Former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, who was serving a life sentence for a murder conviction, was found dead in his prison cell early Wednesday morning.
Aaron Hernandez Found Dead In Prison Of Apparent Suicide
In a statement released by Department of Correction spokesman Christopher Fallon, Hernandez, 27, barricaded himself inside his cell at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center, and used a bed sheet attached to a window to hang himself. He was found by guards at approximately 3 a.m., Wednesday morning and shortly after was pronounced dead at nearby UMass Memorial-Health Alliance Hospital. Fallon also said Hernandez did not leave behind a note, nor did he show any signs of risk that would have placed him under suicide watch.
Tragic End To a Tragic Story
It is a brutal, and tragic end for Hernandez. The former University of Florida standout played three seasons with the Patriots, until being released in 2013 after his arrest for the murder of friend Odin Lloyd. He was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of Lloyd on April 15, 2015, and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. More recently, he was acquitted of a 2012 double murder of Daniel Jorge Correia de Abreu and Safiro Teixeira Furtado.
The news of Hernandez’s death comes on the same day that the Patriots are scheduled to attend the White House to celebrate their Super Bowl 51 victory from this past February. The team has yet to release an official statement regarding Hernandez, but a team spokesperson told ESPN that “we are aware of the reports, but I don’t anticipate that we will be commenting today.”
Hernandez is survived by his fiancée Shayanna Jenkins, and their daughter Avielle Janelle Hernandez.
Main Photo
