Aaron Hernandez: Carlos Ortiz, Who Says that Ernest Wallace Told Him that Hernandez Pulled the Trigger, is a Heavy Drug User
By Jason Lisk
Carlos Ortiz is, at this point, the prosecution’s star live witness to tie together the events that led to Odin Lloyd’s death. Reports emerged that Ortiz claimed that the other man charged with being an accessory after the fact, Ernest Wallace, told him that Hernandez is the one that pulled the trigger and shot Lloyd. Ortiz is also the one that revealed the location of Hernandez’ secret flophouse.
How does this happen? Ortiz was with Hernandez, Wallace, and Lloyd on the night in question. According to Ortiz, he remained in the car at the industrial park when the other three men got out to urinate. That’s when the shots were fired, and Ortiz could not see what happened.
Of course, expect the defense to point out Ortiz’ history of drug use. According to the affidavits filed by police, Ortiz told a probation officer that he was “abusing PCP, alcohol and THC daily”. He was ordered to an in-patient treatment but failed to go, and also failed a drug test the week before the murder, testing positive for PCP, alcohol, cocaine, and THC.
It’s not surprising that Hernandez’ associates in this case don’t exactly have the cleanest record, so it will still come down to credibility among alleged thieves, so to speak. In addition to using that drug use to cast aspersions on his general character, you can expect the defense to question how coherent and aware he was on the night in question, and whether he truly remembers those details.
Finally, it is still interesting that the prosecution is at this time charging Ernest Wallace with being an accessory after the fact. If Ortiz account is correct that he did not get out of the car, then surveillance video place those men in the car with Lloyd on the night of the murder. Despite the texts pleading for Wallace to show up so they could get to Lloyd in a hurry, the prosecution must not feel there is evidence of knowledge of a plan to murder Lloyd, only to cover up or conceal it.