While the New England Patriots are on their way to the Super Bowl, their former tight end Aaron Hernandez is heading into the courtroom to face first-degree murder charges.

25 year old, Hernandez, is on trial for the homicide of his late friend and semiprofessional football player, Odin Lloyd. Mr. Lloyd, 27, was discovered June 17, 2013 in pit around an industrial park in North Attleboro, Massachusetts. The industrial park is located near Mr. Hernandez’s home.

The cause of Lloyd’s death has been determined as six gun shots. During the time of his death, Mr. Lloyd had been in a relationship with the sister of Hernandez’s fiancee. It was the statement by the prosecution that Hernandez had arranged the homicide days in advanced.

As jury of six men and 12 women sat down to hear the opening statements Thursday, the prosecutor, Patrick Bomberg, tried to put the two friends together during the time of the murder. Bombergs crucial piece of evidence tying the two together is DNA found in a marijuana cigarette at the industrial park.

There was also DNA evidence found in a shell casing in a Nissan Altima rented by the Mr. Hernandez, which he was driving the night of the murder. The shell casing, prosecutors state, matched the bullets of a .45 caliber Glock that was found in the same industrial site and used to kill Lloyd. The handgun has yet to be found.

Other key proof includes rear wheel prints matching the Altima and a pair of footprints which are the same as the Air Jordans that Mr. Hernandez was wearing the day of the murder. The prosecution presented surveillance and pings from cell phones which revealed that both Lloyd and Hernandez were with each other up until the time of the murder. This evidence also reveals that Mr. Hernandez arrived at his house without Lloyd later that evening.

Even though the prosecution does not have to prove Mr. Hernandez was the one who shot Lloyd, they do have to show beyond any reasonable doubt that he was a knowing participant in the act of a crime, explained Judge E. Susan Garsh to the jurors.

When it came to the defense, Mr. Hernandez has plead not guilty. Michael Fee, a lawyer for Hernandez began the opening statement saying that he is an innocent man. The investigation into the murder was sloppy and unprofessional while altering or completely ignoring the evidence, Fee stated. He also said that when they found out that Lloyd and Hernandez were associated, it was all incriminating.

The evidence that the two men were together before the crime should not be enough to prove that Mr. Hernandez murdered Lloyd, said Mr. Fee. Furthermore Hernandez had no motive in killing Lloyd and that since Lloyd was dating the sister of his fiancee, they would be brothers-in-law.

Fee went on to express that Hernandez has recently played in the Super Bowl with the Patriots, has gone into another $40 million contract, and had a two year old daughter to take care of.

Hernandez fiancee and mother of his daughter, Shayanna Jenkins, attended the opening statements Thursday. It is unclear whether Ms. Jenkins, which is now facing a charge of perjury, will testify in the case against Hernandez.