By Michelle R. Smith, Associated Press
FALL RIVER, Mass. (AP) - Prosecutors in Massachusetts are expected to lay out their case against former New England Patriots star player Aaron Hernandez, as they deliver opening statements in his murder trial.
The openings Thursday come just days before Hernandez's old team is due to play in the Super Bowl on Sunday.
Hernandez has pleaded not guilty to killing semiprofessional football player Odin Lloyd in 2013. Lloyd was dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancée. He was found shot to death in an industrial park near Hernandez's home, not far from Gillette Stadium.
Bristol County Superior Court Judge Susan Garsh must still swear in 18 jurors before the openings begin. She has called a pool of backup jurors to come to the courthouse in case any jurors she seated last week are unable to serve.
