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Ex-NFL star Aaron Hernandez found dead in cell
Massachusetts prison officials say former NFL star Aaron Hernandez has hanged himself in his cell and has been pronounced dead at a hospital.
The family of former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez expressed shock on Wednesday that he had apparently taken his own life in his prison cell, and they vowed to investigate the circumstances.
The 27-year-old former athlete's body was found at the Souza Baranowski Correctional Centre in Shirley, Massachusetts, where he was serving a life sentence for the 2013 murder of an acquaintance, just days after he was found not guilty of killing two other people.
State police were investigating the circumstances of the death of the former rising star in the National Football League, and a coroner was performing an autopsy on Wednesday.
"There were no conversations or correspondence from Aaron to his family or legal team that would have indicated anything like this was possible," said lawyer Jose Baez, who successfully defended Hernandez in the double-murder trial. "Aaron was looking forward to an opportunity for a second chance to prove his innocence."
Mr Baez called on authorities to "conduct a transparent and thorough investigation" and vowed his own examination of the death.
A prison spokesman told the Boston Globe that Hernandez had not been on a suicide watch and did not indicate that he intended to harm himself. The spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The state corrections commission said in a statement that the former athlete had hanged himself.
Hernandez's former agent, Brian Murphy, said on Twitter that he did not believe the athlete had killed himself.
"Absolutely no chance he took his own life," Murphy said. "Chico was not a saint, but my family and I loved him, and he would never take his own life."
Hernandez's suicide came on the day some of his former teammates would be visiting the White House to celebrate their recent Super Bowl victory.
Hernandez, 27, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of Odin Lloyd, who was dating the sister of Hernandez's fiance, Shayanna Jenkins. He had appealed the verdict.
The body of Lloyd, a 27-year-old semiprofessional football player, was found, shot six times, in June 2013 in a pit at an industrial park near Hernandez's home in North Attleboro, Massachusetts. Hernandez's motive in that case, prosecutors said, was that Lloyd spoke with people Hernandez did not like at a bar in Boston.
Hernandez was found not guilty last Friday in a second murder case, a drive-by shooting of two people in Boston in 2012.
Hernandez grew up in a tough neighbourhood in Bristol, Connecticut, and played at the University of Florida, where he was chosen the country's best tight end. He also ran into trouble there, getting into a bar fight and testing positive for marijuana.
He was a fourth-round NFL draft pick by the Patriots, after many teams passed on him, leery of his reputation.
Teamed with another star, Rob Gronkowski, Hernandez gave the Patriots a tight end combo that was second to none. He played three years in the NFL, catching 175 passes for 18 touchdowns. He signed a $US40 million contract extension in 2012 to continue playing for the Patriots.
In 2013, Hernandez and Lloyd began dating sisters, and the two men socialised together. In June 2013, at a Boston nightclub, Hernandez became angry with people Lloyd was talking with. Investigators said that Hernandez might have suspected that Lloyd was talking with them about the double murder case that Hernandez was eventually acquitted of.
Though no murder weapon was found, and no witness to the shooting of Lloyd came forward, prosecutors built a circumstantial case tying Hernandez to the killing.
Hernandez's fiance, Jenkins, spoke of a box that she said Hernandez instructed her to remove from their house and discard the day after Lloyd's body was found. She also said Hernandez called her from the police station and asked her to give some money to Ernest Wallace, a friend who would eventually also be charged in the killing.
It was enough for the jury, which deliberated for six days before finding Hernandez guilty.
Hernandez had a daughter with Jenkins, Avielle, now 4.
A member of the Patriots' public relations department, who declined to give her name, said most of the staff was out of the office for the team's visit to the White House. "We are aware of the reports," she said, "but I don't anticipate that there will be a comment today."
Mike Pouncey, a Florida teammate now with the Miami Dolphins, wrote on Instagram: "To my friend my brother! Through thick and thin right or wrong we never left each other's side. Today my heart hurts as I got the worse news I could have imagined."
❏ Support is available for those who may be distressed by phoning Lifeline 13 11 14; Mensline 1300 789 978; Kids Helpline 1800 551 800; beyondblue 1300 224 636.
Reuters, New York Times
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