An autopsy conducted on Aaron Hernandez’s body after he committed suicide in prison last week reportedly revealed that the former NFL star was using synthetic marijuana.
Law enforcement sources with direct knowledge of the case told Michele McPhee of Newsweek that a kidney fluid screen showed traces of K2, which is a synthetic form of marijuana. The presence of the drug in Hernandez’s system is one of the reasons Massachusetts State Police have raided the Souza Baronwski Correctional Center and have reportedly been searching for contraband and gathering other information.
McPhee’s sources described it as “unusual” for state troopers to conduct a prison search. According to the report, one corrections officer has been placed on paid leave after he was accused of failing to complete his cell check at 2 a.m. the morning Hernandez hung himself. Police are also said to have searched “the warehouse” shared by Souza Baronwski Correctional Center and another prison, with the intention being to determine if there are any liquified drugs like K2 on the premises. K2 can be smuggled into prisons by dipping the corners of a piece of paper into the drug and mailing it as a letter.
With the Hernandez case being so high-profile, investigators are likely going to take their time figuring out exactly what happened and determining if there was any wrongdoing or negligence on the part of prison officials. Previous reports indicated fellow inmates suspected Hernandez may have been using K2.
Hernandez reportedly had a bible verse written on his forehead at the time he committed suicide. One theory (read it here) speculates that Hernandez may have taken his own life for financial reasons, while a previous report from Newsweek claimed the ex-New England Patriot feared being outed as gay.
