The former Patriots TE was stoic as the jury announced he was guilty of murdering Odin Lloyd in 2013.
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Former New England Patriots TE Aaron Hernandez has been found guilty of first degree murder and will face a mandatory life sentence in prison.
On Wednesday morning, after a week of deliberations in the trial against Hernandez for the murder of semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd in 2013, the jury came back with a unanimous verdict of guilty – and also found extreme atrocity of cruelty in the killing.
Hernandez was alleged to have murdered Lloyd in an industrial park in Massachusetts less than one mile from his own house, and has finally been declared guilty.
Aaron Hernandez on charge of killing Odin Lloyd: GUILTY of first-degree murder.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) April 15, 2015
Jury also finds extreme atrocity or cruelty in the killing. — ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) April 15, 2015
First-degree murder in the state of Massachusetts carries a minimum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Hernandez was also found guilty of illegal weapons possession and illegal ammunition possession.
All jurors confirm that they agree with the verdict of guilty on all counts.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) April 15, 2015
Lloyd, who was dating the sister of Hernandez’s fiancee, was killed on June 17, 2013. Hernandez was investigated for the crime the following day and as the police reports came in, Hernandez was banned from the New England Patriots’ facility on June 20, 2013.
On June 26, 2013, Hernandez was arrested at his Massachusetts home and charged with first-degree murder. The Patriots released Hernandez less than two hours later.
The prosecution’s trial took several months and included dozens of witnesses. The defense called just three witnesses and did not have Hernandez testify in his own defense in the trial.
Hernandez played college football at the University of Florida, winning a National Championship with Urban Meyer and Tim Tebow in 2009. He was drafted in the 4th round of the 2010 NFL draft and was a star No. 2 TE for the Patriots for three straight seasons. In August of 2012, the Patriots signed Hernandez to a five-year contract extension worth around $40 million with a $12.5 million signing bonus – the largest signing bonus for a TE in NFL history at the time.
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