Former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was found guilty of first-degree murder on Wednesday, April 16. He will serve life in prison without parole. Hernandez, 25, was also found guilty on firearm and ammunition charges. This verdict stems from the June 2013 murder of Hernandez’s friend Odin Lloyd, a 27-year old landscaper and semi-pro football player, in a late-night shooting in an abandoned industrial park in North Attleborough, MA. Shortly after the verdict was announced, Hernandez looked towards the jury and appeared to mouth “you’re wrong”. He then turned towards his fiancée and mother and mouthed “be strong”. Prior to the murder, Hernandez was a key contributor to the Patriots’ run to the 2011 Super Bowl, where they lost to the New York Giants. Hernandez and fellow Patriot Rob Gronkowski created one of the most dynamic tight end duos in NFL history.
Although a Fall River, MA jury handed down a guilty verdict on Hernandez, there were flaws in the case. According to Roger Cossack, a legal analyst for ESPN, no murder weapon was recovered from the scene of the crime. The only reason Hernandez’s name came up was because the keys to a car he rented were found in Lloyd’s pocket after his death. Additionally, ESPN’s Michele Steele stated on Twitter that Massachusetts state law automatically triggers an appeal to the state’s highest court for any capital crime, and first-degree murder is defined as a capital crime. Many feel that the major flaw in Hernandez’s defense came right at the end of the case. During the closing arguments, James Sultan, Hernandez’s attorney, confessed that his client was at the industrial park when Lloyd was killed.
Shortly after Hernandez’s arrest on June 26, 2013, the Patriots released him from the team, effectively terminating the tight end’s five-year/$40 million contract signed in the summer of 2012. The Patriots’ disassociation with Hernandez continued through a free jersey exchange for anyone who owned an Aaron Hernandez jersey on July 6 and 7, 2013, two weeks after the player’s arrest. According to cbssports.com, the team gave $250 000 of merchandise to fans in exchange for Hernandez’s jersey, and all of the #81 jerseys were destroyed.
