Aaron Hernandez Case Update: Former NFL Star Linked To 2012 Double Homicide

As he remains locked up in a Massachusetts prison, former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez recently learned that Boston police view him as a suspect in a double homicide that took place in Boston in 2012. Hernandez was arrested and charged with the murder of former semiprofessional football player Odin Lloyd in June of 2013 and in addition to the murder charge, the former University of Florida standout was also slapped with five gun-related charges. If he is eventually convicted of first-degree murder, Hernandez faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.

According to The Courant, a recently released search warrant gives insight into why local authorities view Aaron Hernandez as a suspect in the 2012 double murder. Placing Hernandez in the area where the drive-by shooting took place, police believe the 24-year-old was in the SUV that was used to follow the victims once they entered their own vehicle. Reportedly circling the area until the targets were spotted, the silver SUV -- that reportedly had Aaron Hernandez inside -- pulled up to a red light where an unknown individual unloaded multiple gunshots to those in the corresponding vehicle. Of the five men in the fired-on automobile, two were killed with another man absorbing significant injuries.

Though the recent warrant does not provide evidence indicating that Hernandez was the one who pulled the trigger, police feel strongly enough to list him as a suspect in the double homicide. The two men murdered -- Daniel Abreu and Safiro Furtado -- were departing Cure Lounge with three friends in the South End of Boston just moments before they were fired upon. As the New York Daily News reports, area surveillance cameras placed Hernandez at the same club earlier that evening.

Massacusetts State Police also recovered a gun they believed was used in the double murder. According to ESPN, the gun was found in the vehicle of 19-year-old Jailene Diaz-Ramos, who is from Hernandez's hometown of Bristol, Connecticut. Diaz-Ramos was involved in an automobile accident back in June on Interstate 91 in Massachusetts, giving authorities the opportunity to find the weapon but there has not been a connection made between the 19-year-old and Aaron Hernandez.