Aaron Hernandez Net Worth 2017: Who Gets The Late NFL Player’s Earnings?

Aaron Hernandez was reportedly worth $8.2 million at the time of his death, but because of the ongoing civil suits against him, it is unclear where that money will end up.

Prior to Aaron Hernandez’s reported suicide on Wednesday morning, the families of Odin Lloyd, Safiro Furtado, and Daniel de Abreu filed civil suits against him in hopes of receiving payouts for their grief.

According to a report by the Daily Mail on April 19, Aaron Hernandez was acquitted of Furtado and de Abreu’s deaths, and his own death could mean that his conviction for reportedly killing Lloyd will be vacated.

Olin Lloyd was the former New England Patriots player friend as well as his fiancee’s sister’s boyfriend.

Although it is unclear whether the families of Lloyd, Furtado, and de Abreu would be legally able to get their hands on Aaron Hernandez’s money, the Daily Mail explained to readers that because of the murder conviction involving Lloyd possibly being vacated, the Patriots could be forced to pay a contracted $3.5 million bonus to the athlete’s estate.

“The families of Furtado and de Abreu have their sights set on that bonus figure,” the outlet noted.

At the time of his death, Aaron Hernandez had a pending court appeal and under a long-standing Massachusetts legal principle, as the Daily Mail explained, “courts customarily vacate the convictions of defendants who die before their appeals are heard.”

Because of this principle, civil suits are often more difficult. That said, the law could also present new opportunities for the families of victims. As attorney William Kennedy explained, a vacated conviction in Lloyd’s case would result in the $3.5 million bonus being paid and the victim’s families potentially reaping the benefits.

Meanwhile, Lloyd’s mother, Ursula Ward, who filed a civil lawsuit against Aaron Hernandez, may not be eligible for a payout if her son’s murder is vacated.

Aaron Hernandez is believed to have hung himself just days after being acquitted in the 2012 murders of Furtado and de Abreu. The athlete was previously convicted of shooting Lloyd in 2013 and was serving a life sentence.

On April 19 at approximately 3:05 a.m., Aaron Hernandez’s body was discovered in his cell at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley, Massachusetts. According to a report by Sports Illustrated, Hernandez reportedly committed suicide by hanging his bed sheet to his cell window. He also jammed his cell door to delay entry.

“However it shakes out, there will likely be consequences for Hernandez’s most likely benefactors: his long-time girlfriend Shayanna Jenkins-Hernandez and their four-year-old daughter, Arielle,” the Daily Mail explained.

While Co-Ed claimed Aaron Hernandez was worth over $8 million in 2017, the Daily Mail suspected that he may not be worth too much at this point. After all, as the outlet explained, Hernandez’s $40 million contract with the Patriots was voided years ago, and much of his millions were spent on legal fees.

Aaron Hernandez leaves behind a 4-year-old daughter, Avielle Janelle Jenkins-Hernandez, and a fiancee, Shayanna Jenkins-Hernandez, who changed her name to his, despite the fact that they were not legally married. As for his will, if he had one, it is not known whether they were mentioned.

Ernesto Abreu, 61, the father of Daniel de Abreu, spoke out after news of Aaron Hernandez’s death and said he took no pleasure the news.

“I’m not happy about his death; it’s actually a shame, any loss of life is a shame. I believe in leaving things in God’s hands,” he told the Boston Globe. “Legally, there is no one at blame for my son’s death, and, yes, I’m sad about that, but we are moving on from this.”

[Featured Image by Jim Rogash/Getty Images]