Aaron Hernandez: The Murder That Led to His Downfall

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The former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez seemed to have it all, lavishing on what the NFL has brought him, but not everything was as it seemed. Hernandez lost it all when he was convicted of first-degree murder and five gun charges in Odin Lloyd’s death. He was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole. Not only this but he was also accused of committing a double murder in 2014 but was later acquitted.

A few days after his acquittal, he was found dead, hanging from his cell. Over 7 years later, the FX documentary American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez revived his name again, going in-depth about his career, family, and the murders. The documentary also tries to answer the question, what led to his downfall? What makes a football star throw everything away like that?

About Aaron Hernandez

Aaron Josef Fernandez was born in Bristol, Connecticut on November 6, 1989. According to his brother Jonathan Hernandez, Aaron Hernandez suffered from his father’s abuse, and the fact that their father passed away in 2006 didn’t help either. Hernandez received the John Mackey Award during his college days for being the nation’s best collegiate tight end for his junior season at Florida.

He later decided to enter the NFL Draft and was eventually drafted by the New England Patriots in the Draft’s fourth round. In 2012, he signed a five-year, $40 million contract extension with the New England Patriots, as he was an asset to the team. He scored six touchdowns on 563 receiving yards with quarterback Tom Brady, and he helped them to Super Bowl XLVI, where they lost to the New York Giants 21-17. He was engaged to his fiancée, Shayanna Jenkins, and gave birth to their daughter, Avielle.

The Murder of Odin Lloyd

Odin Lloyd was dating Jenkins’ sister and a semi-professional football player. Hernandez and Lloyd met through the sisters and quickly became friends. Things are unclear as to what led to Lloyd’s murder. However, Surveillance footage shows Lloyd with Hernandez and his friends Ernest Wallace and Carlos Ortiz driving into the industrial park where Lloyd’s body was found. All the evidence pointed to Aaron Hernandez and he was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and five firearms violations on June 26, 2013.

Hernandez’s trial became a sensation with very high publicity. He pleaded not guilty and in 2014, he was accused of murdering Daniel de Abreu, 29, and Safiro Furtado, 28, in July 2012, to which he pleaded not guilty, as well. In 2015, he was found guilty of the charges and was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. In 2017, he was acquitted of the double homicide and a few days later, he was found hanging by a bedsheet in his prison cell at Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley, Massachusetts. His death was ruled a suicide.

What Led to Aaron Hernandez’s Downfall

His Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)

Ann McKee, a neurology and pathology professor, studied Hernandez’s brain after his death. She claimed it to be the most severe case of CTE she had ever seen. CTE is an illness found in athletes and those who have suffered multiple concussions or brain traumas. CTE can lead to dementia, mood changes, and aggression. Whether there is a direct link between CTE and murderous tendencies is debatable but in Hernandez’s case, it sure was a contributing factor of many.

His Childhood

Aaron Hernandez’s brother, Jonathan Hernandez, revealed in his book The Truth About Aaron: My Journey to Understand My Brother that he was molested by an older boy when he was six. In addition, his father physically abused him, his brother, and their mother, and his father passed away early. Being around all this violence and facing loss at an early age can make a more violent person out of somebody, especially if the anger within is pent up. His brother speculates that all this aggression was to protect himself from being hurt and to show the world that he could take care of himself but he unfortunately took it too far.

Final Thoughts

Aaron Hernandez has left his mark in the football world for his skills but left a murderous mark in the world with the murder he committed. Whether Hernandez deserves sympathy or not is debatable. His past and brain weren’t on his side, but at the end of the day, he was aware and conscious enough to tell right from wrong, and there was no excuse for taking someone’s life away in cold blood. The fact that his death was ruled a suicide is tragic and isn’t something to be taken lightly. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Article originally written by Amira Zidan.