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Aaron Hernandez’s Attorney Jose Baez Believes Apparent Suicide Could Actually Be Murder, Will Investigate

By Shaunee Flowers
Published on: 03:32 PST, Apr 19, 2017

Aaron Hernandez’s high-powered attorney, Jose Baez, doesn’t believe his death was a suicide and has already said he plans to figure out exactly what happened. TMZ reports that those close to Hernandez have said the former New England Patriots tight end didn’t show any signs that he might be suicidal. Making his shocking death even more suspect is the fact that he was just acquitted on double murder charges and was planning an appeal with his attorney for the guilty conviction for the death of Odin Lloyd.

“We are shocked and surprised at the news of Aaron’s death,” Baez told TMZ. “There were no conversations or correspondence from Aaron to his family or legal team that would have indicated this scenario was a possibility.”

“Aaron was looking forward to an opportunity for a second chance to prove his innocence. Those who love and care about him are heartbroken and determined to find the truth surrounding his untimely death.”

Aaron Hernandez was found in his jail cell at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley on Wednesday around 3 a.m. by guards who described him as unresponsive. Hernandez was rushed to the UMass Memorial-HealthAlliance Hospital in Leominster, where he was pronounced dead about 30 minutes later.

ESPN reports that Aaron Hernandez had allegedly tried to jam his cell door with various items and that he hanged himself with a bedsheet that had been secured to the window. Hernandez was housed in a single-person cell in the maximum security facility.

Upon learning of Aaron Hernandez’s death by apparent hanging, Jose Baez immediately shared his concerns that there might be more to the story. Baez has called for a full investigation into Aaron Hernandez’s death and says that he also plans to conduct his own separate investigation.

“We request that authorities conduct a transparent and thorough investigation. The Baez law firm will participate in its own examination into the tragic events and will update the media and public on its finding when it becomes available.”

No suicide note was found in Aaron Hernandez’s cell, and both prison officials and Hernandez’s family have said that he didn’t exhibit any signs that he was feeling suicidal. The former NFL star’s shocking death came just days after a jury acquitted Hernandez on double murder charges for the deaths of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado.

Jose Baez isn’t the only one who thinks Aaron Hernandez would never kill himself. Soon after hearing of Aaron’s death, his former agent and Athletes First president Brian Murphy tweeted about what officials are currently calling a suicide.

He wrote, “Absolutely no chance he took his own life. Chico was not a saint, but my family and I loved him and he would never take his own life.”

Aaron Hernandez and his attorney were planning to appeal his conviction for the 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd. Hernandez was serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole for that crime. However, after Hernandez was acquitted of the 2012 double murder, Baez said that he believed he could get Hernandez’s other conviction overturned. He believed that Aaron Hernandez would be a free man following the appeal.

Aaron Hernandez’s death does mean that Jose Baez can likely get the guilty verdict overturned posthumously. ABC News reports that under Massachusetts law, the defense attorney can request to have Hernandez’s conviction overturned because he died before the appeal was heard. It was also reported that having convictions vacated after the death of a high-profile inmate is common in Massachusetts.

Do you believe that Aaron Hernandez committed suicide in his prison cell, or was he murdered as Jose Baez suggested? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

[Featured Image by Charles Krupa/AP Images]

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