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While it may not be as iconic as the white Ford Bronco, a controversial silver Toyota 4Runner has recently gained notoriety as a highly sought-after piece of sports memorabilia linked to murder. A pair of car dealers from New England listed the 2006 Toyota, previously leased by former Patriots player Aaron Hernandez, on eBay. The vehicle is reportedly associated with the drive-by shooting that resulted in the deaths of two men. Although Hernandez was found not guilty in a trial last month before his suicide, bids on the “REAL DEAL” truck, along with a signed Hernandez jersey, briefly soared above $100,000 before eBay removed the listing.
The 4Runner’s crime-scene condition was apparent, with images from the original advertisement showing black powder residue on the overhead reading lights and sunroof switch, remnants of police fingerprint analysis. Hernandez leased the Toyota from a Rhode Island dealership in 2010 as part of a promotional agreement following his draft by the New England Patriots. However, the vehicle was effectively put in storage in July 2012 after prosecutors accused Hernandez of firing five shots from the passenger side into a nearby car during a dispute at a Boston nightclub, leading to the deaths of Safiro Furtado and Daniel de Abreu.
Following his arrest in 2013 for Odin Lloyd’s murder, authorities found the 4Runner in a relative’s garage in Connecticut, matching witness descriptions of the vehicle involved in the shooting. Though its involvement was never disputed in the recent trial, prosecutors argued that Hernandez’s decision to store the vehicle indicated his attempts to conceal his guilt. Conversely, his defense team claimed it was his friend who had actually fired the shots.
Since the vehicle was leased, it was returned to the original dealer after the trial concluded. The dealer and another associate then decided to sell it on eBay, inspired by the soaring prices of Hernandez’s signed jerseys. Before eBay retracted the listing, one of the men shared with CNN that they thought, “there are a lot of sports enthusiasts out there, and many who want memorabilia. It’s just a peculiar item to try to sell. We’ll see where it leads.”
However, the response was swift. This morning, the dealer informed The Boston Globe that he had “no idea why” eBay withdrew the listing and had reached out for clarification. It’s conceivable that eBay was wary of the inflated bids, especially since “vigilantes” have previously inflated prices on Hernandez memorabilia only to back out of the sale and criticize sellers for attempting to profit from a criminal’s legacy. In the meantime, the duo is considering other avenues for the sale.
“It’s valuable to someone, and that person should have the right to own it without facing backlash,” he expressed to the Globe. “If we were fortunate enough to sell it, we had discussed donating part of the proceeds to those involved in the story.”
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