By Mia Merrill, Sports Editor
Former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was found guilty of first-degree murder last week in Massachusetts. Hernandez was arrested in 2013 for the murder of Odin Lloyd, who was dating the sister of Hernandez’s fiancé, Shayanna Jenkins. Hernandez, who will be serving a lifetime sentence without the possibility of parole in a maximum-security prison in Massachusetts, is still engaged to Jenkins.
The prison, Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center, has 24 hour video surveillance and is currently struggling with an opiate smuggling operation.
The verdict for Hernandez comes at a time when the criminal profiles of professional athletes are more in the spotlight than ever. During the last National Football League (NFL) season, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson was indicted for child abuse, and former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice was indicted for domestic assault. The NFL promptly acknowledged the legitimacy of the Hernandez verdict on April 15, the same day the verdict was released. However, during the trial, Patriots owner Robert Kraft testified that Hernandez had claimed innocence when Kraft had questioned him.
Hernandez will also face trial at an undetermined date for two 2012 murders, and possibly for a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Ursala Ward, Odin Lloyd’s mother.