Even though former New England Patriots star turned convicted murder Aaron Hernandez committed suicide in prison in 2017, there’s new interest into his troubled life thanks to Netflix.The streaming service debuted Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez, a three-part docuseries on Jan. 15, 2020. It traces his difficult childhood, Aaron’s storied football career, the murder of a friend and Aaron’s conviction for it, as well as his time in prison while serving his sentence. Questions about his sexual orientation ended up becoming a big topic of the docuseries
In 2013, the Patriots tight end was arrested for the murder of Odin Lloyd, the boyfriend of his fiance Shayanna Jenkins‘ sister Shaneah. He was convicted in 2015 of the shooting death and committed suicide while in prison in April 2017. Following his passing, his brain was examined by researchers at Boston University and doctors revealed he had one of the worst cases of CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) they had ever seen. Its caused by repeated blows to the head he likely suffered throughout his football career. The disease caused his brain to shrink, which is chronicled in the docuseries. Here’s five things to know about Aaron Hernandez.
1. Aaron Hernandez hanged himself using bedsheets, officials say. Aaron killed himself in prison on April 19, the Department of Corrections confirmed to The Boston Globe. He hanged himself using a bedsheet that he attached to his cell window. He was found in his cell at the Souza Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley, Mass., at approximately 3:05 a.m. He also attempted to block anyone from getting in by jamming the door with various items. Aaron was taken to UMass Leominster Hospital and pronounced dead at 4:07 a.m. He was 27-years-old.
2. Before he went to prison, he was a star football player. Aaron played college football for the University of Florida. He was drafted by the New England Patriots as the 15th pick in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Over the course of his 3-year career with the Patriots, the former tight end scored 18 touchdowns.
3. He was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Odin Lloyd. Aaron was convicted for the 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd, a friend of his and a semi-pro football player, in 2015. He was found guilty of first-degree murder, unlawful possession of a firearm, and unlawful possession of ammunition. At the time of his death, Aaron was serving a life sentence for Odin’s murder.
4. He was found not guilty for the double homicide of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado. On April 14, 2017, Aaron was found not guilty of the 2012 double murder of Daniel de Abreu, 29, and Safiro Furtardo, 28. Daniel and Safiro were killed in Boston’s South End when gunshots were fired into their vehicle. Aaron was indicted on murder charges and additional charges of armed assault and attempted murder associated with shots fired at the survivors in the vehicle. The trial began March 1, 2017 and he was acquitted the following month. The only thing Aaron was found guilty of was illegal possession of a handgun.
5. He has a daughter. Aaron started dating Shayanna Jenkins in 2007. Their daughter, Avielle Janelle Jenkins-Hernandez, was born in Nov. 2012. They got engaged that same month. Shayanna showed up in the courtroom on March 2, 2017, during the double homicide trial, and Aaron reportedly mouthed “I love you” to her when he entered the session, according to the New York Post.