The sad story of former New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez has come to an end this morning after the tight end committed suicide in prison on Wednesday morning according to the Department of Correction.It seems like just a season ago that the Florida product was playing a significant role for Bill Belichick, but now all of that seems so far away. The department released a statement early this morning after finding the former wideout in his cell.From the release: “Mr. Hernandez was in a single cell in a general population unit. Mr Hernandez hanged himself utilizing a bedsheet that he attached to his cell window. Mr. Hernandez also attempted to block his door from the inside by jamming the door with various items.”By all accounts, the scene in the Souza Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley, Massachusets was a grim one. The State Police are now investigating the suicide for any evidence of foul play and they have notified his family of his status.Later in the statement, the department said that the former footballer was transported to UMass Memorial hospital in Leominster where he pronounced dead at 4:07 in the morning. Medical teams tried to do what they could but it had already been too long.Christopher Fallon, a DOC spokesman, said that Hernandez was not currently on suicide watch and had exhibited no behaviour that would have tipped personnel off about a possible attempt on his own life.Protocol dictates that these signs must be dealt with if detected, that would mean removing Hernandez from general population. This rule would place the person in question under more strict observation in order to limit opportunities for self-harm while he was in his cell.
Investigators are currently combing through his cell in the unit that he was living in, but they haven't found any notes or clues yet. Even so, the investigation will continue until the authorities are certain that foul play was not a factor.
All of this news comes less than a week after Hernandez was acquitted of murdering two Boston-area men in 2012. In spite of this fact, he was still serving a life sentence without parole for being convicted of murdering Odin L. Lloyd near the city in 2013.
Strangely this sad event happened the same day that his former team will be visiting the White House and meeting with President Donald Trump in honor of their Super Bowl win this year against the Atlanta Falcons.