Former NFL star Aaron Hernandez found dead in prison cell

Former NFL player Aaron Hernandez in court during his murder trial
REUTERS
Jonathan Mitchell19 April 2017

Former NFL star Aaron Hernandez has been found dead inside his prison cell days after being acquitted of double murder, officials in America have said.

Hernandez, a former player for the New England Patriots, was found hanging in his cell at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley, Massachusetts at about 3.05am local time today.

The news was confirmed by the Massachusetts Department of Corrections, which has said the death was an apparent suicide.

Hernandez, 27, who was already serving a life sentence for murder, was cleared of killing two other men in Boston in 2012 on Friday.

He had been convicted in 2015 in the killing of Odin Lloyd after Hernandez had shot him dead in an industrial park in June 2013.

Lloyd had been a linebacker for semi-professional team the Boston Bandits when he was murdered.

A statement from the Massachusetts Department of Corrections read: "Lifesaving techniques were attempted on Mr. Hernandez, and he was transported to UMass Leominster, where he was pronounced dead at 4:07 am by a physician at the hospital.

"Mr Hernadez was in a single cell in a general population housing unit."

An investigation has been launched and Mr Hernadez's next of kin have been informed.

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