Last Updated on June 24, 2026
Aaron Hernandez was convicted of the murder of Odin Lloyd in 2013.
At the time of the murder Aaron Hernandez was a patriots football player and was released from his contract after his arrest.
Hernandez was indicted for two further murders, the murders of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado but was acquitted of both murders.
On April 19th 2017 Aaron Hernandez committed suicide in his jail cell.
After his death Aaron Hernandez brain was examined and he was found to be suffering from severe CTE.
CTE is a brain disorder caused by multiple head trauma such as those that occur in contact sport and could have caused his violent outbursts.
Murder of Odin Lloyd
Odin Lloyd was murdered on June 17th 2013, his cause of death was death by shooting.
At Odin Lloyd’s autopsy they discovered that he had a total of 6 gunshot wounds.
Odin Lloyd’s body was discovered in an industrial park around a mile from Hernandez’s home in North Attleborough, Massachusetts.
Murder Investigation
The investigation was solely centred on Aaron Hernandez after Odin Lloyd text his sister to say that he was with Hernandez on the evening of his murder.
The police discovered five .45-caliber shell casings found at the Odin Lloyd crime scene.
One was discovered in Aaron Hernandez’s rental car.
CCTV from outside Lloyds residence also showed Hernandez outside and showed him being picked up in Hernandez rental car.
The authorities searched Hernandez’s secret condo and found .45 calibre bullets and clothing they believed he was wearing the night of the murder.
Aaron Hernandez Arrest
Aaron Hernandez arrest took place at his home in Attleboro on June 26th 2013.
He was arrested due to evidence that Aaron was the last person to see Odin alive.
Shortly after his arrest he was released from his contract with the Patriots.
Aaron Hernandez Trial – Odin Lloyd
The evidence presented in the Aaron Hernandez case was text messages between Aaron and Odin.
There was also CCTV from his home with what appears to be a gun in his hand and CCTV of Hernandez outside Odin’s home.
Aaron Hernandez sentence was to serve life in prison without the possibility of parole at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center.
In 2018, Odin Lloyd’s mother filed a civil suit against Hernandez estate that was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.
Why did Aaron Hernandez kill Odin Lloyd?
Odin Lloyd’s girlfriend was Shaneah Jenkins, the sister of Aaron Hernandez’s fiance and Aaron Hernandez and Odin Lloyd were close friends.
On June 14th 2013, at Rumor Nightclub Hernandez saw Lloyd talking with some men.
These were men that he had previously had an altercation with and became enraged at the perceived betrayal.
It is believed that Aaron Hernandez killed Odin Lloyd as he didn’t think he could trust him.
Murder of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado
Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado were shot and killed in their car as they pulled up to a stop light in the early hours of July 16th 2012.
Aaron Hernandez became a suspect after the ruling in the Odin Lloyd case.
The lead detective remembered seeing Aaron Hernandez in CCTV footage from the Cure Lounge.
His rental vehicle also matched the description from witnesses.
Aaron Hernandez Trial – Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado
Aaron Hernandez was accused of the murder of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado.
The trial of Aaron Hernandez for the killing took place in March and April 2017.
The prosecution argued that Aaron Hernandez planned the murder after Daniel de Abreu accidentally bumped into him leading to a split drink.
Hernandez then waiting for the club to empty before following and shooting the pair at a stop light.
The defence tore apart the prosecution’s lack of witnesses to the alleged drink spilling and the credibility of their witness Alexander Bradley, who was with Hernandez.
The defence also accused Bradley of being the shooter.
Aaron Hernandez was found not guilty of the double murder on April 14th 2017.
Hernandez was found guilty of unlawful possession of a gun and was sentenced to an additional four to five years in prison.
The families filed a civil case against Aaron Hernandez which was dismissed after a settlement was reached.
Hernandez was also acquitted of shooting Alexander Bradley in the face, an attack that led to the loss of his right eye.
Bradley filed a civil suit that was settled for an undisclosed amount.
Double shooting of Corey Smith and Justin Glass
Aaron Hernandez’s involvement in a Gainesville shooting was investigated after a witness from the crime scene gave a description matching Hernandez.
The victims of the non-fatal shooting, Corey Smith, Justin Glass and friend Randall Cason were involved in an altercation with Hernandez and his team members earlier that evening in a nightclub.
At the time of the 2007 shooting he was not considered a suspect.
In light of his murder conviction and accusations of Hernandez involvement in other shootings the case was reopened in 2013.
The lead detective concluded that Hernandez was not considered a suspect.
There were no charges against Aaron Hernandez after Randall Cason recanted his statement that he was involved.
Other witnesses described a black male with corn rolls as the shooter.
There are currently no suspects or no arrests have been made.
Was Aaron Fernandez gay?
We know he had previous relationships with men but this does not necessarily define Aaron Hernandez sexuality.
Another Odin Lloyd motive theory offered by some was that he had discovered that Aaron Hernandez was gay or bi-sexual due to his previous relationships with men.
Aaron Hernandez Family
Shayanna Jenkins changed her name in 2015 to Shayanna Jenkins Hernandez.
This lead some to conclude she was now Aaron Hernandez’s wife but the pair never married.
Aaron Hernandez daughter is now a big sister after Shayanna gave birth to a second daughter in 2018.
Aaron Hernandez daughter Avielle attempted to sue the NFL for compensation for loss-of-parental-consortium due to her fathers suicide due to CTE.
A judge dismissed the case as he was not an active player in 2014.
He was excluded from the class settlement and ruled she couldn’t file for additional damages.
Aaron Hernandez’s fiancée posted a tribute to her late fiancé on Instagram in 2020.
How did Aaron Hernandez die?
Aaron Hernandez committed suicide in his jail cell on April 19th 2017.
Aaron Hernandez cause of death was death by hanging as he had hung himself with a bed sheet.
A fellow inmate reported that he was smoking K2,.
K2 is a synthetic drug that leads to hallucinations in the days leading up to his death.
However, Aaron Hernandez’s autopsy included a toxicology report and no drugs were found in his system.
Aaron Hernandez left a suicide note for both his fiance Shayanna Jenkins Hernandez and his daughter Avielle Janelle Hernandez.
Hernandez’s suicide note to his fiancee Shayanna Jenkins Hernandez read You’re Rich.
It is thought that he believed that his suicide would lead to his acquittal.
His conviction was currently being appealed and his fiancee would be eligible for payouts from the NFL.
After Aaron Hernandez death, no payouts were ever made.
The Supreme Judicial Court in Massachusetts reinstated his murder conviction in 2019.
Aaron Hernandez funeral took place on April 23rd 2017 at Bristol, Connecticut and was a private service attended by family.
Did Aaron Hernandez Have CTE?
Aaron Hernandez brain scan revealed significant damage consistent with severe CTE.
Many believe that this may explain the Aaron Hernandez case.
CTE is known to cause emotional instability leading to violent outbursts.
Hernandez criminal history included a number of violent outbursts in bars and clubs starting when he was just 17.
He allegedly punched a restaurant worker in an argument.
Media
The Aaron Hernandez Netflix documentary Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez was released in January 2020.
The Aaron Hernandez documentary covered the crimes, trial and his death.
It featured archive footage and interviews with friends and family including Aaron Hernandez brother DJ Hernandez.