Jurors in the Aaron Hernandez murder trial will hear opening statements from attorneys on Thursday on whether the former tight end of the New England Patriots who was once worth more than $40 million killed a semipro player.

Hernandez pleaded not guilty to the killing in 2013 of Odin Lloyd who dated Hernandez’s fiancées’ sister.

Two males who are alleged accomplices, Carlos Ortiz and Ernest Wallace, have also entered not guilty pleas and are to be tried separately.

Renewed attention has come to the case since New England is playing Seattle in this Sunday’s Super Bowl and since Bob Kraft the owner of the Patriots and Bill Belichick the coach are on the witness list for the prosecution.

Days following the slaying of Lloyd, which was on June 17, 2013, Hernandez visited Gillette Stadium where the Patriots play their home games and spoke to both Belichick and Kraft about the death of Lloyd according to members of law enforcement that have knowledge of the case.

Both of those meetings were face to face, later Kraft told investigators that his former tight end said straight out that he did not have anything to do with the death of Lloyd.

According to the Patriots head coach, the same applied and he told authorities he talked with Hernandez about where he was on the night Lloyd was killed. The day police arrested Hernandez, Belichick told reporters during a press conference that he had been shocked.

Since the arrest of the former NFL player in the death of Lloyd, there has been a big change in the case for the prosecution, seemingly in the favor of Hernandez, as the presiding judge barred certain evidence of the prosecutors, said legal analysts.

The judge barred a text message Lloyd sent to his sister only minutes prior to being killed. That message stated he was with NFL just so u are aware.

The ruling by the Judge said the message did not contain enough proof Lloyd thought he was going to be killed. Other testimony has also been barred, making the case much more difficult for prosecutors.