Aaron Hernandez Found Guilty of 1st-Degree Murder

Former New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez has been found guilty of 1st-degree murder in the June 17, 2013 slaying of Odin Lloyd. The charge carries a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole.

Both sides of the spectators were fairly audible after the verdict, with Hernandez’s fiancee and mother visibly crying. The defendant even mouthed the words “be strong” to them, according to ESPN. On the other side, Lloyd’s mother could be seen crying and being comforted by family members and friends.

During the proceedings, the defense openly admitted that Aaron was present at the murder, but did not knowingly aid the act. They placed the blame for the killing on Ernest Wallace and Carlos Ortiz. The two have yet to stand trial for the crime.

The prosecutors, on the other hand, made it seem like Hernandez was the mastermind behind the atrocity, planning to kill Lloyd for some undisclosed reason: they were not allowed to talk about the 2012 drive-by shooting, which Hernandez is also being tried for at a later date. So without proper motivation, they painted Aaron a sociopath and used phone records and surveillance video to further illustrate this story. And apparently, it was enough to convict the former tight end.

Before being arrested in 2013, Hernandez inked a seven-year deal worth nearly $40 million, but was quickly cut from the team following the charges. He was also found guilty of “carrying a firearm without a license, two counts of carrying a large-capacity firearm, possession of ammunition without a FID card and possession of firearm without a FID card.”