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April 15, 2015
Former NFL star Aaron Hernandez convicted of first-degree murder and to get mandatory LWOP
An this CNN piece reports, "former New England Patriots' star Aaron Hernandez nodded no as jurors in his Massachusetts trial found him guilty Wednesday of first degree murder, which carries a penalty of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole." Here is more:
Hernandez was also found guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition. He will be sentenced Wednesday morning....
Hernandez was on trial for the shooting death of Odin Lloyd, whose body was found in a Massachusetts industrial park in June 2013. Lloyd's family appeared anxious in the Fall River, Massachusetts, courtroom prior to the verdict, as did the mother of Hernandez....
The sensational trial started in late January, just days before the Patriots' Super Bowl victory over the Seattle Seahawks. Prosecutors took months to present more than 130 witnesses to build their case. The defense wrapped up its witnesses in less than a day.
Prosecutors say Lloyd was seen June 17, 2013, around 2:30 a.m. with Hernandez and Hernandez's friends, Carlos Ortiz and Ernest Wallace, in a rented silver Nissan Altima. Later that day, a jogger found his body riddled with gunshots. Wallace and Ortiz, who were also charged with murder, have pleaded not guilty, and will be tried separately.
Hernandez's attorney, Sultan, told jurors that Hernandez "witnessed" Lloyd's killing, "committed by somebody he knew," and that the former NFL player "really didn't know what to do, so he put one foot in front of another" and moved on with his life. Two other men who were drug dealers allegedly killed Lloyd, Sultan told the jury.
Because this murder conviction carried a mandatory life without parole sentence under Masschusetts law, the sentencing process is something of a formality and thus can (and will) take place on the same day as the verdict was reached.
April 15, 2015 at 11:31 AM | Permalink
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Comments
Its just a shame, a young guy with so much talent. Made all pro I believe and he lacked the ability to make good decisions. He didnt get away wuth stuff like that on the field in the NFL. What would make him be such a thug when keft to his own devices.
Playing with new England of all teams, at the top. Its such a waste, but uts time pro arhletes start atoning and being accountable for their actions.
Such a wAste of talent and of the lives involved.
Posted by: MidWestGuy | Apr 15, 2015 11:07:10 PM
as a British citizen this strikes me as insane. This guy is in his mid-20s. Why in the world, would the sysyem foreclose parole. Who knows if he could be a good candidate for release in, say, 20 years. He would not get life without parole anywhere in Europe. Could someone enlighten.me as to the history and thinking regarding these sentences in the United States? Seems instance, particularly compared to the systems in other Western countries. This sort of thing seems strangely accepted and little debated in the US. Odd.
Posted by: Mark | Apr 15, 2015 11:07:43 PM
