In the eyes of the law in Massachusetts, Aaron Hernandez’s conviction for the 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd has been overturned. But the former New England Patriots tight end still originally was found guilty and spent years in Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley, Mass., before he committed suicide April 19.
And now we know more about Hernandez’s time there.
In addition to Hernandez’s prison file, NESN also obtained copies of his incident files, which offer a closer look into his life behind bars.
The 55 pages of reports sometimes chronicled serious incidents such as fights and the events surrounding his suicide, and there also were documents detailing electrical problems in his cell, missing key cards and an officer looking improperly looking into his file.
So let’s take a closer look at some of the more noticeable incident reports.
Accounts of his suicide and the following hours
There understandably were a lot of reports on the night of Hernandez’s suicide. While much already has been made public about that night, these reports offer firsthand accounts from staff members.
The accounts include descriptions from those first on the scene, as well as the immediate fallout, including the efforts to revive Hernandez.
Aug. 20, 2015 fight
We learned of two seemingly significant fights from his time at the prison. The first occurred in August 2015, and there also were multiple reports for this incident. The reports indicated Hernandez was approached by a prisoner, whose name was blacked out, in a cell, and the two exchanged words and punches. A “spontaneous use of force” and “chemical agent” were used in the effort to break it up.
June 10, 2016 fight
A “spontaneous use of force” also was used to break up the second fight detailed in the reports. This time, the fight happened in the dayroom flats, and when Hernandez and the other inmate, whose name was blacked out, refused an order to stop fighting, a “chemical agent” was used.
Basketball injury
Hernandez was injured during a basketball game in the prison’s North Gym on Feb. 7, 2016. Another inmate, whose name was blacked out, hit Hernandez in the face while attempting to block his shot. That caused Hernandez’s nose to bleed.
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
