Location
North Attleborough, MA
Incident
June 17, 2013
Resolved
April 15, 2015
Status
ConvictedType
murder
Victim
Odin Lloyd
Aaron Hernandez, a former New England Patriots tight end, was convicted of first-degree murder in April 2015 for the June 2013 killing of Odin Lloyd and sentenced to life without parole. He was acquitted of a separate 2012 double homicide on April 14, 2017, but was found dead by suicide in his prison cell five days later at age 27. A posthumous examination by Boston University researchers revealed he had Stage 3 chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the most severe case ever documented in someone his age.
Aaron Josef Hernandez was born on November 6, 1989, in Bristol, Connecticut, to Dennis Hernandez and Terri Valentine-Hernandez [1]. A standout athlete from a young age, he played football at Bristol Central High School before enrolling at the University of Florida, where he won a national championship with the Gators in 2009 as a sophomore tight end [1]. Despite his exceptional talent, concerns about off-field behavior and a failed drug test caused Hernandez to fall in the 2010 NFL Draft, where the New England Patriots selected him in the fourth round with the 113th overall pick [1].
Hernandez quickly proved himself as one of the most dynamic tight ends in professional football. Paired with fellow tight end Rob Gronkowski, the two formed a historically productive duo -- they became the first pair of tight ends on the same team to each score five or more touchdowns in consecutive seasons [1]. Over three seasons with the Patriots from 2010 to 2012, Hernandez recorded 175 receptions for 1,956 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns across 38 games [1]. His performance was so impressive that in August 2012, the Patriots rewarded him with a five-year contract extension worth $39.58 million, with $15.95 million guaranteed -- a deal that was supposed to keep him in New England through 2018 [1].
Less than a year after signing that contract, Hernandez's life took a catastrophic turn. On June 17, 2013, Odin Lloyd, a 27-year-old semi-professional football player who was dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancee Shayanna Jenkins, was found shot to death in an industrial park in North Attleborough, Massachusetts, less than a mile from Hernandez's home [1][2]. Investigators quickly focused on Hernandez after surveillance footage, cell phone records, and physical evidence linked him to the scene. Shell casings found at the murder site matched those discovered in a rental car Hernandez had used that night [2]. On June 26, 2013, Hernandez was arrested at his home and charged with first-degree murder. The New England Patriots released him within hours of his arrest, and the NFL voided the remainder of his contract [1].
Hernandez's murder trial began on January 29, 2015, at the Bristol County Superior Court in Fall River, Massachusetts [2]. Over the course of nine weeks, jurors heard testimony from 135 witnesses [2]. Prosecutors presented a detailed case built on surveillance video, forensic evidence, and testimony from associates. The prosecution argued that Hernandez orchestrated Lloyd's killing with the help of associates Ernest Wallace and Carlos Ortiz, who were later convicted as accessories [1]. In a surprising move, defense attorney Michael Fee acknowledged during opening statements that Hernandez had been present at the scene but argued he was merely a witness, not a participant, in the shooting [2]. On April 15, 2015, the jury found Hernandez guilty of first-degree murder along with five weapons charges, and he was immediately sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole [1][2].
Even as Hernandez began serving his life sentence, he faced additional charges. In May 2014, a grand jury had indicted him for the July 16, 2012 double homicide of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado, two Cape Verdean immigrants who were shot and killed in a drive-by shooting outside a Boston nightclub [1][3]. Prosecutors alleged that Hernandez opened fire on the victims' car because he felt disrespected when one of the men accidentally bumped into him and spilled his drink inside the nightclub earlier that evening [3][4]. The prosecution's case relied heavily on the testimony of Alexander Bradley, a former associate of Hernandez who claimed to have been in the car when Hernandez fired the shots [3][4]. Bradley also testified that Hernandez later shot him in the face in February 2013 to prevent him from talking [4]. The defense, led by attorney Jose Baez, attacked Bradley's credibility, pointing to his criminal record, his immunity deal with prosecutors, and his role as the driver of the vehicle, arguing that Bradley himself was the true killer [3][4].
On April 14, 2017, the jury acquitted Hernandez of both murder charges in the double homicide case, convicting him only of illegal possession of a firearm [3][4]. Despite the acquittal, Hernandez remained incarcerated under his life sentence for the Odin Lloyd murder.
Five days later, on April 19, 2017, at approximately 3:05 a.m., correctional officers at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley, Massachusetts, discovered Hernandez hanging from a bedsheet attached to his cell window [5][6]. He had jammed cardboard into the door tracks to prevent entry and covered the floor with shampoo [5]. Three handwritten notes were found beside a Bible opened to John 3:16, and the same verse reference was written on his forehead [5][6]. The Worcester County District Attorney's office ruled the death a suicide, with Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Henry N. Nields determining the cause as asphyxia by hanging [6]. Hernandez was 27 years old.
The story took one final dramatic turn in September 2017, when Boston University researchers announced the results of a posthumous examination of Hernandez's brain. Dr. Ann McKee, director of BU's CTE Center, revealed that Hernandez had been suffering from Stage 3 chronic traumatic encephalopathy -- just one stage below the most severe classification [7][8]. It was the most severe case of CTE ever documented in a person his age; comparable damage had previously been observed only in individuals at least 46 years old [7]. The disease had caused significant damage to the frontal lobes, amygdala, and fornix -- brain regions critical for judgment, impulse control, memory, and emotional regulation [7]. Dr. McKee stated that the damage was "substantial" and "took years to develop," though she cautioned that researchers could not definitively "connect the dots" between the brain disease and Hernandez's violent behavior [8]. Hernandez's family subsequently filed a lawsuit against the NFL, alleging the league had concealed the dangers of head trauma from players [1].
On June 26, 2013, Aaron Hernandez was arrested at his North Attleborough, Massachusetts home and charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Odin Lloyd, 27, whose body had been discovered in an industrial park less than a mile from Hernandez's residence on June 17, 2013 [1][2]. Hernandez was also charged with five weapons-related offenses. Co-defendants Ernest Wallace and Carlos Ortiz were charged as accessories [1].
The trial commenced on January 29, 2015, at Bristol County Superior Court in Fall River, Massachusetts, before Judge E. Susan Garsh [1]. Prosecuting attorney Patrick Bomberg presented testimony from 135 witnesses over a nine-week trial [2]. The prosecution's case rested on surveillance footage, cell phone location data, DNA evidence, and shell casing analysis linking Hernandez to the crime scene and the murder weapon [1][2]. Defense attorney Michael Fee conceded that Hernandez had been present at the scene but argued he was a helpless witness to the shooting, which the defense attributed to co-defendants Ortiz and Wallace [2].
On April 15, 2015, the jury returned a guilty verdict on the first-degree murder charge and all five weapons charges [1][2]. Under Massachusetts law, a first-degree murder conviction carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, which was imposed immediately [1].
In May 2014, a Suffolk County grand jury indicted Hernandez on two counts of first-degree murder for the July 16, 2012 shooting deaths of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado outside a Boston nightclub, along with three counts of armed assault with intent to murder, one count of assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon, and one count of witness intimidation [1][3]. The prosecution alleged that Hernandez fired into the victims' car after feeling disrespected by a spilled-drink encounter inside the Cure Lounge nightclub earlier that evening [3][4].
The trial began in March 2017 in Suffolk Superior Court. The prosecution's case relied primarily on the testimony of Alexander Bradley, a former associate of Hernandez who claimed to have been a passenger in the vehicle when Hernandez opened fire [3][4]. Bradley testified under an immunity agreement and also alleged that Hernandez shot him in the face in February 2013 to silence him as a potential witness [4]. Defense attorney Jose Baez challenged Bradley's credibility, characterizing the immunity deal as "the deal of a lifetime" and presenting Bradley -- who had a criminal record and served as the driver of the vehicle -- as the true killer [3][4].
On April 14, 2017, the jury acquitted Hernandez of both first-degree murder charges and acquitted him on the armed assault and witness intimidation charges [3][4]. He was convicted on a single count of unlawful possession of a firearm, which carried an additional four-to-five-year sentence on top of his existing life sentence [4].
On April 19, 2017, five days after the double-murder acquittal, Hernandez was found dead in his cell at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley, Massachusetts [5][6]. The Worcester County District Attorney's office and Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Henry N. Nields ruled the death a suicide by asphyxia from hanging [6]. Hernandez had used a bedsheet attached to his cell window and had attempted to barricade the door from inside [5][6].
Following Hernandez's death, under the Massachusetts legal doctrine of abatement ab initio, his first-degree murder conviction in the Odin Lloyd case was initially vacated by Judge Garsh, because he died before his appeal could be heard [1]. However, in March 2019, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court reversed this ruling, reinstating the conviction and effectively abolishing the doctrine of abatement ab initio in the Commonwealth going forward [1].
In September 2017, Boston University's CTE Center announced that a posthumous examination of Hernandez's brain revealed Stage 3 chronic traumatic encephalopathy, the most severe case ever documented in a person of his age [7][8]. Dr. Ann McKee reported significant damage to the frontal lobes, amygdala, and fornix -- regions governing judgment, impulse control, and memory [7]. She stated the damage was "substantial" and "took years to develop" but cautioned that the findings could not be directly linked to specific behaviors [8].
Hernandez's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the National Football League, alleging the league had concealed the dangers of repetitive head trauma from players [1]. The NFL settled the case; terms were not publicly disclosed [1].
April 19, 2017
Five days after his acquittal, Aaron Hernandez is found dead in his cell at Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center from suicide by hanging. He was 27. Posthumous examination reveals Stage III CTE.
Source →April 14, 2017
Hernandez is acquitted of the 2012 murders of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado, who were shot outside a Boston nightclub.
Source →April 15, 2015
After a 10-week trial, Aaron Hernandez is convicted of first-degree murder in the death of Odin Lloyd and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Source →June 26, 2013
Aaron Hernandez is arrested at his home and charged with first-degree murder. The New England Patriots release him within hours, forfeiting $12.5 million in remaining contract guarantees.
Source →June 17, 2013
Odin Lloyd, 27, is found shot to death in an industrial park less than a mile from Aaron Hernandez's home in North Attleborough, Massachusetts. Surveillance cameras and cell records link Hernandez to the area.
Source →Relationship data not yet mapped — nodes positioned by force simulation.
Aaron Hernandez
New England Patriots tight end convicted of the 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd. Sentenced to life without parole. Died by suicide in prison in 2017 at age 27. Posthumously diagnosed with severe CTE.
Odin Lloyd
A 27-year-old semi-professional football player who was dating the sister of Aaron Hernandez's fiancée. Found shot to death near Hernandez's home on June 17, 2013.