Former New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez was sentenced to life in prison without parole on April 15, 2015.
Sophomore Anthony Corbisiero said, “It is crazy that he was once this professional football player making millions and now he is going to be spending the rest of his life in jail. It’s a shame that he made the choices that he did and got mixed up in the wrong things. His life is going to be very different now.”
The jury found him guilty of the first-degree murder of Odin Lloyd, a former semi-pro football player. Hernandez was also charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition.
Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn said, “Aaron Hernandez may have been a well-known New England Patriots football player. However, in the end, the jury found that he was just a man who committed a brutal murder. The fact that he was a professional athlete meant nothing in the end. He is a citizen who was held accountable by the jury for his depraved conduct.”
Hernandez appeared calm as the verdict was read while his fiancé, Shayanna Jenkins, and his mother, Terri, cried. The victim’s mother, Ursula, also wept and silently pumped her fist in the air as she listened to the verdict.
“I thank God every second for every day I spent with my son. The day I laid my son Odin to rest, I think my heart stopped beating for a moment. I felt like I wanted to go in that hole with my son Odin,” Ursula said to the court while the trial had still been underway.
She also said that she has forgave anyone who had a part in her son’s murder.
“I give the mom of the victim a lot of respect for forgiving whoever killed her son. That must have took a lot and it just goes to show the type of person she is. If I were in her position, I would definitely have a hard time forgiving,” said sophomore Taylor Wigger.
The trial started in January. Prosecutors took months gathering witnesses to build their case while the defense only took a day.
The prosecutors had clear evidence that Hernandez and two other friends were the last ones seen with Lloyd until he was found dead, punctured with bullets. They also said that the Hernandez had gotten some friends to help follow through with the murder.
Jenkins testified that Hernandez asked her to dispose of a box that smelled of marijuana; however, she did not know what was inside of the box. Prosecutors believed the weapon used in the murder of Lloyd was inside that box.
Prosecutors also showed security footage of Hernandez holding the .45 caliber gun that was used to kill Lloyd.
However, his lawyer, James Sultan, argued that the crime was committed by people Hernandez knew and that he had only witnessed the murder.
After 35 hours of deliberation, the jury had made their decision – Hernandez is guilty.
While being transported from the courthouse to the state prison, Hernandez said, “They got it wrong. I didn’t do it.”
The date is still unknown, but Hernandez will be completing his sentence at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley, Massachusetts. The jail has had no breakouts and is said to be one of the most high-tech jails in the United States.
Do you think the jury made the right decision? Why or why not?
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