Hernandez's fiancée may attend trial

— -- FALL RIVER, Mass. -- The judge overseeing the murder case against former New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez says his fiancée and mother may attend the trial, even though they could be called as witnesses.

Hernandez is in Bristol County Superior Court for a hearing ahead of his trial, which starts Friday with jury selection. He is charged in the 2013 shooting death of semiprofessional football player Odin Lloyd.

Hernandez's fiancée, Shayanna Jenkins, has pleaded not guilty to charges of perjury.

Superior Court Justice Susan Garsh on Tuesday also approved a prosecution request to bring jurors to several cellphone towers over the objections of Hernandez's lawyers, who said they were trying to re-enact their theory of the case. Prosecutors argued it is routine to show jurors the locations from which calls were placed.

Garsh then rejected the prosecution's request to cover up a trophy case in the ex-player's home when jurors visit.

Prosecutor William McCauley told Garsh that the defense team wanted to impress jurors with the trophies. Hernandez's lawyer argued that the house should be shown to the jurors exactly the way it was at the time of Lloyd's death.

Lloyd, 27, was dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancee when he was killed.

Hernandez was a tight end for the Patriots with a $40 million contract when prosecutors say he killed Lloyd in an industrial park near his home in North Attleborough.

The trial is expected to last six to 10 weeks, and dozens of witnesses could be called, including Patriots coach Bill Belichick and team owner Robert Kraft.

Hernandez also has pleaded not guilty in the fatal shootings of two men in 2012 after an encounter at a Boston nightclub. That case has not yet gone to trial.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.