A former friend of Aaron Hernandez and key prosecution witness returned to the stand Tuesday in the ex-NFL star's double murder trial.
Alexander Bradley told the jury Monday that Hernandez opened fire on a car because he believed two men inside had taunted him at a Boston nightclub on July 16, 2012.
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.
In court on Tuesday, Hernandez's defense attorney Jose Baez used Bradley's testimony on Monday and more than 400 texts sent to his former best friend against him.
Most of the text were sent after Bradley said Hernandez shot him in the face out of paranoia, fearing Bradley would rat him out in the double murders for which Hernandez is now accused.
"There's not a single text in here that says anything about Boston," Baez said, arguing that evidence of a broken friendship is not evidence of guilt.
Hernandez's defense team argues it was Bradley, a convicted felon, who pulled the trigger that fateful night. Bradley was protected by immunity for his testimony.
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The former New England Patriots tight end is accused of killing the men after de Abreu accidentally bumped into Hernandez and spilled his drink at the club. Hernandez is also charged with witness intimidation for allegedly shooting Bradley in the face months later after he became worried that Bradley would tell authorities about the earlier shootings. Bradley lost an eye in the shooting.
Hernandez has pleaded not guilty. During opening statements to the jury, his lawyer pointed the finger at Bradley, saying he shot Furtado and de Abreu over a drug deal.
Bradley is currently serving a five-year prison sentence for shooting up a bar in Hartford, Connecticut, in 2014. No one was hurt.
Hernandez is already serving a life sentence in the 2013 fatal shooting of Odin Lloyd, a semi-professional football player who was dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancée.
Bradley testified earlier that Hernandez became paranoid and said he had nightmares after the 2012 shooting but also gave himself the nickname Double A in reference to the double homicide.
"He thought helicopters were following him everywhere went," Bradley said. "He just thought there was a complete police presence around him all the time."
