Former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was found guilty of first-degree murder in the June 2013 shooting death of Odin Lloyd. Hernandez,25, has been sentenced to life in prison with no parole. The former star tight end was ordered to serve his life sentence at the MCI-Cedar Junction in Walpole, Massachusetts. The prison is only a mere 1.5 miles away from Gillete Stadium, a place Hernandez called home during his three NFL seasons.
135 witnesses were called to the stand during the nine-week trial.
“The jury found that he was just a man who committed a brutal murder,” District Attorney Thomas Quinn said. “The fact that he was a professional athlete meant nothing in the end.”
Hernandez still faces two murder charges because of a 2012 drive-by shooting in Boston. The trial was scheduled for May but will now be held some time during the fall.
Below is some initial reactions to the court’s decision.
IM CONFUSED ABOUT THE JUSTICE SYSTEM THESE DAYS !!!
— BrandonSpikes51 (@BrandonSpikes51) April 15, 2015
I just can’t wrap my head around this. For the first time, it’s real. That’s not the kid I knew. I just can’t understand it…
— David Nelson (@DavidNelson86) April 15, 2015
