Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Aaron Hernandez: Murder, suicide & wasted life

Episode Date: April 20, 2017

Former NFL Patriots’ star Aaron Hernandez was found dead in his prison cell five days after a jury found him not guilty in two murders. Prison officials say he hung himself with a bed sheet, although his lawyer suggests it could’ve been murder. Nancy Grace and Alan Duke discuss the tragic life and death of a once promising football superstar in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. with a bed sheet on the window area of his cell. That 27-year-old former Patriots player was just acquitted of a double murder last week, but he was serving a life sentence for a separate murder. Prosecutors had argued that Hernandez felt he was disrespected after one of the men spilled a drink on him at a nightclub. This is Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Hernandez, a New England Patriot, former Florida Gator, drafted out of Florida by the Patriots. Before that, he's from Bristol, Connecticut.

Once a star tied in for the New England Patriots, Hernandez has already served two years of a life sentence in the 2013 killing of Odin Lloyd. Hernandez was found hanged with a bed sheet on the window area of his cell. He was a football star. He was one of the brightest and the best, and now Aaron Hernandez is dead. But not only was he a football star, he was a murderer, I believe, many times over. Aaron Hernandez reportedly hung himself behind bars on the very same day he was scheduled to go to the White House with all of his team members, had he been on the team that won the Super Bowl.

But no, he didn't make it. And this after a not guilty in court on two of the murders. This is Crime Stories. I'm Nancy Grace. Thank you for being with us. How could such a bright future have gone so badly wrong? How could it all go so sideways for Aaron Hernandez? What we are learning is that Aaron Hernandez committed suicide immediately following two not guilty verdicts on double murders with a sheet in his cell by using the window. There was a window in his cell. And we are learning that he had written John 3.16 across his forehead, which we all know is, for God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. That's what John 3.16

says. I believe it does anyway. I'm doing that off the top of my head. Alan, have you researched it? Are you sure that's what it says? It does. You and I both being Methodists from Georgia, we used the King James Version back when we were kids, And that's exactly the version that I memorized. I mean, this guy, had he not taken a path of crime and murder and brutality in his life, would have been at the White House today meeting with the president and the rest of his team members. But everything went so wrong. Let me first address the suicide. Okay. What do we know about that, Alan? Well, we know he used a bed sheet, of course, tied around his neck and then tied the other end to something of a window in his cell. He also used whatever possessions he had in the small single bed cell to block the doorway,

perhaps to give him a little bit more time to die. It was about 3.15 this morning when a guard doing a check noticed that he was in there in that situation. They took him to a hospital and an hour later, Aaron Hernandez was pronounced dead. He was discovered in a cell by correctional officers at the Sousa Baranowski Correctional Center. That's in Shirley, Massachusetts, as Alan just said, around 3 a.m. And it was just another twist and turn and shock in the life and the story that was Aaron Hernandez, a guy that was incredibly talented. And along with his father, who really pushed him, he would make him practice football hours and hours before he could go out with friends or do anything else. Aaron Hernandez was set to be a success. But then when his father died unexpectedly from complications from a routine

surgery, everything went sideways. The first thing he did was he got to college and he was embroiled in a drama there. There was an incident where somebody was sucker punched and he was part of that. Then there was another incident where a gun was pulled. He was part of that. He managed to get through college without ever having a felony record. But then, man, Alan, what happened after that? He was at the University of Florida, a Gator playing with Tim Tebow, got into plenty of trouble there, but he managed to survive it long enough to go to the NFL. But before the NFL would take him, the Patriots had some conditions. They were a little bit reluctant. They knew he was talented and knew he could be a star, but they didn't know if he could behave well enough to be on their team. And he swore that he would. He swore that he would. He even agreed to buy, was it buy monthly or buy weekly pot tests?

Regularly, yes. Regular drug tests to make sure that he wasn't using. Although now we know in hindsight he was a regular smoker of marijuana. Had it in his house. Had a lot of it, apparently. And now, just before he commits suicide, he's found not guilty on two counts of murder for killing two men in a drive-by shooting outside a Boston nightclub. Now, that was in 2012. Now, it's kind of, you need a flow chart for Aaron Hernandez. You have the 2012 double murders, and then you have the murder of Odin Lloyd, his friend. Now, the Lloyd murder, as I recall, was in 2013. June 17, 2013. Many people believe, including police, that he really killed Odin Lloyd because Lloyd knew about these 2012 murders. He faced eight counts in all,

two of murder, three of armed assault, charges of witness intimidation, for allegedly shooting his former friend in the face in an attempt to silence him. He was only found guilty of one count of illegal possession of a firearm. And as he died, he is dying an innocent man, believe it or not, due to a twist in the law that says if you are not alive at the time your case, even though it's a murder case, is appealed, then it's vacated and you are innocent. So under the law, he died an innocent man. So the 2013 killing of Odin Lloyd, who was Aaron Hernandez's fiance's sister boyfriend.

In other words, a potential brother-in-law. I mean, that's kind of the connection there. Because Aaron Hernandez and Odin Lloyd were dating sisters. That's how he became friendly with Lloyd. It was always the same M.O. with Hernandez. He would go out to a nightclub, get a few drinks in, and pull a gun and pow, shoot. Now, the night of this scenario, the two shootings, prosecutor's case was light on forensics. That's true.

And they relied heavily on testimony from a guy named Bradley, who was with Hernandez during the last two shootings, not Lloyd, okay? Bradley had immunity. Juries never like that, but based on what was put together, they had been in a nightclub. Two guys passed him, and one accidentally knocked a drink out of his hand onto the dance floor and did not apologize, just smiled and didn't apologize, and that made Hernandez so mad that he goes out to the car and gets a gun out of the engine block. Come on now, that's some gangster right there, Alan, when you hide a gun in your engine block. Hello?

I mean, I've never even done that. Well, of course you haven't okay you're um not in a gang and you're living the good life and your fancy luxury high rise in hollywood okay so no you do not have your gun hidden in your engine block even my redneck thug days back in georgia i never hid my gun in the engine block. I used to wear them maybe on a holster on the leg or in the small of my back. Yeah, that's just so you. Okay. Well, yeah. So Aaron Hernandez hides his gun in his engine block and Bradley describes him taking it out. They pull up beside the victims. The testimony is he took pleasure in what he did that night. The lead prosecutor said

he wanted his victims to see it coming. They were in Hernandez's vehicle. It was Hernandez's gun. And Bradley says that he reached out and shot. Yeah, it was essentially a drive-by. They were actually on a street and pulled up alongside the car. Then out in a February night, 2013, Hernandez then shoots Bradley between the eyes and leaves him in a parking lot to die, Bradley testified. He survived and he lost his right eye. With friends like that, who needs enemies? And of course, it came back to haunt Hernandez at least somewhat because of course Alexander Bradley then testified against his former friend now so we've got him dead in the rights on killing Odin Lloyd she taking him out and shooting him dead okay now you've got Bradley

he shot Bradley in the face and he lost his eye after a night drinking at a club. So is there any reason I should not believe he shot the last two people after drinking at a club? I don't think there's any reason, but there's this lawyer you know well, Jose Baez, who was able to convince a jury in Boston that the prosecution hadn't proven that he shot them beyond a reasonable doubt. Main way he did that was his cross-examination of Alexander Bradley. They also, prosecutors also, point to Hernandez's tattoos as confessions because one of his tattoos was a gun similar to the murder weapon with exactly five bullets. That's the same number as were used in the 2012 shootings.

He got a tattoo of it, Alan. He got a tattoo. It occurs to me that anthropologists in the future, if they dig up Hernandez's crypt and his grave and look at the, he's got a roadmap to all of his crimes on his body down to the forehead where he wrote John 316. You know what's amazing? It just reminds me so much of my days prosecuting Allen. Believe it or not, I mean, I was shocked when I heard Hernandez had committed suicide. Ironically, on the day his team was meeting the president in the White House for winning the Super Bowl. And I guess it reminded me of all the years I prosecuted because, yes, I hated what the defendants did. And some of them I hated. But like Hernandez, when I think of him, that 16-year-old boy who loved his dad and who was being steered by his dad.

And now his life just went to thuggery after his father passed away. I look at so many lives that could have been so awesome. And what crime has done to them, not just the victims, but the defendants too. And no, I'm not going soft. I'm just being honest about this. It's just... Well, that little girl, that four-year-old little child in the courtroom recently she was there I guess that's the only time that Aaron Hernandez really could see his daughter who was born after his arrest and he blew her a kiss in the courtroom now that was touching but in the context you got to remember it's also kind of bizarre. You know, another thing, Alan, I think Hernandez is responsible for more murders. I do.

And I think they were all alcohol-fueled, anger-related. I just don't think he could control his rage. And I just see such a horrible scenario, the way it played out of someone that was potentially so great, taking a road of crime that left a wake of pain behind him. He can't possibly fathom. I mean, I know there's Odin Lloyd dead. These two men that he just happened to meet in a nightclub, dead. I know what the jury said. I disagree. Bradley shot in the face. He's lost use of an eye. And now Hernandez commits suicide. Just all the people that he hurt, that's his legacy, when he could have been so great, you know? It's just sad. The whole, all the way around, it's sad for the victim's families, and it's sad for his family,

the girl that will never have a father, his own father that would have been so proud of him for doing so well in the NFL. I mean, I don't get it, Alan. I just, I mean, I'm not a shrink. I'm just a lawyer, but I don't get it. Now, are we supposed to feel sorry for him because he put John 3.16 on his forehead? I can think of a Bible verse that would have been better. Why didn't he put Leviticus 24.17? Nancy, you're a good Methodist. Can you quote that one? I don't know what Leviticus was.

Leviticus 24. No, I'm sure you've got it right in front of you right now, and you're totally cheating. No, you know, it's in my head. Yeah. If a man takes the life of any human being he shall surely be put to death you're totally reading okay you're reading you're totally forgive me please forgive me but okay i got more i know you're cheating i don't think his forehead was big enough for all that no please save it i don't think that his forehead was really big enough for all that. Now, please save it. I don't think that his forehead was really big enough for all that.

No, well, just to write Leviticus, maybe he could do it on his chest or something. Leviticus 2417. As a prosecutor, you should know that one. Isn't Leviticus in the Old Testament? Well, what's wrong with the Old Testament, Nancy? Are we going to get into that debate? Even us Methodists read the Old Testament. Well, hold on just a minute there. Just a minute. Sometimes the Old Testament is a little harsh. Oh, yeah. And so saith Nancy Grace. Why don't we just get back on the case instead of you preaching to me about Leviticus? Just a second. Why don't we get back to Aaron Hernandez? Could I stop a second and write a notation in my in my diary. April 19 2017. Nancy Gray said Leviticus 2417 is a little harsh. Okay.

Okay, all right, you went on this, but I still say, you know, I still think it makes me sad to think about how great he could have been. Yes. And by choosing a life of crime, he has caused so much pain. And even in the end, causing pain. Causing pain to his family. But the thought of being locked away from my children, I don't know if I could have stood that. Apparently he couldn't.

Knowing they were growing up. He couldn't. I don't know if I could have stood that. Apparently he couldn't. No, they were growing up. He couldn't. I don't know. All I can say is God bless his victims. May they all rest in peace. And he's meeting his maker now. So that, look, I know how to try a case, okay? Other than that, I'm going to leave that to the Lord, okay?

I'm out of it. So that's all I can tell you. When his trial, the Odin trial was going on, and I was watching it very closely and writing about it. I was in touch with people who actually I had a contact inside the jail where he was being held. Someone who was an inmate there who had just been released from the jail in the middle of the trial. I know you're working up to a point, Alan. What is it? This guy had some things that this is this is the human side of Aaron Hernandez. Aaron Hernandez wanted to help this guy that had befriended him in jail. He wrote out some things like autographs and

letters and everything to give to that guy so that he could then sell them to help his family out. That's what Aaron Hernandez did for one of his jail buddies. I don't know if that makes him sympathetic or not. Well, it's another side to him. It doesn't erase the murders or the pain he's caused, but there was another side to him. All I know is this is a case that has taken one twist after the next. I mean, when I first heard Aaron Hernandez arrested for murder,

I had no idea that there were going to be so many murders and so many other cases that were never even prosecuted. What do you think about the possibility that some people have raised that Aaron Hernandez himself is a murder victim, that he didn't kill himself? Does that happen in prison? It happens all the time. But given these circumstances where he tried to barricade his door i know they they're calling for a murder investigation right now as to whether he really committed suicide but given that he barricaded his door i think i don't i don't see a possibility that anyone else could have done it but him but i'm anxious to get the answer. I believe this is the end. This is the final

chapter on Aaron Hernandez. Can we agree on that? Yes, I would agree on that, that it is now in the history books. Okay, then in that case, Nancy Grace with Crime Stories signing off. Goodbye, friend. This is an iHeart Podcast.