Former Florida Gator, NFL star Aaron Hernandez kills himself in prison

Convicted murderer found hanging in prison cell

SHIRLEY, Mass. – Former Florida Gator and NFL star Aaron Hernandez committed suicide Wednesday morning in prison, officials said.

The 27-year-old convicted murderer, who was serving a life sentence for the 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd, was discovered hanging in his cell at the Souza Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley, Massachusetts, officials said. 

“Mr. Hernandez was in a single cell in a general population unit,” a statement from the Department of Correction  said. “Mr. Hernandez hanged himself utilizing a bed sheet that he attached to his cell window. Mr. Hernandez also attempted to block his door from the inside by jamming the door with various items."

Officials said lifesaving techniques were attempted on Hernandez, who was taken to UMASS Leominster Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

A prisons spokesman said he's not aware of any suicide note left by Hernandez, but stressed that an investigation is ongoing. Assistant Deputy Commissioner of Communications Christopher Fallon also said that officials had no concern Hernandez was planning on taking his own life. 

Hernandez was acquitted on Friday of a 2012 double homicide in Boston.

Key dates in Aaron Hernandez case:

  • June 8, 2010: Hernandez, a standout tight end drafted from the University of Florida, signs a four-year contract with the New England Patriots.
  • Jan. 1, 2012: He sets a career best with 138 receiving yards in a win over Buffalo.
  • July 16, 2012: Two men, Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado, are shot to death in their car as they wait at a red light in Boston's South End neighborhood.
  • Aug. 27, 2012: Hernandez signs a five-year, $40 million contract with the Patriots.
  • February 2013: An associate, Alexander Bradley, is shot in the face in Florida. Bradley files a lawsuit alleging that Hernandez shot him after they argued at a strip club.
  • June 17, 2013: The body of Odin Lloyd, a semi-professional football player who was dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancee, is found about a mile from Hernandez's mansion in North Attleborough, Massachusetts.
  • June 26, 2013: Hernandez is arrested on a murder charge in Lloyd's slaying and taken from his home in handcuffs. He later pleads not guilty. The Patriots release him hours after his arrest.
  • May 15, 2014: Hernandez is indicted on two counts of first-degree murder and other charges in connection with the shootings of de Abreu and Furtado. His lawyers say he is innocent.
  • May 28, 2014: Hernandez pleads not guilty to charges in connection with the deaths of de Abreu and Furtado. A prosecutor says Hernandez was angry because de Abreu accidentally bumped into him at a nightclub while dancing, spilling his drink.
  • Jan. 9, 2015: Hernandez goes on trial for murder in Lloyd's killing.
  • April 7, 2015: Prosecutors and Hernandez's lawyers present their closing statements and the case goes to the jury.
  • April 15, 2015: Hernandez is convicted of first-degree murder; carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment.
  • Feb. 14, 2017: Hernandez goes on trial for murder in the 2012 killings of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado.
  • April 6, 2017: Prosecutors and Hernandez's lawyers present their closing arguments.
  • April 7, 2017: The jury begins deliberating.
  • April 14, 2017: Hernandez acquitted of murder in the 2012 killings of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado.
  • April 19, 2017: Hernandez found hanging by a bed sheet in his prison cell, dies at hospital.

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