New England Patriots

Busy week, with lots of alleged bigotry front and center -- from Alec Baldwin's Twitter rant, to Paula Deen's Titanic-like career plunge. So we gotta ask ...

The semi-pro football player that Aaron Hernandez allegedly shot and killed was laid to rest Saturday.

Odin Lloyd's funeral took place at the Church of Holy Spirit in Boston. Friends, relatives, and well-wishers all showed up to pay their respects.

As TMZ previously reported ... Hernandez has been charged with Odin's murder, after his body was found not far from the ex-NFL star's home. Prosecutors claim the killing stemmed from an incident that occurred between the two men at a nightclub.

Officials believe they have now apprehended ALL THREE men involved in the murder of 27-year-old Odin Lloyd on June 17th, including Aaron Hernandez.

The Bristol County D.A. in Massachusetts tells TMZ, law enforcement apprehended suspect #3 Ernest Wallace this morning in Miramar, Florida ... more than a thousand miles away from the scene of the crime.

As we reported, the other two suspects -- Aaron Hernandez and Carlos Ortiz -- were both arrested earlier this week.

Aaron Hernandez has been named a person of interest in a 2012 double murder investigation, TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... investigators now believe Hernandez had "some involvement" in the shooting incident from July 2012, when two men were killed in a late night drive-by in Boston.

Despite the connection, we're told officials don't have enough on Hernandez yet to elevate him from "person of interest" to "suspect." The investigation is ongoing.

The New England Patriots want all Aaron Hernandez jerseys off the backs of kids, and off the market completely -- and they don't care what it costs to make it happen.

The team just announced that fans can exchange their #81 Hernandez jerseys for a brand new Pats jersey ... totally free of charge.

A spokesperson said, "We know that children love wearing their Patriots jerseys, but may not understand why parents don't want them wearing their Hernandez jerseys anymore."

The trade-in offer is further indictment of Hernandez by his former team ... which cut him even before the murder charges were announced.

The only catch to the deal is you have to exchange the jersey on July 6 or 7 at the team's pro shop at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass.

Non-local Pats fans -- you're stuck with an alleged murderer on your back.

TMZ has obtained a photo of Aaron Hernandez taken on June 15 ... hours after the alleged nightclub incident with Odin Lloyd that prosecutors believe led to his murder.

The photo of former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was snapped at a Marshall's in Massachusetts on June 15th, two days before the shooting death of former semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd ... whom Hernandez has been charged with murdering in cold blood.

Hernandez posed with a fan for the photo -- and his expression is peculiar ... mainly the smile, which feels very forced. Maybe Hernandez was just having a rough morning, or maybe he was thinking about murdering someone ... hard to tell.

And speaking of cold blood, check out Hernandez' t-shirt ... a very interesting choice.

Hernandez was shopping with his fiancee at the time of the photo. His 8-month-old daughter also came along.

The judge didn't buy it ... ordering Hernandez to remain in custody while he awaits trial ... but do you?

Aaron Hernandez was locked and loaded 4 years before his current alleged murder predicament ... and he made sure to capture the gun-toting moment on camera.

TMZ has obtained this photo ... showing a 19-year-old Aaron brandishing a Glock handgun for a selfie iPhone pic. You can see a magazine inserted into the gun, but it's unclear if it was loaded.

We've learned the pic was taken in Gainesville, Florida in 2009 ... the same time Hernandez was playing football for the University of Florida.

An associate of Aaron Hernandez is now officially wanted in connection with the murder of Odin Lloyd ... and police just blasted his face and name out to the world on a wanted poster.

Police believe 41-year-old Ernest Wallace was one of two other men in the car with Hernandez on June 17th ... when Lloyd was shot and killed. Wallace is wanted as an accessory after the fact in Lloyd's murder.

Police say he is armed and dangerous.

The other person in the car, Carlos Ortiz, was arrested Wednesday in Hernandez's hometown of Bristol, Connecticut.

According to the poster ... Wallace also goes by "BO" and "Fish." Police say he was last seen driving a silver/gray 2012 Chrysler 300 -- and is now most likely in Florida, Georgia, Connecticut or Massachusetts.

And boom goes the dynamite ... NFL star Aaron Hernandez' biggest sponsor PUMA has just dropped him like a hot potato.

A rep for PUMA tells TMZ, "PUMA has ended the relationship with athlete Aaron Hernandez in light of the current situation."

Hernandez signed the 2-year endorsement deal with PUMA in April 2013 as the face of its "training category." It's unclear how much the deal was worth ... but safe to say, a lot.

As we reported, Hernandez is currently in custody awaiting his murder trial. Hernandez was charged with 1st degree murder and 5 other gun-related charges in connection with the death of a 27-year-old former semi-pro football player named Odin Lloyd.

Hernandez is being held without bail.

NFL star and murder suspect Aaron Hernandez has just been denied bail ... meaning he'll rot behind bars until his trial ... and that could take forever.

Hernandez was present in court today for a bail review hearing, where his lawyer begged the judge to release Hernandez from custody while he awaits trial.

But the judge wasn't moved by his arguments -- that Hernandez is an upstanding citizen and family man with no flight risk -- claiming the prosecution already had very strong evidence that Hernandez had committed the crime.

As for the evidence ... the prosecutor went through the entire timeline leading up to the murder of Odin Lloyd earlier this month, including matching shell casings found at the murder scene and inside Hernandez' rental car. He also mentioned the photo TMZ posted last night -- showing Hernandez brandishing a glock in the mirror 4 years ago -- claiming it's possible the murder weapon was also a glock.

The prosecutor said they'd be seeking the max sentence for Hernandez ... life without parole.

Hernandez' fiancee -- who was also present in court -- was inconsolable when the judge issued her decision to keep the NFL star behind bars.

As we reported, Hernandez was remanded into custody yesterday following his arraignment and was ordered to be held WITHOUT bail.

Hernandez has been charged with murder in the death of 27-year-old Odin Lloyd. He's also been hit with 5 gun-related charges.

Officials in Massachusetts will NOT confirm if Aaron Hernandez is connected to a 2012 double murder investigation ... but they're not exactly denying it either.

There are reports that Hernandez is being investigated about a shooting incident from July 2012 -- when two men were killed in a late-night drive-by in Boston.

We reached out to the Suffolk County District Attorney ... and a rep for the office would only confirm there is an "active investigation" into the case.

When we pushed and asked if Hernandez was a person of interest ... the rep had no comment.

However, one source close to the situation tells us, "It's safe to assume he is now involved."

Stay tuned ...

TMZ has obtained a photo of Aaron Hernandez throwing up gang signs often associated with the Bristol Bloods street gang in Connecticut ... while dressed head-to-toe in red clothing.

The photo was taken approximately 6 years ago, when Aaron was 17-years-old ... and a senior at Bristol Central High.

Aaron was long-rumored to be a member of the gang ... and now, with this photo -- combined with the "blood" tattoo spotted on his hand during his arraignment -- the doubt has seemingly been erased.

23-year-old Hernandez has been charged with the murder of 27-year-old Odin Lloyd. He's due back in court later today.

Aaron Hernandez was in constant fear that someone wanted him dead ... and that's why he stocked up on firearms ... sources close to the former New England Patriots star tell TMZ.

We're told ... the stories about Aaron's connections to gang members in Connecticut are real -- because the 23-year-old had joined one back when he was a teenager.

Sources connected to Aaron tell us ... he had been trying to move away from the gangster life ever since he signed his fat $40 million contract with the Patriots back in 2012, but it's not as easy as it sounds.

In fact, we're told Aaron believed people in the gangster world felt Aaron owed them something ... but it wasn't all about money -- they wanted his time and respect.

Sources say ... in the months leading up to the death of Odin Lloyd, Hernandez became paranoid that people from his "old lifestyle" were trying to kill him. It's unclear if Aaron feared scorned friends ... or rivals.

When TMZ asked Aaron Hernandez about a hypothetical bounty on his head ... all he could do was smile and laugh -- then again, the footage was shot nearly 4 months before he allegedly killed someone.

We found this clip showing the former New England Patriots star leaving Saddle Ranch on March 5 ... sporting a big ol' smile as we asked him about the NFL bounty scandal.

Now, of course, the term "hit" has taken on a totally different meaning ... as the 23-year-old faces murder charges in the slaying of 27-year-old Odin Lloyd.

Prosecutors believe they have a CRUCIAL piece of evidence that proves Aaron Hernandez murdered Odin Lloyd ... and the proof tastes like cotton candy.

As Aaron stood shackled in a Massachusetts courtroom moments ago, prosecutors spelled out their case against the former New England Patriots player.

During the hearing, prosecutors say they can prove Hernandez stopped at a gas station hours before the murder and purchased gas, cigarettes and BLUE COTTON CANDY FLAVORED BUBBLICIOUS BUBBLE GUM.

After Odin was murdered, investigators say they found a shell casing in his rental car that matched the caliber of the bullet used to kill the 27-year-old ... and next to the casing -- A CHEWED PIECE OF BLUE COTTON CANDY FLAVORED BUBBLICIOUS BUBBLE GUM.

Officials believe the gum places Hernandez at the scene of the crime -- and proves he killed Odin.