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{{Infobox Person
{{Infobox Person
| name = Aaron Hernandez
|name = Aaron Hernandez
| image =
|image =
| birth_date = November 6, 1989
|birth_date = November 6, 1989
| death_date = April 19, 2017
|birth_place = Bristol, Connecticut
| birth_place = Bristol, Connecticut
|death_date = April 19, 2017
| conviction = First-degree murder, illegal firearm possession
|charges = First-degree murder (Massachusetts state court), unlawful possession of a firearm
| sentence = Life in prison without parole
|conviction_date = April 15, 2015
| facility = Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center (Massachusetts State)
|sentence = Life in prison without the possibility of parole
| status = Deceased (suicide in prison, April 2017)
|judge = Hon. E. Susan Garsh (Bristol County Superior Court)
|case_number = Commonwealth v. Hernandez
|facility = Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center (Massachusetts state prison)
|status = Deceased
|occupation = Professional football player (tight end)
|known_for = New England Patriots; conviction for the murder of Odin Lloyd
}}
}}


'''Aaron Josef Hernandez''' (November 6, 1989 – April 19, 2017) was an American professional football player who played tight end for the New England Patriots in the National Football League (NFL).<ref name="espn">{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/13229/aaron-hernandez |title=Aaron Hernandez |publisher=ESPN |date=2017}}</ref> A consensus All-American at the University of Florida, Hernandez was considered one of the most talented tight ends in the league during his brief career. His promising future ended abruptly in 2013 when he was arrested and charged with murder. Convicted of first-degree murder in 2015, Hernandez was sentenced to life in prison without parole.<ref name="ap">{{cite web |url=https://apnews.com/article/aaron-hernandez-convicted-murder-3c5d8c7e2f9c4d2a5bac31eb72c17fb8 |title=Ex-NFL star Aaron Hernandez convicted of murder |publisher=Associated Press |date=April 15, 2015}}</ref> He died by suicide in his prison cell in April 2017, just days after being acquitted of separate double murder charges. A posthumous examination of his brain revealed severe chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).<ref name="bu">{{cite web |url=https://www.bu.edu/articles/2017/aaron-hernandez-cte/ |title=Aaron Hernandez Had Severe CTE |publisher=Boston University |date=September 2017}}</ref>
'''Aaron Josef Hernandez''' (November 6, 1989 – April 19, 2017) was an American football tight end who played three seasons for the New England Patriots in the National Football League. He was a consensus All-American at the University of Florida before the Patriots drafted him in 2010. In June 2013 he was arrested for the murder of Odin Lloyd, a semi-professional player who was dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancée. The Patriots released him the same day. This was a Massachusetts state prosecution, tried in Bristol County Superior Court, not a federal case.<ref name="nyt">{{cite news |title=Aaron Hernandez Guilty of Murder in Death of Odin Lloyd |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/16/sports/football/aaron-hernandez-murder-trial-verdict.html |work=The New York Times |date=April 15, 2015 |access-date=2026-06-03}}</ref> On April 15, 2015, a state jury convicted him of first-degree murder. He received a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole and was held at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center, a Massachusetts state facility.<ref name="ap">{{cite news |title=Ex-NFL star Aaron Hernandez convicted of murder |url=https://apnews.com/article/aaron-hernandez-convicted-murder-3c5d8c7e2f9c4d2a5bac31eb72c17fb8 |publisher=Associated Press |date=April 15, 2015 |access-date=2026-06-03}}</ref>
 
In 2017 Hernandez faced a second state trial in Suffolk County for a 2012 double murder in Boston. A jury acquitted him on April 14, 2017. Five days later, on April 19, 2017, he was found dead in his cell. The death was ruled a suicide by hanging. He was 27.<ref name="death">{{cite news |title=Aaron Hernandez hangs himself in prison cell |url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/04/19/us/aaron-hernandez-dead/index.html |publisher=CNN |date=April 19, 2017 |access-date=2026-06-03}}</ref> Researchers at Boston University later examined his brain and found Stage 3 chronic traumatic encephalopathy, the most severe case the center had documented in a person his age.<ref name="bu">{{cite web |title=Aaron Hernandez Had Severe CTE |url=https://www.bu.edu/articles/2017/aaron-hernandez-cte/ |publisher=Boston University |date=September 21, 2017 |access-date=2026-06-03}}</ref>


== Early Life ==
== Early Life ==


Aaron Hernandez was born on November 6, 1989, in Bristol, Connecticut. He was a standout athlete from an early age, excelling in both football and basketball at Bristol Central High School.<ref name="espn"/>
Hernandez was born on November 6, 1989, in Bristol, Connecticut. He played football and basketball at Bristol Central High School and set a Connecticut state record for receiving yards.<ref name="espn">{{cite web |title=Aaron Hernandez |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/13229/aaron-hernandez |publisher=ESPN |date=2017 |access-date=2026-06-03}}</ref>


=== Troubled Childhood ===
His father, Dennis Hernandez, enforced discipline with physical violence. In January 2006, when Aaron was 16, Dennis died from complications during hernia surgery. Family members and later interviews describe the death as a turning point that left Aaron unmoored.<ref name="netflix">{{cite web |title=Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez |url=https://www.netflix.com/title/81062828 |publisher=Netflix |date=2020 |access-date=2026-06-03}}</ref>
 
Hernandez's childhood was marked by trauma and dysfunction. His father, Dennis Hernandez, was a strict disciplinarian who reportedly beat Aaron as a child. Dennis died unexpectedly in January 2006 during routine hernia surgery when Aaron was 16 years old—an event often cited as a turning point in his life.<ref name="netflix">{{cite web |url=https://www.netflix.com/title/81062828 |title=Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez |publisher=Netflix |date=2020}}</ref>
 
Additionally, Hernandez's attorneys later revealed that he had been sexually molested by a male babysitter as a child, an experience corroborated by his older brother, DJ Hernandez. This childhood trauma, combined with his father's abuse and sudden death, has been cited as potentially contributing to his later behavior.<ref name="netflix"/>
 
Hernandez struggled with his sexuality throughout his life. After his death, evidence emerged suggesting he was gay or bisexual, which in the hyper-masculine environment of football may have contributed to significant psychological distress.<ref name="netflix"/>


== College Career ==
== College Career ==


Hernandez enrolled at the University of Florida in 2007, where he played for the Florida Gators under coach Urban Meyer. Despite concerns about his maturity and off-field behavior—including failed drug tests—Hernandez emerged as one of the most dynamic tight ends in college football.<ref name="si">{{cite web |url=https://www.si.com/nfl/2013/06/27/aaron-hernandez-new-england-patriots-character-concerns |title=How the Patriots overlooked character concerns to draft Aaron Hernandez |publisher=Sports Illustrated |date=June 27, 2013}}</ref>
Hernandez enrolled at the University of Florida in 2007 and played for coach Urban Meyer. He caught a touchdown in the January 2009 BCS National Championship Game, a 24-14 win over Oklahoma. The next season he won the John Mackey Award as the nation's top tight end and earned consensus first-team All-American honors.<ref name="si">{{cite news |title=How the Patriots overlooked character concerns to draft Aaron Hernandez |url=https://www.si.com/nfl/2013/06/27/aaron-hernandez-new-england-patriots-character-concerns |work=Sports Illustrated |date=June 27, 2013 |access-date=2026-06-03}}</ref>
 
In 2008, as a sophomore, Hernandez caught a crucial touchdown pass in the BCS National Championship Game, helping Florida defeat Oklahoma 24-14. In 2009, he earned consensus first-team All-American honors.


Despite his talent, multiple off-field incidents raised red flags for NFL scouts, including a bar fight in which Hernandez allegedly punched a man, rupturing his eardrum.<ref name="si"/>
His record at Florida included off-field incidents. He was questioned in connection with a 2007 shooting outside a Gainesville bar and failed multiple drug tests. These issues lowered his draft stock.<ref name="si"/>


== NFL Career ==
== NFL Career ==


=== Draft and Early Success ===
The Patriots selected Hernandez in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft with the 113th overall pick. He was 20 years old. New England paired him with tight end Rob Gronkowski, and the two formed one of the league's most productive tight end tandems.<ref name="espn"/>
 
Due to concerns about his character and failed drug tests, Hernandez fell in the 2010 NFL Draft. The New England Patriots selected him in the fourth round with the 113th overall pick, despite having selected tight end Rob Gronkowski in an earlier round.<ref name="si"/>


The combination of Hernandez and Gronkowski proved devastating. At just 20 years old, Hernandez became the youngest player in the NFL. In 2011, the pair became the first tight end duo in NFL history to each score at least five touchdowns in consecutive seasons for the same team.<ref name="espn"/>
In 2011 Hernandez caught 79 passes for 910 yards and seven touchdowns. In August 2012 he signed a five-year contract extension worth up to $40 million, one of the largest deals given to a tight end at that point.<ref name="contract">{{cite web |title=Aaron Hernandez agrees to extension |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/8316284/aaron-hernandez-new-england-patriots-agree-extension |publisher=ESPN |date=August 27, 2012 |access-date=2026-06-03}}</ref> He scored a touchdown in Super Bowl XLVI, which the Patriots lost to the New York Giants. He played 38 regular-season games across three seasons before his arrest.<ref name="espn"/>


=== 2012 Contract Extension ===
== Odin Lloyd Murder ==


Following an impressive 2011 season in which he caught 79 passes for 910 yards and 7 touchdowns, Hernandez signed a five-year, $40 million contract extension with the Patriots—one of the largest contracts ever given to an NFL tight end at that time.<ref name="contract">{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/8316284/aaron-hernandez-new-england-patriots-agree-extension |title=Aaron Hernandez agrees to extension |publisher=ESPN |date=August 27, 2012}}</ref>
Odin Lloyd was 27 and played linebacker for the semi-professional Boston Bandits. He was dating Shaneah Jenkins, the sister of Hernandez's fiancée, Shayanna Jenkins.<ref name="ap"/>


In 2012, Hernandez scored a touchdown in Super Bowl XLVI, although the Patriots lost to the New York Giants.
On June 17, 2013, a jogger found Lloyd's body in an industrial park in North Attleborough, Massachusetts, about a mile from Hernandez's home. He had been shot multiple times.<ref name="ap"/>


== The Murder of Odin Lloyd ==
Investigators recovered surveillance footage and cell phone records placing Lloyd in a car with Hernandez and two associates, Ernest Wallace and Carlos Ortiz, in the hours before the killing. Lloyd had texted his sister identifying Hernandez. A home surveillance system captured Hernandez holding what prosecutors described as a firearm shortly after he returned.<ref name="nyt"/>


=== The Victim ===
Police arrested Hernandez at his home on June 26, 2013. He was charged with first-degree murder and five firearm offenses. The Patriots released him about 90 minutes after the arrest.<ref name="patriots">{{cite web |title=Statement from the New England Patriots |url=https://www.patriots.com/news/statement-from-the-new-england-patriots-x5645 |publisher=New England Patriots |date=June 26, 2013 |access-date=2026-06-03}}</ref>


Odin Lloyd was a 27-year-old semi-professional football player who played linebacker for the Boston Bandits. Lloyd was dating Shaneah Jenkins, the sister of Hernandez's fiancée, Shayanna Jenkins, which is how the two men became acquainted.<ref name="ap"/>
The trial opened in Bristol County Superior Court in Fall River in January 2015. Judge E. Susan Garsh presided. Prosecutors built the case on circumstantial evidence, including the surveillance video, phone data, and testimony from associates. The jury reached a verdict on April 15, 2015. It convicted Hernandez of first-degree murder and of unlawful possession of a firearm. Under Massachusetts law, a first-degree murder conviction carries a mandatory sentence of life without the possibility of parole, which the court imposed.<ref name="nyt"/><ref name="ap"/>


=== The Crime ===
The Commonwealth held Hernandez at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley, a maximum-security state prison operated by the Massachusetts Department of Correction.<ref name="death"/>


On June 17, 2013, Lloyd's body was found in an industrial park in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, approximately one mile from Hernandez's home. He had been shot multiple times in the back and chest.<ref name="ap"/>
== Double Murder Acquittal ==


Surveillance footage showed Lloyd entering a car with Hernandez and two associates, Ernest Wallace and Carlos Ortiz, hours before his death. Text messages from Lloyd to his sister identified Hernandez as one of the men with him. Security cameras at Hernandez's home captured him holding what appeared to be a firearm shortly after the murder.<ref name="nyt">{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/16/sports/football/aaron-hernandez-murder-trial-verdict.html |title=Aaron Hernandez Guilty of Murder in Death of Odin Lloyd |publisher=The New York Times |date=April 15, 2015}}</ref>
While serving the life sentence, Hernandez faced a separate indictment in Suffolk County. Prosecutors charged him in the July 2012 deaths of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado. The two men were shot in their car in Boston's South End after a confrontation at a nightclub. Prosecutors alleged Hernandez fired on the car over a spilled drink.<ref name="double">{{cite news |title=Aaron Hernandez acquitted of 2012 double murder |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/04/14/aaron-hernandez-acquitted-double-murder/WnGYZvGZmGXxvmkBxqzVnL/story.html |work=The Boston Globe |date=April 14, 2017 |access-date=2026-06-03}}</ref>


=== Arrest ===
The trial ran in early 2017 in Suffolk Superior Court. The prosecution's central witness was Alexander Bradley, a former associate who said he was in the car with Hernandez. The defense attacked Bradley's credibility. On April 14, 2017, the jury acquitted Hernandez of the two murders and related charges. It convicted him only of unlawful possession of a firearm.<ref name="double"/>


On June 26, 2013, Hernandez was arrested at his home and charged with first-degree murder and five weapon-related charges. The New England Patriots released him from the team approximately 90 minutes later, before being officially informed of the specific charges.<ref name="patriots">{{cite web |url=https://www.patriots.com/news/statement-from-the-new-england-patriots-x5645 |title=Statement from the New England Patriots |publisher=New England Patriots |date=June 26, 2013}}</ref>
== Death and CTE ==


=== Trial and Conviction ===
Corrections staff found Hernandez dead in his single cell at Souza-Baranowski at about 3:05 a.m. on April 19, 2017, five days after the acquittal. He had hanged himself with a bedsheet tied to the cell window and had blocked the door with cardboard. The state medical examiner ruled the death a suicide.<ref name="death"/>


Hernandez's murder trial began in January 2015. The prosecution presented extensive circumstantial evidence, including surveillance footage, cell phone records, and testimony from associates. On April 15, 2015, the jury found Hernandez guilty of first-degree murder.<ref name="nyt"/>
Investigators reported that Hernandez had written "John 3:16" on a cell wall in ink and had a related Bible passage marked. Officials initially said no note was found, then disclosed handwritten notes left in the cell. He was 27.<ref name="death"/>


He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.<ref name="ap"/>
=== Conviction vacated, then reinstated ===


== 2012 Double Homicide Trial ==
A Bristol County judge vacated the Odin Lloyd conviction on May 9, 2017. The ruling applied the common-law doctrine of abatement ab initio, under which a conviction is erased if the defendant dies before resolving a direct appeal.<ref name="vacate">{{cite news |title=Aaron Hernandez murder conviction vacated |url=https://www.masslive.com/news/2017/05/aaron_hernandez_murder_convict.html |work=MassLive |date=May 9, 2017 |access-date=2026-06-03}}</ref>


While serving his life sentence, Hernandez was indicted for the July 2012 murders of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado, who were shot in their car in Boston's South End after an altercation at a nightclub.<ref name="double">{{cite web |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/04/14/aaron-hernandez-acquitted-double-murder/WnGYZvGZmGXxvmkBxqzVnL/story.html |title=Aaron Hernandez acquitted of 2012 double murder |publisher=The Boston Globe |date=April 14, 2017}}</ref>
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court reversed that ruling on March 13, 2019. The court abolished abatement ab initio in the state, calling the doctrine outdated, and reinstated the first-degree murder conviction. The conviction stands.<ref name="reinstate">{{cite web |title=SJC Reverses Trial Court Ruling, Reinstates Aaron Hernandez Murder Conviction |url=https://www.mass.gov/news/sjc-reverses-trial-court-ruling-reinstates-aaron-hernandez-murder-conviction |publisher=Massachusetts Courts |date=March 13, 2019 |access-date=2026-06-03}}</ref>


On April 14, 2017, Hernandez was acquitted of all charges in the double murder case.<ref name="double"/>
=== CTE diagnosis ===


== Death ==
Hernandez's family donated his brain to the Boston University CTE Center. In September 2017 researchers announced that he had Stage 3 chronic traumatic encephalopathy, on a four-stage scale. They described it as the most severe case the center had seen in a person his age.<ref name="bu"/>


Five days after his acquittal, on April 19, 2017, at approximately 3:05 a.m., Hernandez was found hanged in his cell at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley, Massachusetts. He had used a bedsheet attached to his cell window. He was 27 years old.<ref name="death">{{cite web |url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/04/19/us/aaron-hernandez-dead/index.html |title=Aaron Hernandez hangs himself in prison cell |publisher=CNN |date=April 19, 2017}}</ref>
CTE is a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head impacts. It is associated with problems in memory, judgment, impulse control, and mood. Dr. Ann McKee, who directs the center, reported significant damage to the frontal lobes, the region tied to decision-making and impulse control. Researchers have not established that CTE causes violent behavior, and the diagnosis carries no legal weight in the conviction.<ref name="bu"/>


Hernandez left no suicide note, but the walls of his cell were found marked with biblical verses and the phrase "John 3:16" written in blood.<ref name="death"/>
The Hernandez family filed a lawsuit against the NFL and the Patriots over the brain injury. The parties reached a confidential settlement.<ref name="netflix"/>


=== Conviction Vacated, Then Reinstated ===
== Media ==


Under the Massachusetts legal doctrine of abatement ab initio, Hernandez's murder conviction was initially vacated in May 2017 because he died before his appeal could be heard. This meant Hernandez legally died an innocent man.<ref name="vacate">{{cite web |url=https://www.masslive.com/news/2017/05/aaron_hernandez_murder_convict.html |title=Aaron Hernandez murder conviction vacated |publisher=MassLive |date=May 9, 2017}}</ref>
Several productions have examined the case. Netflix released the three-part documentary ''Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez'' in 2020.<ref name="netflix"/> FX aired the scripted series ''American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez'' in 2024.<ref name="fx">{{cite web |title=American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez |url=https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/american-sports-story |publisher=FX |date=2024 |access-date=2026-06-03}}</ref>
 
However, in March 2019, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court unanimously ruled to reinstate Hernandez's conviction, declaring the abatement doctrine "outdated and no longer consonant with the circumstances of contemporary life."<ref name="reinstate">{{cite web |url=https://www.mass.gov/news/sjc-reverses-trial-court-ruling-reinstates-aaron-hernandez-murder-conviction |title=SJC Reverses Trial Court Ruling, Reinstates Aaron Hernandez Murder Conviction |publisher=Massachusetts Courts |date=March 13, 2019}}</ref>
 
== CTE Diagnosis ==
 
After Hernandez's death, his family donated his brain to researchers at Boston University's CTE Center. The examination revealed that Hernandez had Stage 3 chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)—the most severe case ever documented in someone his age.<ref name="bu"/>
 
CTE is a degenerative brain disease caused by repeated head trauma, common in contact sports athletes. Symptoms can include impaired judgment, impulse control problems, aggression, depression, and dementia.
 
Dr. Ann McKee, director of the BU CTE Center, noted significant damage to Hernandez's frontal lobes, which are critical for decision-making, judgment, and impulse control. The findings prompted discussions about the potential relationship between CTE and violent behavior, though no definitive causal link has been established.<ref name="bu"/>
 
== Legacy and Media ==
 
Hernandez's case has been the subject of extensive media coverage and analysis:
 
* '''Netflix Documentary''': ''Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez'' (2020) explored his life, crimes, and the CTE findings<ref name="netflix"/>
* '''FX Series''': ''American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez'' (2024) dramatized his rise and fall<ref name="fx">{{cite web |url=https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/american-sports-story |title=American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez |publisher=FX |date=2024}}</ref>
 
His case raised significant questions about:
* The NFL's handling of players with known behavioral issues
* The long-term effects of brain injuries in football
* The intersection of childhood trauma, sexuality, and violence
 
The case also highlighted the warning signs that may have been overlooked during Hernandez's rise through college and professional football, prompting discussions about how sports organizations evaluate character concerns versus athletic talent.<ref name="si"/>


== See Also ==
== See Also ==
* [[Category:High-Profile_Federal_Offenders|High-Profile Federal Offenders]]
* [[CTE_and_Criminal_Behavior|CTE and Criminal Behavior]]
 
* [[Athletes_in_Prison|Athletes in Prison]]


== Frequently Asked Questions ==
== Frequently Asked Questions ==
{{FAQSection/Start}}
{{FAQSection/Start}}
{{FAQ|question=What was Aaron Hernandez convicted of?|answer=Aaron Hernandez, former New England Patriots tight end, was convicted of first-degree murder in 2015 for the killing of Odin Lloyd, a semi-professional football player who was dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancée.}}
{{FAQ|question=What was Aaron Hernandez convicted of?|answer=A Massachusetts state jury convicted Aaron Hernandez of first-degree murder on April 15, 2015, for the killing of Odin Lloyd. This was a state prosecution in Bristol County Superior Court, not a federal case.}}
{{FAQ|question=How long was Aaron Hernandez's sentence?|answer=Hernandez was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the first-degree murder of Odin Lloyd.}}
{{FAQ|question=Was Aaron Hernandez a state or federal case?|answer=It was a state case. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts prosecuted Hernandez in Bristol County Superior Court, and he was held in a Massachusetts state prison. No federal charges were involved.}}
{{FAQ|question=Where did Aaron Hernandez serve his sentence?|answer=Hernandez was incarcerated at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center, a maximum-security state prison in Shirley, Massachusetts.}}
{{FAQ|question=How long was Aaron Hernandez's sentence?|answer=He received a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Under Massachusetts law, that sentence is mandatory for a first-degree murder conviction.}}
{{FAQ|question=How did Aaron Hernandez die?|answer=Aaron Hernandez died by suicide in his prison cell on April 19, 2017, just five days after being acquitted of double murder charges in a separate case.}}
{{FAQ|question=Where did Aaron Hernandez serve his sentence?|answer=He was held at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley, Massachusetts, a maximum-security state prison run by the Massachusetts Department of Correction.}}
{{FAQ|question=Was Aaron Hernandez acquitted of other charges?|answer=Yes, Hernandez was acquitted on April 14, 2017, of double murder charges related to a 2012 drive-by shooting in Boston that killed Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado.}}
{{FAQ|question=How did Aaron Hernandez die?|answer=He died by suicide on April 19, 2017. Corrections staff found him hanged in his cell, five days after his acquittal in the separate 2012 double murder case. He was 27.}}
{{FAQ|question=Was Aaron Hernandez acquitted of other charges?|answer=Yes. On April 14, 2017, a Suffolk County jury acquitted him of the 2012 double murder of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado. He was convicted only of unlawful possession of a firearm in that case.}}
{{FAQ|question=Was Aaron Hernandez's murder conviction overturned?|answer=A trial judge vacated it in May 2017 under the doctrine of abatement ab initio because he died before his appeal. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court reinstated the conviction on March 13, 2019. It stands today.}}
{{FAQ|question=Did Aaron Hernandez have CTE?|answer=Yes. Boston University researchers diagnosed Stage 3 chronic traumatic encephalopathy after his death and called it the most severe case documented in a person his age.}}
{{FAQSection/End}}
{{FAQSection/End}}


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<references />
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|keywords=Aaron Hernandez, NFL, Patriots, Odin Lloyd, first-degree murder, Massachusetts state prison, Souza-Baranowski, CTE, tight end
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|type=ProfilePage
|site_name=Prisonpedia
|site_name=Prisonpedia
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|locale=en_US
|modified_time=2026-06-03
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{{MetaDescription|Aaron Hernandez, former Patriots tight end, was convicted of first-degree murder in a Massachusetts state case. Sentence, acquittal, death, and Stage 3 CTE diagnosis.}}

Latest revision as of 13:41, 3 June 2026

Aaron Hernandez
Born: November 6, 1989
Bristol, Connecticut
Died: April 19, 2017
Charges: First-degree murder (Massachusetts state court), unlawful possession of a firearm
Sentence: Life in prison without the possibility of parole
Facility: Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center (Massachusetts state prison)
Status: Deceased


Aaron Josef Hernandez (November 6, 1989 – April 19, 2017) was an American football tight end who played three seasons for the New England Patriots in the National Football League. He was a consensus All-American at the University of Florida before the Patriots drafted him in 2010. In June 2013 he was arrested for the murder of Odin Lloyd, a semi-professional player who was dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancée. The Patriots released him the same day. This was a Massachusetts state prosecution, tried in Bristol County Superior Court, not a federal case.[1] On April 15, 2015, a state jury convicted him of first-degree murder. He received a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole and was held at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center, a Massachusetts state facility.[2]

In 2017 Hernandez faced a second state trial in Suffolk County for a 2012 double murder in Boston. A jury acquitted him on April 14, 2017. Five days later, on April 19, 2017, he was found dead in his cell. The death was ruled a suicide by hanging. He was 27.[3] Researchers at Boston University later examined his brain and found Stage 3 chronic traumatic encephalopathy, the most severe case the center had documented in a person his age.[4]

Early Life

Hernandez was born on November 6, 1989, in Bristol, Connecticut. He played football and basketball at Bristol Central High School and set a Connecticut state record for receiving yards.[5]

His father, Dennis Hernandez, enforced discipline with physical violence. In January 2006, when Aaron was 16, Dennis died from complications during hernia surgery. Family members and later interviews describe the death as a turning point that left Aaron unmoored.[6]

College Career

Hernandez enrolled at the University of Florida in 2007 and played for coach Urban Meyer. He caught a touchdown in the January 2009 BCS National Championship Game, a 24-14 win over Oklahoma. The next season he won the John Mackey Award as the nation's top tight end and earned consensus first-team All-American honors.[7]

His record at Florida included off-field incidents. He was questioned in connection with a 2007 shooting outside a Gainesville bar and failed multiple drug tests. These issues lowered his draft stock.[7]

NFL Career

The Patriots selected Hernandez in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft with the 113th overall pick. He was 20 years old. New England paired him with tight end Rob Gronkowski, and the two formed one of the league's most productive tight end tandems.[5]

In 2011 Hernandez caught 79 passes for 910 yards and seven touchdowns. In August 2012 he signed a five-year contract extension worth up to $40 million, one of the largest deals given to a tight end at that point.[8] He scored a touchdown in Super Bowl XLVI, which the Patriots lost to the New York Giants. He played 38 regular-season games across three seasons before his arrest.[5]

Odin Lloyd Murder

Odin Lloyd was 27 and played linebacker for the semi-professional Boston Bandits. He was dating Shaneah Jenkins, the sister of Hernandez's fiancée, Shayanna Jenkins.[2]

On June 17, 2013, a jogger found Lloyd's body in an industrial park in North Attleborough, Massachusetts, about a mile from Hernandez's home. He had been shot multiple times.[2]

Investigators recovered surveillance footage and cell phone records placing Lloyd in a car with Hernandez and two associates, Ernest Wallace and Carlos Ortiz, in the hours before the killing. Lloyd had texted his sister identifying Hernandez. A home surveillance system captured Hernandez holding what prosecutors described as a firearm shortly after he returned.[1]

Police arrested Hernandez at his home on June 26, 2013. He was charged with first-degree murder and five firearm offenses. The Patriots released him about 90 minutes after the arrest.[9]

The trial opened in Bristol County Superior Court in Fall River in January 2015. Judge E. Susan Garsh presided. Prosecutors built the case on circumstantial evidence, including the surveillance video, phone data, and testimony from associates. The jury reached a verdict on April 15, 2015. It convicted Hernandez of first-degree murder and of unlawful possession of a firearm. Under Massachusetts law, a first-degree murder conviction carries a mandatory sentence of life without the possibility of parole, which the court imposed.[1][2]

The Commonwealth held Hernandez at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley, a maximum-security state prison operated by the Massachusetts Department of Correction.[3]

Double Murder Acquittal

While serving the life sentence, Hernandez faced a separate indictment in Suffolk County. Prosecutors charged him in the July 2012 deaths of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado. The two men were shot in their car in Boston's South End after a confrontation at a nightclub. Prosecutors alleged Hernandez fired on the car over a spilled drink.[10]

The trial ran in early 2017 in Suffolk Superior Court. The prosecution's central witness was Alexander Bradley, a former associate who said he was in the car with Hernandez. The defense attacked Bradley's credibility. On April 14, 2017, the jury acquitted Hernandez of the two murders and related charges. It convicted him only of unlawful possession of a firearm.[10]

Death and CTE

Corrections staff found Hernandez dead in his single cell at Souza-Baranowski at about 3:05 a.m. on April 19, 2017, five days after the acquittal. He had hanged himself with a bedsheet tied to the cell window and had blocked the door with cardboard. The state medical examiner ruled the death a suicide.[3]

Investigators reported that Hernandez had written "John 3:16" on a cell wall in ink and had a related Bible passage marked. Officials initially said no note was found, then disclosed handwritten notes left in the cell. He was 27.[3]

Conviction vacated, then reinstated

A Bristol County judge vacated the Odin Lloyd conviction on May 9, 2017. The ruling applied the common-law doctrine of abatement ab initio, under which a conviction is erased if the defendant dies before resolving a direct appeal.[11]

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court reversed that ruling on March 13, 2019. The court abolished abatement ab initio in the state, calling the doctrine outdated, and reinstated the first-degree murder conviction. The conviction stands.[12]

CTE diagnosis

Hernandez's family donated his brain to the Boston University CTE Center. In September 2017 researchers announced that he had Stage 3 chronic traumatic encephalopathy, on a four-stage scale. They described it as the most severe case the center had seen in a person his age.[4]

CTE is a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head impacts. It is associated with problems in memory, judgment, impulse control, and mood. Dr. Ann McKee, who directs the center, reported significant damage to the frontal lobes, the region tied to decision-making and impulse control. Researchers have not established that CTE causes violent behavior, and the diagnosis carries no legal weight in the conviction.[4]

The Hernandez family filed a lawsuit against the NFL and the Patriots over the brain injury. The parties reached a confidential settlement.[6]

Media

Several productions have examined the case. Netflix released the three-part documentary Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez in 2020.[6] FX aired the scripted series American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez in 2024.[13]

See Also

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What was Aaron Hernandez convicted of?

A Massachusetts state jury convicted Aaron Hernandez of first-degree murder on April 15, 2015, for the killing of Odin Lloyd. This was a state prosecution in Bristol County Superior Court, not a federal case.


Q: Was Aaron Hernandez a state or federal case?

It was a state case. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts prosecuted Hernandez in Bristol County Superior Court, and he was held in a Massachusetts state prison. No federal charges were involved.


Q: How long was Aaron Hernandez's sentence?

He received a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Under Massachusetts law, that sentence is mandatory for a first-degree murder conviction.


Q: Where did Aaron Hernandez serve his sentence?

He was held at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley, Massachusetts, a maximum-security state prison run by the Massachusetts Department of Correction.


Q: How did Aaron Hernandez die?

He died by suicide on April 19, 2017. Corrections staff found him hanged in his cell, five days after his acquittal in the separate 2012 double murder case. He was 27.


Q: Was Aaron Hernandez acquitted of other charges?

Yes. On April 14, 2017, a Suffolk County jury acquitted him of the 2012 double murder of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado. He was convicted only of unlawful possession of a firearm in that case.


Q: Was Aaron Hernandez's murder conviction overturned?

A trial judge vacated it in May 2017 under the doctrine of abatement ab initio because he died before his appeal. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court reinstated the conviction on March 13, 2019. It stands today.


Q: Did Aaron Hernandez have CTE?

Yes. Boston University researchers diagnosed Stage 3 chronic traumatic encephalopathy after his death and called it the most severe case documented in a person his age.


References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Aaron Hernandez Guilty of Murder in Death of Odin Lloyd".The New York Times.April 15, 2015.Retrieved 2026-06-03.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Ex-NFL star Aaron Hernandez convicted of murder".Associated Press.April 15, 2015.Retrieved 2026-06-03.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Aaron Hernandez hangs himself in prison cell".CNN.April 19, 2017.Retrieved 2026-06-03.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Aaron Hernandez Had Severe CTE". Boston University. Retrieved 2026-06-03.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Aaron Hernandez". ESPN. Retrieved 2026-06-03.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez". Netflix. Retrieved 2026-06-03.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "How the Patriots overlooked character concerns to draft Aaron Hernandez".Sports Illustrated.June 27, 2013.Retrieved 2026-06-03.
  8. ↑ "Aaron Hernandez agrees to extension". ESPN. Retrieved 2026-06-03.
  9. ↑ "Statement from the New England Patriots". New England Patriots. Retrieved 2026-06-03.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Aaron Hernandez acquitted of 2012 double murder".The Boston Globe.April 14, 2017.Retrieved 2026-06-03.
  11. ↑ "Aaron Hernandez murder conviction vacated".MassLive.May 9, 2017.Retrieved 2026-06-03.
  12. ↑ "SJC Reverses Trial Court Ruling, Reinstates Aaron Hernandez Murder Conviction". Massachusetts Courts. Retrieved 2026-06-03.
  13. ↑ "American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez". FX. Retrieved 2026-06-03.


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