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Aaron Hernandez kills himself in prison

Heath Shuler

Heath Shuler

SPEED KILLS
Aaron Hernandez kills himself in prison

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/20...tml?s_campaign=bostonglobe:socialflow:twitter

Aaron Hernandez comitted suicide in prison Wednesday morning, the Department of Correction said.

According to a statement for the DOC, the former New England Patriot star was discovered hanging in his cell at the Souza Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley Massachusetts at approximately 3:05 a.m.

“Mr. Hernandez was in a single cell in a general population unit,” the statement said. “Mr. Hernandez hanged himself utilizing a bedsheet 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.”

State Police are investigating and his family has been notified.

The statement said Hernandez was transported to UMass Leominster, where he was pronounced dead at 4:07 a.m. Wednesday.

Hernandez’s suicide comes five days after he was [URL='https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/04/14/sixth-day-deliberations-aaron-hernandez-double-murder-trial-start/FvbRSR9XtY1APZ5EnLnwtL/story.html']acquitted of murdering two men in Boston in 2012
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. However, he was still serving a life without parole sentence for murdering Odin L. Lloyd in North Attleborough in 2013.
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[/URL]
 
Can't say that I'll lose any sleep over his death. But there's got to be something beyond what is being reported. The released details surrounding this incident make little sense for its occurrence in a maximum security prison (Souza Baranowski Correctional Center in Massachusetts).
 
Something doesn't add up. He's found not guilty of a double homicide, after serving years for a different homicide, and now he kills himself?
I think he's one of those tortured souls type. Tragic ending to a tragic life. I hope he found what he was looking for.
 
PapaL said:
Something doesn't add up. He's found not guilty of a double homicide, after serving years for a different homicide, and now he kills himself?
I think he's one of those tortured souls type. Tragic ending to a tragic life. I hope he found what he was looking for.
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The reason he committed the murder he was convicted on was to cover up the murder he was just found not guilty of.

If he doesn't kill his buddy to keep him quiet he could have walked on all of this.
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
Can't say that I'll lose any sleep over his death. But there's got to be something beyond what is being reported. The released details surrounding this incident make little sense for its occurrence in a maximum security prison (Souza Baranowski Correctional Center in Massachusetts).
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He wasn't on suicide watch, and had no reason to be. Was fine doing a few years and just had a court victory.
 
Maybe he grew a conscience.. Gotta be tough knowing you killed your friend and were possibly responsible for the death of two others..

Maybe the new trial stirred up repressed emotions that he buried deep down inside and he just couldn't cope.

Or maybe he reflected back on everything he had and how he pissed it all away and couldn't cope with that...my guess it was a mixture of all 3.

It's hard to feel sympathetic for him, because we all make decisions in life and we have to live by the choices we make and he made the most egregious decision of all.. the decision to take a life (possibly multiple lives) and now his own.

However it's still a very sad and tragic story.. here's a young guy who was a rising football star who had the world at his finger tips, but couldn't separate himself from his past and because of the choices he made he destroyed the lives of atleast 2, possibly 4 families. His family, his friends family, and possibly the other 2 families involved. Sad story tragic story.
 
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Carr Bombed said:
However it's still a very sad and tragic story.. here's a young guy who was a rising football star who had the world at his finger tips, but couldn't separate himself from his past and because of the choices he made he destroyed the lives of atleast 2, possibly 4 families. His family, his friends family, and possibly the other 2 families involved. Sad story
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Yes, a sad story of a man deciding to throw such a promising life down the toilet. You feel for the loved ones and families affected, but I'm OK with his sad story being over.
 
I wonder how many real gangbangers in prison told him what a freakin dumbass he was for messing up his life when he had it made.
 
Marcus said:
And he actually dies an innocent man.

:rolleyes:
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What kind of ass backwards law is that.. Cak! Please get in here and try to explain the reason behind this law? Is this just a Massachusetts law?

To me he chose to exhaust his appeals when he chose to exhaust his own life. WTF, this law needs to be changed. If you are a convicted murderer..you should remain a convicted murderer regardless how you decide to check out. Stupid law, they need to change it.
 
His lawyer & agent aren't convinced it was suicide. Lawyer says it might have been other inmates or correctional officers.
 
Carr Bombed said:
What kind of ass backwards law is that.. Cak! Please get in here and try to explain the reason behind this law? Is this just a Massachusetts law?

To me he chose to exhaust his appeals when he chose to exhaust his own life. WTF, this law needs to be changed. If you are a convicted murderer..you should remain a convicted murderer regardless how you decide to check out. Stupid law, they need to change it.
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Good article on it here - https://law.lclark.edu/live/files/21760-abatement-ab-initio-and-a-crime-victims-right-to
 
disaacks3 said:
Good article on it here - https://law.lclark.edu/live/files/21760-abatement-ab-initio-and-a-crime-victims-right-to
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Well that's a bunch of crap.. This law is only screwing over the victims.. That article mentioned how Enron workers who had their retirement embezzled away lost 44 million dollars in compensation just because that fat turd killed over. WTF.

This just doesn't seem right, you shouldn't have a law on the books that seems like it just victimizes victims again? I'm no lawyer, but that just doesn't seem right.
 
Just read this on reddit; not sure how factual it is but it does make more sense than he just randomly offed himself:

Not sure if this has been explained yet but...
So out here in Boston there is a local sports talk radio show called Toucher & Rich. Last hour they had on a law professor and a lawyer to explain what's going on and why he probably did it.
Because his murder conviction is in appeal, and his recent gun charge will go into appeal...now that he is dead, those appeals cannot be heard and those convictions will be vacated. And while this doesn't help with the civil suits his family/estate will face from the victims families, it does make it so that officially Aaron Hernandez does not have any convictions under his name.
Now what that means in the grand scheme of things is his family is now technically entitled to his NFL pension, his signing bonus and any other money the Patriots owe him. I'm sure they will fight it but it gives the family a leg to stand on.
This happened in the case of the Catholic Priest that touched all those kids. Father Goggins I think his name was. Convicted, appealed, offed himself and they vacated the convictions. The families still were able to bring civil charges but he officially never got convicted.

TL;DR - Hernandez convictions will be vacated now, he is no longer a felon and is owed his nfl pension, his signing bonus and more money that will all technically go to his family.
 
PapaL said:
Just read this on reddit; not sure how factual it is but it does make more sense than he just randomly offed himself:

Not sure if this has been explained yet but...
So out here in Boston there is a local sports talk radio show called Toucher & Rich. Last hour they had on a law professor and a lawyer to explain what's going on and why he probably did it.
Because his murder conviction is in appeal, and his recent gun charge will go into appeal...now that he is dead, those appeals cannot be heard and those convictions will be vacated. And while this doesn't help with the civil suits his family/estate will face from the victims families, it does make it so that officially Aaron Hernandez does not have any convictions under his name.
Now what that means in the grand scheme of things is his family is now technically entitled to his NFL pension, his signing bonus and any other money the Patriots owe him. I'm sure they will fight it but it gives the family a leg to stand on.
This happened in the case of the Catholic Priest that touched all those kids. Father Goggins I think his name was. Convicted, appealed, offed himself and they vacated the convictions. The families still were able to bring civil charges but he officially never got convicted.

TL;DR - Hernandez convictions will be vacated now, he is no longer a felon and is owed his nfl pension, his signing bonus and more money that will all technically go to his family.
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That law has got to go or at the very least be rewritten where victims aren't royally screwed over.
 
Carr Bombed said:
That law has got to go or at the very least be rewritten where victims aren't royally screwed over.
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I don't know how it could be re-written. Innocent until proven guilty right? Both sides have rights in this matter. To me no one is a winner.
 
PapaL said:
I don't know how it could be re-written. Innocent until proven guilty right? Both sides have rights in this matter. To me no one is a winner.
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Yeah, but he was found guilty for the first murder already..he was convicted. There's a loophole here that needs to be closed.
 
I'm curious if this could actually benefit the families of the victims though. Civil cases carry a lower burden of proof as shown in the OJ case where he was innocent yet civilly held accountable being that in all likelihood he committed the crime. Hernandez may receive NFL pension benefits because of this law but I'm guessing the victims families would receive that $ in a civil case. I would assume that the NFL would have similar legal recourse to stop paying benefits but it would be interesting to see if they pursue this relief if they have knowledge that the $ would go to the victims' families.
 
Carr Bombed said:
Yeah, but he was found guilty for the first murder already..he was convicted. There's a loophole here that needs to be closed.
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Right. You off yourself, you give up any appeals and the previous verdict stands. That's just a dumb law on the books now.
 
Max said:
I'm curious if this could actually benefit the families of the victims though. Civil cases carry a lower burden of proof as shown in the OJ case where he was innocent yet civilly held accountable being that in all likelihood he committed the crime. Hernandez may receive NFL pension benefits because of this law but I'm guessing the victims families would receive that $ in a civil case. I would assume that the NFL would have similar legal recourse to stop paying benefits but it would be interesting to see if they pursue this relief if they have knowledge that the $ would go to the victims' families.
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From what I'm reading, it looks like pensions aren't touchable in civil court.

http://m.motherjones.com/politics/2002/02/ken-lays-nest-egg
 
PapaL said:
From what I'm reading, it looks like pensions aren't touchable in civil court.

http://m.motherjones.com/politics/2002/02/ken-lays-nest-egg
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The article linked pertains to annuities and life insurance which can be protected assets against lawsuit for a living person. A pension isn't an asset but an income stream - the same as a paycheck. If Hernandez didn't select a beneficiary for the pension, it would be payable to his estate (pensions are different on how they do this - some are paid lump sum, some over a set time) and be subject to claims by litigation. If he named his girlfriend as beneficiary, it would be more difficult to access but I'm fairly sure they could get to it - good question for cak. All of this assumes that he was eligible for pension if not guilty which I'm not even sure of.
 
From SI:

Hernandez’s death does not automatically terminate civil lawsuits filed against him by family members of his victims and alleged victims. Normally those lawsuits continue, with Hernandez’s estate replacing him as the defendant. Although the legal burden for proving civil liability is only preponderance of evidence (more probable than not), the nullifying of Hernandez’s convictions through “abatement ab initio” presents an unexpected challenge for attorneys representing the families. Those attorneys—especially those representing the family of Lloyd—would have relied on Hernandez’s convictions to help establish that if he was convicted criminally, which requires beyond a reasonable doubt, then he must be liable in a civil case given the lower burden of proof required. Regardless, it is unclear if Hernandez leaves behind an estate with much in the way of resources. His legal bills have likely been massive, he has not earned income since 2014 and his other potential sources of wealth may not have a simple path to the family he leaves behind.

If Hernandez had a life insurance policy, the policy may dictate that benefits are not paid to his family if the cause of death is suicide. Many life insurance policies, however, stipulate that instead of an outright denial of payment for death by suicide, the payment is delayed for a period of time. When the life insurance policy was purchased often matters, too: a denial is more likely if the suicide occurred within a year or two of the policy being purchased.

Hernandez should also leave behind a pension from playing three years in the NFL. The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) protects pensions from creditors, including those with successful civil judgments against defendants. The value of his pension is unknown at this time, but it may provide some funding for his daughter.

No matter how those matters are resolved, Hernandez's life remains almost impossible to understand, and it came to an end on the same day the Patriots, including some former teammates of Hernandez, are at the White House celebrating another Super Bowl victory. How such a talented player could live a double life as a murderer has never made sense and probably never will.
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Now there are reports that Hernandez may have smoked synthetic marijuana Tuesday night possibly explaining why he offed himself without previous suicide signs. Synthetic marijuana is NOT marijuana. It causes users to lose control of their thoughts and actions........cause anything from zombie affect, suicidal thoughts, paranoia, hallucinations (many times monsters and devils) and extreme violence. Prison didn't teach him anything.
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
From SI:
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The pension mentioned going to his daughter assumes he named her as beneficiary. If not it goes to his estate and will be like any other estate assets mentioned in the article - subject to litigation. The life insurance proceeds also bypass the estate if a beneficiary is named - if none named, it's part of the estate again and subject to litigation. The part that is unclear is if civil claims can wrestle away assets or income (insurance proceeds and pension income) that bypass the estate because of named beneficiaries. A quick Google search shows a case that it can be taken away from certain criminals - not sure it applies to Hernandez though: https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/p...les-lawsuit-seize-life-insurance-payments-san
 
From what I remember, he had to sell his ~2 million dollar home and his salary in the NFL is supposedly up in attorney flames. Remember, he only is eligible for 3 years of NFL pension (the NFL pension plan is quite meager compared to the other professional sports..........and if anyone gets it there will be a hefty penalty if its withdrawn early. Especially if there are any court battles involved (no matter the outcome), there may be very little left over anywhere in the coffers.


The NFL is an organization that rewards the number of active seasons in both their pension and 401k plan. The pension, which players become eligible for at age 55, gives them $470/month for each season they played. A player with 4 seasons would get $1880/month starting at age 55, for the rest of their life. But most of them stop playing long before that, and inflation is eating away the value of those pension dollars with each passing year.

The 401k is structured more generously. After their second season, players can received 2:1 matching up to $24,000 until 2014, and $28,000 after that until 2020. Without careful money management, they still might come up short of the goal and miss their contributions. Though most of us aren’t playing in the big leagues, we share a lot of the same challenges as our favorite athletes.
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link
 
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CloakNNNdagger said:
His family is fighting to gain access his brain to make it available for CTE evaluation.
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Considering all the stupid **** he's done I think in his case they'll probably have to announce that it can't be found.

Maybe they'll put up a reward for information leading to the location of Aaron Hernandez's brain.
 
StarStruck said:
Seems like I recall something similar when O. J. Simpson lost in civil court.
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As cnd pointed out, it doesn't seem relevant as the $ amount is so small. But just as an FYI, OJ and Ken Lay were alive so assets were protected because they were held in the plan. At death, the assets are distributed either to the named beneficiary or the estate if no beneficiary is named. If distributed to the estate, the funds are subject to litigation as the civil suit is against Hernandez's estate. The quote below discusses the difference between assets held in a plan and those distributed from the plan.

While a ERISA plan is generally protected, the distributions made to you may not be. At least one federal court has held that your ERISA benefits may no longer be protected once they leave the plan and are distributed to you. For example, if you deposit the distributions you receive from a retirement plan into a regular checking account, then a judgment creditor may be able to attach those funds in the account.
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http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/can-judgment-creditors-go-after-my-retirement-accounts.html
 
PapaL said:
Michael L. Coyne Massachusetts School of Law's President, Dean, and a Professor gives his take on all this; 4 min video/call.

http://www.csnne.com/video/coyne-patriots-may-still-have-pay-hernandez-nfl-pension
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Interesting that he brought the bonus money up -- I thought that had been settled. If that's back in play it's a real issue again. The attorney didn't really address if Hernandez's family get's the $ other than to say that it's an interesting question. Seems like it will be settled in court -- interesting indeed.

The attorney conflated two issues on the call when he said, 'Will his estate – will his child or his wife be able to recover either some of the bonus still due him…or any of his pension benefits…' The estate is not the same as his child or wife -- it's a separate legal entity from his family. Estates are often subject to legal challenges - it's part of the reason that probate court exists - and the civil case will factor into deciding if his child or wife get the $ or the victims or some combination thereof. I guess we'll see how it plays out in court.
 
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Max said:
Interesting that he brought the bonus money up -- I thought that had been settled. If that's back in play it's a real issue again. The attorney didn't really address if Hernandez's family get's the $ other than to say that it's an interesting question. Seems like it will be settled in court -- interesting indeed.

The attorney conflated two issues on the call when he said, 'Will his estate – will his child or his wife be able to recover either some of the bonus still due him…or any of his pension benefits…' The estate is not the same as his child or wife -- it's a separate legal entity from his family. Estates are often subject to legal challenges and the civil case will factor into deciding if his child or wife get the $ or the victims or some combination thereof. I guess we'll see how it plays out in court.
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This is all really interesting to me. This could potentially change legal precedent. I look forward to the made for tv special that surely is in the works.
 
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Judge orders preservation of evidence related to Aaron Hernandez’s death
April 21, 2017, 10:01 PM EDT


A medical examiner ruled on Thursday that former Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez committed suicide on Wednesday. On Friday, a judge ordered authorities to preserve various forms of evidence related to Hernandez’s death.

Via the Associated Press, Shayanna Jenkins-Hernandez (who was not married to Hernandez but nevertheless took his name) asked for the preservation of video recordings from Hernandez’s cell for eight hours prior to his death, records relating to his whereabouts during that same time, and all of his property, including any writings. Three notes were found in his cell.

The judge also ordered that recordings of Hernandez’s phone calls for 30 days prior to his death be preserved. The judge declined to order the preservation of calls made by other inmates.

The request to preserve evidence relates directly to the desire of Hernandez’s family and lawyers to conduct an independent investigation regarding his death. Beyond the question of whether he actually committed suicide, it’s fair to explore whether he exhibited sufficient evidence of suicidal thoughts to prompt the authorities to prevent Hernandez from doing harm to himself.
 
Why is this POS news still? Why does anyone care? He hasn't played in the NFL in years, and is just a squandering murdering scumbag. Good riddance. He has no business being a news topic at this point.
 
What amazes me in all of this is? He's essentially beat the system, by finding
the one way to get out of a potential murder/gun charge, while managing
to set up his wife/daughter financially for the rest of their life
 
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