Aaron Hernandez saw his PCP-taking friends kill Odin Lloyd but did not commit the murder himself , his defense claimed in the closing arguments of his trial on Tuesday . 'Did he make all the right decisions ? No , ' defense attorney James Sultan said . 'He was a 23-year-old kid who witnessed ... a shocking killing committed by somebody he knew . He really did n't know what to do . So he just put one foot in front of the other . ' After closing arguments from the defense and the prosecution , the jury began their deliberations on Tuesday afternoon . If convicted , Hernandez faces a maximum penalty of life in prison . The former New England Patriots football player , 25 , has pleaded not guilty to murder and firearms charges in the death of Lloyd , a semiprofessional football player who was dating his fiancée 's sister . Scroll down for video . On trial : Aaron Hernandez is seen in court on Tuesday as his attorney shows a video of his home before closing arguments . His defense argued that he witnessed the killing of a friend but did not commit it himself . Defiant : Defense attorney James Sultan holds a photo of the murder scene during closing arguments . Prosecutor William McCauley points to Hernandez on Tuesday as he told jurors to simply look at the evidence . Prosecutors say the former tight end and two friends , Ernest Wallace and Carlos Ortiz , picked up Lloyd at his Boston home before dawn on June 17 , 2013 , and drove him to an industrial park near Hernandez 's house in North Attleboro , Massachusetts , where they shot him to death . Surveillance video at Hernandez 's home minutes after the shooting showed him holding a black item that appeared to be a gun . A joint found near Lloyd 's body had Hernandez 's and Lloyd 's DNA on it . Murdered : Semi-pro football player , Odin Lloyd , was shot dead near Hernandez 's home in June 2013 . Cellphone records shared in court also showed the men communicating with Lloyd that night . Surveillance video along the way showed Hernandez driving the Nissan shortly before Lloyd 's sister saw him get into a silver car , a moment captured on a neighbor 's security camera . Soon after , a toll booth camera caught the Nissan leaving Boston , while Lloyd 's phone pinged several cell towers before stopping in North Attleborough for good . His body was found in an industrial park less than a mile from Hernandez 's home later that day . Lloyd had been shot six times . In his closing arguments , Assistant District Attorney William McCauley told jurors to go through all the evidence . 'If you do that , you 'll get to where you need to go , which is to find the defendant guilty for the murder of Odin Lloyd , ' McCauley said . But the defense said the prosecution 's case failed to prove Hernandez pulled the trigger . Prosecutors have never presented a motive to jurors and Sultan added on Monday that Hernandez and Lloyd were friends who shared ' a passion for marijuana ' . 'Obviously they were friends , ' Sultan told the jury . 'They were future brothers-in-law . ' Wallace and Ortiz have also pleaded not guilty to murder charges and will be tried separately . Both men used the drug PCP , according to attorneys and court documents , and the defense team has sought to link use of the drug with violent , unpredictable behavior in an apparent attempt to shift blame for the murder on the pair . Blame game : Attorneys from the defense team said Carlos Ortiz , left , and Ernest Wallace , right , were responsible for the murder - not Hernandez . DNA and surveillance footage ties all three to the scene . Support : Shayanna Jenkins ( left ) , Hernandez 's girlfriend , and his mother Terri listen to the judge on Tuesday . Emotional : An uncle of Odin Lloyd is comforted as he hears details about his nephew 's death on Tuesday . Investigators say Lloyd was shot multiple times with a Glock .45-caliber handgun that has not been found . Sultan said that after nine weeks of testimony , prosecutors 'still have n't proved to you who killed Odin Lloyd . ' During the trial , which started in late January , the prosecution called 131 witnesses while the defense called three . Sultan also attacked the investigation , saying a shell casing removed from a rental car returned by Hernandez had been contaminated with his client 's DNA from a piece of chewing gum stuck to it . 'The investigation done in this case was incomplete , biased and inept . That was not fair to Odin Lloyd , that was not fair to Aaron Hernandez , and it was not fair to you , ' he said . 'All that effort and this is all they could come up with . What does that tell you ? ' Eighteen jurors began the trial in January , but three were dismissed , including one who is accused of misrepresenting her answers during screening in a bid to get onto the jury . Hernandez had a $ 41 million contract with the Patriots . He was cut after being charged with Lloyd 's killing in June 2013 . All smiles : The former New England Patriots football player smiles during a conversation with his defense lawyer Charles Rankin on Monday . His lawyers argued the prosecution has not proven he pulled the trigger .
Jurors begun participating in Aaron Hernandez 's murder trial on Tuesday afternoon after the prosecution and defense delivered their closing arguments . The former New England Patriots football player is accused of murdering semi - pro player Odin Lloyd , who was dating his fiancee 's sister , in June 2013 . His defense said on Tuesday that he witnessed his friends , ben Wallace and Carlos Ortiz , kill him but did not commit the shooting himself . His lawyers said the prosecution has not proven he pulled the trigger . Hernandez received life in prison if convicted of the murder .