Prosecutors in the murder trial of former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez painted the football star as a cold-blooded killer as they laid out their opening arguments on Thursday.

Beginning around noon, Bristol County prosecutor Patrick Bomberg argued that Hernandez and two associates drove the victim, Odin Lloyd, "to a secluded, isolated area in North Attleborough, a town where Odin Lloyd knew no one but the defendant and the defendant's fiancee, Shayanna Jenkins. There Odin Lloyd was shot 6 times. He was killed, and he was left in a secluded area," said Bomberg, according to The Boston Globe.

Bomberg made note that DNA evidence taken from an unlit marijuana cigarette found at the crime scene, along with 45-caliber shell casings in Hernandez's rented car, link him to the June 2013 murder.

A footprint at the murder scene in an industrial park also matched sneakers worn by Hernandez, added the prosecutor.

On the other hand, defense attorney Michael Fee characterized the prosecution as "sloppy and unprofessional" in his opening arguments, reports Boston.com.

"They locked on Aaron and they targeted him," said Fee, because of Hernandez's celebrity status.

Fee also argued that Hernandez and Lloyd were friends and that any evidence that Hernandez was at the murder scene is not proof that he killed, conspired to kill or wanted to kill him.

"Aaron Hernandez is an innocent man," said Fee.

"We are here today because police and the prosecution targeted Aaron Hernandez from the very beginning. As soon as they found out Aaron Hernandez -- a celebrity football player for the New England Patriots -- was a friend of Odin Lloyd's, it was over.''

In the meantime, Hernandez appeared to be rocking sideways in a nervous fashion during the opening statements.

Last year, the judge presiding over the case ruled that prosecutors cannot bring up the 25-year-old ex-NFL star's other murder charges in the 2012 drive-by slayings of two men. Hernandez was charged with fatally shooting the men over a spilled drink at a Boston nightclub, reports ESPN Boston. Hernandez has pleaded not guilty in both cases.

Prosecutors have suggested that the disgraced athlete was motivated to kill Lloyd after possibly showing him the spot where the double shooting allegedly took place. The judge, however, said there is no correlation between the two crimes.

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