Aaron Hernandez Commits Suicide In Prison

Aaron Hernandez, the former Florida Gators and New England Patriots tight end serving life without parole for murder, was found dead in his prison cell early Wednesday morning, the Massachusetts Department of Corrections says. Hernandez, 27, reportedly hanged himself with a bed sheet.

Hernandez had been acquitted of a 2012 double-murder just five days ago, but was serving life on another murder charge.

Correctional officers at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley, Massachusetts, found Hernandez hanging in his cell around 3:05 a.m. April 19, according to a DOC statement. An attempt was made to revive him and he was transported to UMass Leominster, where he was pronounced dead at 4:07 a.m.

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Hernandez was in a single cell in general population. According to the DOC, he attached a bed sheet to his cell window and attempted to block the door from the inside by jamming it with several items.

Hernandez was found not guilty April 14 of the murders of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado in Boston's South End in 2012. He was convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm and sentenced to 4-5 years in a state prison, to run separate from the life sentence he was serving for the June 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd.

The former Patriots star was convicted two years ago of murdering Lloyd, 27, in an industrial park in North Attleborough.

Hernandez's death comes as the New England Patriots head to the White House on Wednesday to celebrate their Super Bowl win.

Hernandez was a native of Bristol, Connecticut, but spent his college years playing for the University of Florida. He won the John Mackey Award in 2009 and was also named an All-American. He opted to move straight into the 2010 NFL draft rather than play for the Gators in his senior season, ultimately getting picked up by the Patriots in the fourth round that year.

With reporting by Patch’s Alex Newman

Photo by Josh Reynolds/The Boston Globe via AP