He was tried but acquitted in the slayings of de Abreu and Furtado, whom prosecutors contended were gunned down after one of the men accidentally spilled a drink on Hernandez in a Boston nightclub. He was now serving a life sentence for the murder of Odin Lloyd, but the recent acquittal was believed to be crucial for Hernandez's appeal in the Lloyd case. "It's actually a shame. I believe in leaving things in God's hands". Massachusetts state police have launched an investigation into Hernandez's death, which authorities say occurred early Wednesday at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley, Massachusetts.
Hernandez's attorneys are promising a separate investigation into his death and a state senator is pointing to a bigger problem in the state's prisons.
He previously was found guilty in spring 2015 of the murder of Odin Lloyd.
Hernandez was transported to the UMass Leominster hospital and was pronounced dead at 4:07 am, according to the statement. FILE - In this Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012, file photo, New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez puts on a Super Bowl cap following the AFC Championship NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens in Foxborough, Mas. He says Hernandez's loved ones are "heartbroken and determined to find the truth surrounding his untimely death".
Hernandez had signed a five-year, $40 million contract in 2012. According to Wetzel, as the second murder trial progressed, Hernandez - facing a life of relative isolation - increasingly began to talk and joke with others in the courtroom.
Chelsea, Tottenham dominate PFA Team of the Year
Portsmouth defender Enda Stevens and Plymouth midfielder Graham Carey are the only Irish players to receive an award. Chelsea midfielder Eden Hazard , the PFA Player's Player of the Year in 2014-15, was also back in the line-up.
Christopher Fallon, a spokesman for the prison, said officials are unaware of any suicide note.
"The family and legal team is shocked and surprised at the news of Aaron's death", Baez said in a statement to the Boston Herald.
An anonymous source told the Globe that despite Hernandez's stoic demeanor in court, he was "insecure and clung to gang members for approval" in prison.
In the 2012 double homicide, Daniel Jorge Correia de Abreu, 29, and Safiro Teixeira Furtado, 28, were found killed by multiple gunshots. The Patriots released him hours after his arrest in connection to the murder.
Prosecutors said Hernandez opened fire on their auto because he felt disrespected when one of the men bumped into him and spilled his drink at a Boston nightclub. Hernandez's lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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