Key Moments in The Life of Aaron Hernandez
Aaron Hernandez died Wednesday morning in an apparent suicide, ending a life that saw football glory and off-field troubles that left the tight end in prison on a life sentence.
Officials said Hernandez, 27, was hanging from a bedsheet when he was found at the Souza-Barnowski Correctional Center in Shirley, Mass., at 3:05 a.m. In the past week, Hernandez was found not guilty of murdering Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado.
He previously was found guilty in spring 2015 of the murder of Odin Lloyd.
Former Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez commits suicide in prison
During his three-year NFL career with the Patriots, Hernandez caught 175 passes as one of Tom Brady's top targets.
Here's a timeline of his life and career:
- Nov. 6, 1989: Hernandez is born in Bristol, Conn. He's the second son of Dennis Hernandez, a former high school football star who played for the University of Connecticut, and Terri Valentine-Hernandez.
- Jan. 6, 2006: Hernandez's father dies from complications from a surgery. Hernandez is a 16-year-old student at Bristol Central High School at the time. He later admits he turned to drugs after his father's death.
- January 2007: Hernandez leaves home to enroll in Florida after graduating from high school early.
Aaron Hernandez's suicide leaves legal loose ends from his final years
- April 28, 2007: Hernandez is probed by police and reportedly does not deny he punched a waiter at a restaurant near the University of Florida. Tim Tebow is a witness.
- Sept. 30, 2007: A shooting in Gainesville leaves two men wounded. Hernandez and three teammates are questioned by police after the shooting.
- Jan. 8, 2009: Hernandez helps the Gators defeat the Oklahoma Sooners to earn the school's second BCS championship in three years.
- Jan. 6. 2010: After winning the 2010 Sugar Bowl with Florida, Hernandez announces he will forgo his senior year and enter the 2010 NFL draft.
- April 23, 2010: Hernandez drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the NFL Draft.
- July 16, 2012: Two men, Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado, are shot to death in their car as they wait at a red light in Boston's South End neighborhood.
- Aug. 27, 2012: Hernandez signs a five-year, $40 million contract with the Patriots.
- February 2013: One of Hernandez's associates, Alexander Bradley, is shot in the face in Florida. Bradley files a lawsuit alleging that Hernandez shot him after they argued at a strip club.
- June 17, 2013: The body of Odin Lloyd, a semi-professional football player who was dating the sister of Hernandez's girlfriend, is found about a mile from Hernandez's mansion in North Attleborough, Mass.
Mike Pouncey writes emotional tribute to Aaron Hernandez: ‘My heart hurts’
- June 26, 2013: Hernandez is arrested on a murder charge in Lloyd's slaying and taken from his home in handcuffs. He later pleads not guilty. The Patriots release him hours after his arrest.
- May 1, 2014: Hernandez is indicted on charges of assault in an altercation with another jailhouse inmate in the jail he's being held.
- May 15, 2014: Hernandez is indicted on two counts of first-degree murder and other charges in connection with the shootings of de Abreu and Furtado. His lawyers say he is innocent.
- May 28, 2014: Hernandez pleads not guilty to seven charges in connection with the deaths of de Abreu and Furtado. A prosecutor says Hernandez was angry because de Abreu accidentally bumped into him at a nightclub while dancing, spilling his drink.
- Jan. 9, 2015: Hernandez goes on trial for murder in Lloyd's killing.
NFL players react to Aaron Hernandez's suicide
- April 15, 2015: Hernandez is convicted of first-degree murder, which carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment.
- Feb. 14, 2017: Hernandez goes on trial for murder in the 2012 killings of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado.
- April 14, 2017: Hernandez is acquitted of murder charges in the 2012 killings of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado.
- April 19, 2017: Hernandez is found hanging by a bed sheet in his prison cell and dies at hospital.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
