um, who?
Hernandez: He’s locked up with that — with that Mafia dude.
Pouncey: No.
Hernandez: The Mafia dude up here who just got caught like after like —
Pouncey: Oh, yeah, yeah.
Hernandez: (Inaudible).
Pouncey: Yeah.
Hernandez: He’s in the cell right next to him.
Pouncey: Oh, OK. He cool, though? Everything cool with him?
Hernandez: Yeah, yeah, yeah. He’s good. He in the hole, too.
Dec. 25, 2013
Jenkins: Do I still have what?
Hernandez: My clothes still at the house?
Jenkins: Where do you think they are?
Hernandez: I don’t know.
Jenkins: I mean, what — what do you think I’m doing? I don’t — I don’t understand. I really don’t understand. Like, where do you think your clothes are? Your clothes are exactly — I mean, that is your house. Your clothes are exactly where they’re supposed to be.
Hernandez: Um.
Jenkins: I thought about moving your shoes to give me some more room, but, I mean, I left them.
Hernandez: Yeah, (inaudible).
Jenkins: But I — I don’t know what you’re thinking I’m doing. I mean, your clothes are exactly where — I mean, you’ve only been gone for what, six months?
Hernandez: Yeah.
Jenkins: You act like you’re going to be gone for, like, 20 years.