Former NFL tight end Aaron Hernandez committed suicide in prison early Wednesday morning.
According to a statement from the Department of Correction, Hernandez used a bed sheet to hang himself.
“Mr. Hernandez was in a single cell in a general population unit,” the statement said, via the Boston Globe. “Mr. Hernandez hanged himself utilizing a bed sheet 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.”
Hernandez was transported to a local hospital and pronounced dead at 4:07 a.m.
Less than a week ago, Hernandez was acquitted of murdering two men in a 2012 shooting outside a nightclub in Boston. Cameras showed that he was clearly overcome with emotion at the decision, and the 27-year-old’s attorney later said he believed his client would eventually get out of prison.
Hernandez was serving a life sentence after being convicted of murdering Odin Lloyd in 2013.
