Shayanna Jenkins is facing up to two decades in prison after lying 29 times to a grand jury investigating her boyfriend, Aaron Hernandez.
Jenkins was called to testify before a grand jury investigating the murder of Odin Lloyd, who was found in June shot several times. His body was found close to Hernandez’s home in North Attleborough.
William M. McCauley, first assistant district attorney for Bristol County, has now filed papers saying that Shayanna Jenkins committed perjury .
Police have laid out what appears to be a strong case against Hernandez, with video showing him with a gun just before the alleged shooting and other surveillance video showing him driving with Lloyd.
Shayanna Jenkins is the mother of Hernandez’s 1-year-old daughter. Prosecutors say she lied about conversations she had with Hernandez when he called her on June 18 and asked her to remove some items from his house. She also lied about why he removed the items and how she disposed of them, prosecutors said.
Bristol County Assistant District Attorney Patrick Bomberg said that Hernandez told Jenkins to dispose of a box from the basement . The prosecutor says that Jenkins then shoved the box into a trash bag, covered it with baby clothes, and drove off. Jenkins told prosecutors that she forgot where she threw the box away.
Prosecutors have not identified what items were in the box and whether they were connected to Lloyd’s murder.
Shayanna’s lawyer, Janice Bassil, said McCauley’s filing was unfounded.
“Perhaps they feel if they throw enough mud against the wall, something will stick,” Bassil told the Boston Globe .
“I guess it’s going to be a long trial,” Bassil added.
Shayanna Jenkins could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted on the perjury charge.
