Aaron Hernandez was found dead in his prison cell on Wednesday morning, and two people who knew him well refuse to believe that the former NFL star took his own life.
Hernandez’s agent, Brian Murphy, acknowledged that his former client had made mistakes but said there is “absolutely no chance” Hernandez would commit suicide.
Absolutely no chance he took his own life. Chico was not a saint, but my family and I loved him and he would never take his own life.
— Brian Murphy (@A1Murph) April 19, 2017
At least one of Hernandez’s former teammates shares the same sentiment.
Another former teammate of Aaron Hernandez I spoke with this am having a hard time believing he took his own life: "I am not buying it."
— Josina Anderson (@JosinaAnderson) April 19, 2017
That former Pats teammate added: "I'll never believe (Aaron Hernandez) went out that way. Yes he has emotions, but he's not wired like that"
— Josina Anderson (@JosinaAnderson) April 19, 2017
Department of Correction officials say Hernandez used a bed sheet to hang himself and that he tried to barricade his cell door from the inside by jamming it with various items. Assuming that information is accurate, it would seem impossible for someone else to have been in the cell with Hernandez.
You can understand those close to Hernandez being in disbelief, as the timing of his apparent suicide is shocking. Just days ago, Hernandez was acquitted of murdering two men outside a Boston nightclub in 2012. He was in prison serving a life sentence for being convicted of killing Odin Lloyd in 2013, but Hernandez’s attorney recently expressed confidence that his client could appeal that conviction and win.
Hernandez reportedly gave corrections officers no reason to believe he intended to harm himself. You can read more about the investigation here.
