Aug. 25, 2025

Bad Boys: Aaron Hernandez Part 8

Bad Boys: Aaron Hernandez Part 8
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Season 1

In this episode, Jim Chapman completes this 8 part  “Bad Boys” series on Aaron Hernandez. Jim covers the verdict in the Boston double murder case, the sudden death of Hernandez, the role CTE may have played in this story and other family members who made headline years later. 

Timestamps
17:27 Aaron Hernandez Final Moments
18:14 Inmate Interviews
21:54 The Suicide Note
25:03 A Shocking Conviction is Overtuerned
31:34 CTE Findings
38:54 Lawsuit Against the NFL
58:36 DJ's Troubling Path

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WEBVTT

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Hey everyone, and welcome back to Exposed Scandalous Files of

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the Elite. I'm your host Jim Chapman, and I am

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back with part eight of this bad boy series covering

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Aaron Hernandez. Now, before I get into it, I got

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a shout out of my newest Global Celebrity member, Miss

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Angela Golf. Now, Miss Golf is from the great state

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of Texas, Cleveland, Texas. To be specific and fun fact

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about Cleveland. This community was formed in eighteen seventy eight

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when Charles Cleveland, who the city is named after, decided

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sixty three point six acres of land. He wanted to

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donate that to the railroads. Now he had an agreement

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that a railway station would bear his name, which it did,

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and oddly enough, I'm sure at the time he didn't

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realize the entire city would be named after him. Now

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the city is near the much larger city of Houston, Texas.

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And I want to thank you so much, Miss Angela

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Golf for joining the Global Celebrity Tier on Patreon. Now,

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if any listeners would like to find out what all

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the fun is about, check us out patreon dot com

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Slash Exposed podcast Files. So let's get into today's episode,

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and the last time that I left you, mister Bradley

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had completed his testimony and I were thinking the same thing.

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I was that he did a good job of articulating

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his experience with Aaron Hernandez and how Aaron Hernandez likely

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was guilty of everything that Alexander Bradley was saying. He

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also appeared to radle the defense attorney and frustrate him

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because he could just not intimidate Alexander Bradley. So I

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was pretty convinced, and it's sounds like you were too,

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that Aaron Hernandez was going to be found guilty.

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So what happened?

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And I'm not going to cover everyone else that testified,

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because Bradley's testimony was really the most damning, but overall,

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and I listened to all of them, I felt the

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prosecution proved this case beyond a reasonable doubt, which is

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their burden. So the prosecutor, the defense, they rest their

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cases and the case is turned over to the jury,

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and after thirty two hours of deliberations, the jury comes

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back with verdicts of not guilty of the first degree

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murders of for Tado in de abru.

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The only thing.

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That Aaron Hernandez was found guilty of was unlawful possession

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of a firearm. And that's pretty much a slap on

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the rest. And I've got to be honest, that shocked me.

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Just appeared the jury did not find Alexander Bradley credible.

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They felt like he was testifying as part of a

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deal that he made with prosecutors so he wouldn't do

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all this time in prison, I'm assuming.

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So regardless of.

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All of that, on April fourteenth of twenty seventeen, Hernandez,

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fresh off this victory, if you will, was still headed

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back to prison because he's already got a life sentence

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for the murder of Odin Lloyd. Now, just five days

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later this happened. And I'm going to reference the actual

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passage in the book that I've used, not primarily but

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heavily in my researching of this story, and it's called

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All American Murder. It's by James Patterson and Mike Harkey,

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and that passage reads, the phones in Jim Housing unit

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all looked the same, minted on columns. They were silver

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colored with black handsets to use them. Prisoners punched in

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pen numbers that had to be assigned to them upon arrival,

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but prison etiquette had to be followed by general understanding.

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Each phone was claimed by a different gang. The Latin

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Kings had their own phones. The gangs from Boston in

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Springfield had their phones. Aaron Hernandez used phones that were

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claimed by the Bloods. In the days immediately following his

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exoneration for the double murders in Boston, he spoke with

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his lawyers and with family members. He'd stay on the

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line with his fiance Scheyena until the last possible minute. Then,

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as nine thirty mireed, a correction officer would call time

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five minutes to count. The CEO would shout every night

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was the same in g two would shuffle off grudgingly

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to their cells. Hernandez would climb a set of blue

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stairs to his cell, cell number fifty seven, left of

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the correction officer's desk, located one level below. The COO

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would flip a switch that caused all the doors in

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the unit to slam shut and lock for the night.

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Then the prisoners would stand facing a window in their

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cell door, and the COO would walk slowly past each cell,

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eyebawling the prisoners and physically checking to make sure each

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door was locked. Some CEOs walked the ground floor first,

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then climb the stairs to count the second. Some CEOs

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did the opposite. It was as much variety as the

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system allowed for. For Aaron Hernandez, this had been the

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routine for two years, but the past few days had

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been different.

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According to an.

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Internal prison report quote, he was positive and even happily emotional,

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which was not usual of Hernandez. Aaron told other inmates

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that he was looking forward to reuniting with his family

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and with Seyenna. He was still young twenty seven. If

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Jose Boz could work his magic again, he may have

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had a few years of football left in him. Since

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Friday's verdict, he had been talking about the NFL and

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going back to play, even if it wasn't for the Pats,

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An inmate would say, he talked about his daughter and

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spending time with her now. It was the evening of

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April eighteenth of twenty seventeen. The Patriots, who had won

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the Super Bowl again that year, would be going to

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the White House the next morning to meet with President Trump.

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But once again Aaron stayed on the line with Seyena,

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drawing out the last long minutes of the day. Then

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the CEO called time, and Hernandez shuffled off to his cell,

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his dark brown eyes shining with a purpose. A few

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hours later, and around one in the morning, Aaron hung

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part of a bed sheet over his window cut into

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the door of his cell. He jammed the rail the

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door ran on with ripped up pieces of cardboard. Then

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he opened his Bible to the Book of John and

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wrote John three point sixteen in red ink across his forehead.

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Slicing into his right middle finger, Aaron used his own

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blood to mark the same passage in the Bible. He

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wrote John three point sixteen in his own blood on

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the wall of his cell and drew a crude pyramid

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like the one on the back of a one dollar bill.

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Beneath it, he wrote the word Illuminati, leaving several handwritten

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notes by the side of the Bible. He made large

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stigmato like marks in blood on both of his feet,

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then stripped naked. He poured several bottles of shampoo from

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the prison canteen all over the floor, and he picked

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up another part of the bed sheet, which he had

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twisted tightly into a rope. Hernandez tied one end of

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the twisted sheet to the top of one of the

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vertical slides in the window across from the door to

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his cell, but the crossbar was just five feet from

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the floor. There was a metal desk directly beneath it

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a metal chair next to it. Both had been bolted

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right into the wall. What happened next took doing and

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determination on Aaron's part. First, he rolled up some towels

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and stuck them through the crossbars so that the twisted

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sheet wouldn't slide down the vertical slide. Then he tied

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the other end of the sheet around his neck. By

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the time the guards found him, Aaron Hernandez was cold

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to the touch, and folks, it was on that night

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that obviously he committed suicide.

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So I'm also going.

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To read very reports, one from the state Police covering

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the investigation into the suicide and also one summarizing inmate interviews.

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So the state Police they investigated this and this is

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how it reads. On Wednesday, April nineteenth, twenty seventeen, at

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approximately four point fifteen in the morning, the undersigned, which

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is the state policeman that created this report, was advised

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that the Massachusetts Department of Corrections reported the unattended death

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of a twenty seven year old Hispanic mail Aaron Hernandez

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until fifty seven of the General Housing Unit G two.

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The Undersigned responded along with Lieutenant Daniel Wildgrubb in Corporal

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Christin Glanton. Upon arrival, the Undersigned spoke with Sergeant Todd

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Smith of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections Office of Investigatives Services.

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Sergeant Smith advised that around three to three in the morning,

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a Code ninety nine was called by Corrections officer Guard

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Gerard bro reporting Hernandez was hanging in cell number fifty seven.

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Once other correction officers arrived on the scene, the correction

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officers discovered the door was pegged, which meant cardboard had

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been shoved into the door tracks to prevent the door

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from opening. The corrections officers had to manually open the

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door to enter the cell. As they entered the cell,

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the CEOs discovered that Hernandez had placed a large amount

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of shampoo on the floor, which made it very slippery.

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The corrections officers were able to cut Hernandez down, who

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was hanging naked from a bed sheet tied around the

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window bars. As the corrections officers began, CPR medical staff

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arrived on the scene and attached an AED which advised

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no shock. CPR was continued as Hernandez was transported to

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the u Mass Health alone As Hospital by ambulance. Upon

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arrival at the hospital, Hernandez was treated by doctor Evan Swasey.

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Hernandez never regained consciousness and was declared dead at four

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oh seven am by doctor Swasey. As the Undersigned entered

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the treatment room in the emergency room of the UMass

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Health Hospital at approximately five twenty one am, the Undersigned

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observed Corrections Officer Hilton and Corrections Officer Azase standing by

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a gurney covered with a sheet. The Undersign removed the

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sheet and observed Hernandez with cervical collar brace. Ligature marks

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were visible on Hernande's neck and there was some discharge

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slash vomit from his nose and mouth areas. Hernandez right

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middle finger had a fresh cut and there was some

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blood on the adjacent fingers. There also appeared to be

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a large circular blood mark on each of her Ninda's feet,

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and John three point sixteen was written on her nandaz forehead.

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In inc there were no signs of trauma or violence

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on Hernandez's body. Hemorrhaging was present in both eyes, Lavidity

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was present, and rigor mortis was beginning to set in

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and lividity, folks, for those of you that may not know,

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that's when you get pulling of blood. So, especially in

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a situation where you're hanging, the blood all drains down

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and it pulls in spots of you, of your body,

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and that's what he's referencing there. Glinton also photographed and

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documented Hernandez's body. Representatives of the Office of the Chief

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Medical Examiner arrived on the scene and took custody of

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Hernandez's body at approximately six point thirty am. Hernandez body

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was then transported to an office in Boston. Lieutenant Rogrub

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Glanton and the Undersign responded to the Correctional Center on

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April nineteenth of twenty seventeen, and Sergeant Smith advised the

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Undersign that Hernandez had been locked in a single inmate

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cell around nineteen fifty nine hours. Hernandez remained in the

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cell until three oh three am, when Hernandez was discovered hanging.

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Sergeant Smith and Sergeant Rumriy, the Interior Perimeter Security Commander,

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advised the Undersign that there was video surveillance of the

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G two cell block from the time Hernandez entered the

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cell until the time he was transported by ambulance. According

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to Sergeant Rumriy, no one entered the cell until the

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CEOs entered it to render aid. The Undersign observed the

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cardboard stuffed into the door tracks leading into the cell.

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On the wall of the cell, there were several drawings

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and John three point sixteen was written in a substance

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consistent with blood. Under the drawings was a Bible opened

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to John three sixteen with the sixteenth verse marked in blood,

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and next to the bible were three hand written notes.

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Under the bed was a piece of the bed sheet

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that had been cut and that had been around her

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Nandez's neck Tied on the bars of the window.

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Was the other piece of the bed sheet.

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Lieutenant will Grub cut the sheet from the window and

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placed it into evidence. There were no signs of a

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struggle in the cell, and another officer photographed and documented

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the scenes. Lieutenant will Grub and the Undersign spoke with

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Co Bro on April nineteenth of twenty seventeen. He advised

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that he was working twenty three hundred to seven hundred

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shift and was assigned to the G two housing in it.

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Correction Officer Bro last saw Hernandez around one o'clock am

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during the one o'clock check, and according to him, at

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three oh three am he observed the sheet hanging in

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front of hernandez cell door.

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Coo Bro asked.

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Hernandez to remove the sheet or sound off. As Coo

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Bro poked a piece of the sheet that was hanging

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outside of the door, the sheet fell and he observed

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heard Hernandez hanging naked from the window. Coo Bro immediately

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called a Code ninety nine, and once the door opened,

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Correction Officer Bro and several other CEOs attempted to lift

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Hernandez to relieve pressure. As Hernandez was cut down, Correction

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Officer Bro began performing chess compressions and swapped out with

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other CEOs until Hernandez was removed from the unit. Sergeant

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Rumri and Sergeant Smith provided the undersign with copies of

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video surveillance logs and reports in reference to hernandez death.

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All other items seemed to have no evidentiary value and

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were left in the custody of the Department of Corrections.

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Over the course of the investigation, the UNDERSIGN reviewed surveillance

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evidence of the G two housing unit phone logs and

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calls from Hernandez on April eighteenth and nineteenth of twenty seventeen.

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The surveillance videos showed Hernandez was on the phone just

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prior to be locked in a cell. Hernandez entered his

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so alone at approximately nineteen fifty nine hours and the

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cell doors locked until three seven am, when the door's

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open for the code ninety nine. The UNDERSIGN also listened

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to the last five phone calls Hernandez made on April

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eighteenth of twenty seventeen. Hernandez does not make any apparent

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00:16:18.399 --> 00:16:21.519
indication of the intent to harm himself during any of

247
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those calls. On Wednesday, April nineteenth, twenty seventeen, doctor Henry

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00:16:26.360 --> 00:16:30.840
Neilds performed an autopsy of Hernandez. Doctor Neilds determined the

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cause of death to be asphixia by hanging. The manner

250
00:16:34.320 --> 00:16:37.600
of death was ruled by doctor Neilds as a suicide.

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A post mortem toxcology report indicated that Hernandez's blood came

252
00:16:43.080 --> 00:16:47.840
back negative for all substances tested, to include synthetic cannabis.

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On April twenty fourth, twenty seventeen, the Undersign responded to

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the Department of Correction's Office of Investigations. The Understegn took

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00:16:55.960 --> 00:16:59.399
copies of a letter found in Hernandez property, as well

256
00:16:59.440 --> 00:17:04.200
as copy of several unknown writing samples of Hernandez. On

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April twenty fourth of twenty seventeen, at approximately fourteen hundred hours,

258
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the Undersigned delivered copies of the letters found in Hernandez

259
00:17:11.960 --> 00:17:16.279
sell to the Department of Corrections. Based upon the findings

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00:17:16.279 --> 00:17:20.079
of the Chief Medical Examiner and the investigation by the Undersign,

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the Undersign, respectively, requests the case be closed until new

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00:17:24.000 --> 00:17:28.160
information is uncovered that will warrant the case being open.

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So there you have that.

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Jim, did you see what happened in Texas today? Wait

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before you tell me that, let me tell you what

266
00:17:40.359 --> 00:17:42.680
happened in New York. It cannot be as crazy as

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00:17:42.680 --> 00:17:44.960
the case I told you about yesterday in Louisiana.

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You know what, we should do a podcast about it.

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And with that we did. Crime War Weekly covers the

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00:17:51.079 --> 00:17:53.920
crime news headlines that have dominated the week. We cover

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00:17:54.119 --> 00:17:58.079
trending crimes from all over the country and even sprinkle

272
00:17:58.119 --> 00:18:01.359
in a few Globally. Crime are Weekly is available now

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00:18:01.400 --> 00:18:04.920
wherever you listen to your podcasts simply by searching Crime

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00:18:04.920 --> 00:18:08.400
Wire Weekly or clicking the link in the description of

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00:18:08.680 --> 00:18:17.119
this podcast. And I'm going to cover What's not as

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an inmate interview summary, and it basically says the summaries

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00:18:21.000 --> 00:18:24.720
of the unit interviews conducted by the Inner Perimeter Security

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00:18:24.799 --> 00:18:28.920
officers are as followed. Out of the inmates that were interviewed,

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00:18:29.039 --> 00:18:32.519
many inmates claim to have no or very little interaction

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with Hernandez. Those inmates stated Hernandez was a private inmate

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who was approachable, but felt it was their business to

282
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get involved with him and they would rather keep to themselves.

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Few inmates brought up what was being said on the

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news and on the radio stations they had been listening to.

285
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One inmate stated specifically that the ninety eight point five

286
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radio broadcast had been disrespectful, saying he deserved what he got,

287
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and had also mentioned that they had brought up the

288
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fact Hernandez may be gay. Multiple inmates stated they had

289
00:19:06.200 --> 00:19:09.480
interactions with her Nandez on a daily basis, but it

290
00:19:09.559 --> 00:19:13.759
was more of a respectful relationship with only high and

291
00:19:14.319 --> 00:19:16.279
by type conversations.

292
00:19:16.319 --> 00:19:17.000
In passing.

293
00:19:17.200 --> 00:19:21.240
Many inmates stated that they had congratulated Hernandez on his

294
00:19:21.400 --> 00:19:25.680
recent court decision. Inmates that had more frequent interactions with

295
00:19:25.720 --> 00:19:29.680
Hernandez stated he showed no signs of any trouble or depression,

296
00:19:29.839 --> 00:19:33.400
and stated he carried on as normal. They stated Hernandez

297
00:19:33.440 --> 00:19:36.519
had made multiple phone calls and colluding a phone call

298
00:19:36.599 --> 00:19:40.559
to his fiance and daughter, and with positive feelings. No

299
00:19:40.680 --> 00:19:43.720
inmates stated he had any trouble within the unit or

300
00:19:43.799 --> 00:19:47.200
spoke of any other known problems. Inmates that had stated

301
00:19:47.240 --> 00:19:49.920
they were close with Hernandez stated that he was very

302
00:19:50.000 --> 00:19:53.680
excited over the weekend after his verdict had come down

303
00:19:53.680 --> 00:19:58.039
on Friday. They stated he was positive and even happily emotional,

304
00:19:58.160 --> 00:20:02.200
which was not usual of Hernandez, they said. One of

305
00:20:02.200 --> 00:20:05.680
these inmates said that they had played basketball recently with

306
00:20:05.759 --> 00:20:09.160
her Nandez and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. A

307
00:20:09.200 --> 00:20:11.839
couple of inmates stated that he had come to their

308
00:20:11.920 --> 00:20:16.240
door before lock in and described the conversation as nothing

309
00:20:16.279 --> 00:20:18.680
out of the ordinary. Of the inmates had said they

310
00:20:18.720 --> 00:20:22.759
were quote tight or real close with Hernandez. They stated

311
00:20:22.839 --> 00:20:27.039
he had been more and more spiritual as time progressed

312
00:20:27.039 --> 00:20:30.200
in prison. They felt that his suicide had been some

313
00:20:30.240 --> 00:20:34.160
sort of religious message. One inmate stated that he did

314
00:20:34.240 --> 00:20:38.359
her nandez laundry and Hernandez had requested his laundry had

315
00:20:38.359 --> 00:20:41.039
been ready for the weekend because he was expecting a

316
00:20:41.160 --> 00:20:45.240
visit from his fiance and his daughter. He stated nothing

317
00:20:45.519 --> 00:20:49.319
was wrong with Hernandez and he didn't seem upset. Another

318
00:20:49.400 --> 00:20:52.160
inmate stated that Hernandez had talked to him more and

319
00:20:52.200 --> 00:20:56.480
more frequently with a religious tongue. This inmate stated that

320
00:20:56.519 --> 00:21:00.000
Hernandez came to his door before lock in and stated, quote,

321
00:21:00.240 --> 00:21:05.079
remember when you die, your soul gets reincarnated. Another source

322
00:21:05.119 --> 00:21:08.599
stated that her Nandas had recently mentioned a rumor. This

323
00:21:08.839 --> 00:21:11.920
rumor was that if an inmate had an open appeal

324
00:21:12.119 --> 00:21:15.200
on his case and died in prison, he is acquitted

325
00:21:15.240 --> 00:21:18.759
of his charge and will be deemed not guilty. A

326
00:21:18.799 --> 00:21:22.680
source who claimed to be one of Hernandez's closest friends stated, quote,

327
00:21:22.720 --> 00:21:25.680
spoke with him yesterday and he was in a great place.

328
00:21:25.799 --> 00:21:28.720
He was a very spiritual guy who was always quoting

329
00:21:28.759 --> 00:21:32.319
the Bible. Since Friday's verdict, he had been talking about

330
00:21:32.400 --> 00:21:35.160
the NFL and going back to play, even if it

331
00:21:35.279 --> 00:21:38.279
wasn't with the Pats. He talked about his daughter and

332
00:21:38.319 --> 00:21:42.519
spending time with her. There was absolutely no indication that

333
00:21:42.599 --> 00:21:45.319
he would do anything like that, and one of the

334
00:21:45.400 --> 00:21:49.000
last inmates interviewed stated, quote, what do you do when

335
00:21:49.000 --> 00:21:52.920
you get good news? Just celebrate, right, And that's how

336
00:21:52.920 --> 00:21:56.680
that report read. Okay, so we left a suicide note

337
00:21:56.720 --> 00:21:58.960
to Shay. I'm going to read that to you quickly.

338
00:21:59.000 --> 00:22:02.240
It's really just a little lover or paragraph. It says, Shay,

339
00:22:02.359 --> 00:22:04.519
you have always been my soulmate and I want you

340
00:22:04.599 --> 00:22:07.319
to live life and know I'm always with you. I

341
00:22:07.400 --> 00:22:10.240
told you what was coming indirectly. I love you so

342
00:22:10.400 --> 00:22:13.640
much and know you are an angel. We split into

343
00:22:13.720 --> 00:22:17.799
two to come change the world. Your characteristics is that

344
00:22:17.920 --> 00:22:21.079
you are a true angel and the definition of God's love.

345
00:22:21.240 --> 00:22:26.119
Tell my story fully, but never think anything besides how

346
00:22:26.160 --> 00:22:30.559
much I love you. This was the Supremes, the Almighties plan,

347
00:22:30.839 --> 00:22:34.720
not mine. I love you. Let in it, redacted his

348
00:22:34.839 --> 00:22:38.240
daughter's name, Know how much I love her. Look after

349
00:22:38.799 --> 00:22:40.839
redacted and redacted for me.

350
00:22:41.119 --> 00:22:42.119
They are my boys.

351
00:22:42.200 --> 00:22:45.759
And then he put in parentheses You're rich. I knew

352
00:22:45.920 --> 00:22:51.559
I loved you equals savage garden And there you have it.

353
00:22:51.680 --> 00:22:53.759
Strange, not easy to follow.

354
00:22:53.559 --> 00:22:58.000
But that is the suicide note that he left for Shay,

355
00:22:58.799 --> 00:23:02.480
So this story he would be far from over with

356
00:23:02.599 --> 00:23:09.000
Aaron Hernandez's death when in May of twenty seventeen, an

357
00:23:09.039 --> 00:23:12.319
obscure law, the one that was referenced by that inmate,

358
00:23:12.440 --> 00:23:17.000
it wasn't referenced by the law's name, which it's actually

359
00:23:17.119 --> 00:23:21.480
known as the abatement principle. But that obscure law paid

360
00:23:21.519 --> 00:23:26.319
the way for Aaron Hernandez's conviction to be overturned in

361
00:23:26.400 --> 00:23:29.720
the murder of Odin Lloyd. So I'm going to reference

362
00:23:29.880 --> 00:23:34.400
the following article from ESPN, and this is May ninth

363
00:23:34.519 --> 00:23:39.119
of twenty seventeen. A judge erased a twenty thirteen murder

364
00:23:39.160 --> 00:23:44.000
conviction against former NFL star Aaron Hernandez, ruling the case.

365
00:23:44.079 --> 00:23:47.960
Law in Massachusetts has long been established that defendants who

366
00:23:48.079 --> 00:23:51.839
die before their appeals are heard should have their convictions

367
00:23:51.839 --> 00:23:56.519
of vacated. Bristol County Superior Court Judge E. Susan Garsh

368
00:23:56.839 --> 00:24:00.799
said Tuesday she was compelled to follow precedent in ordering

369
00:24:00.880 --> 00:24:04.640
that hernandez first degree murder conviction be dismissed in the

370
00:24:04.720 --> 00:24:09.160
death of the semi professional player Odin Lloyd. Hernandez killed

371
00:24:09.200 --> 00:24:12.720
himself in prison last month while serving a life sentence.

372
00:24:13.039 --> 00:24:17.200
Lloyd's mother fought back tears after the ruling Tuesday, saying

373
00:24:17.279 --> 00:24:20.119
the former New England Patriots tight End would always be

374
00:24:20.160 --> 00:24:23.079
guilty in the eyes of her family. Quote in our book,

375
00:24:23.119 --> 00:24:26.559
He's guilty, and he's always going to be guilty, Ursula

376
00:24:26.599 --> 00:24:30.200
Award said of Hernandez. But I know, I know one

377
00:24:30.279 --> 00:24:32.759
day I'm going to see my son, and that's the

378
00:24:32.880 --> 00:24:35.839
victory I have, and I'm going to take that with me.

379
00:24:36.519 --> 00:24:39.559
I'm waiting for my Master to say, well done, my

380
00:24:39.680 --> 00:24:43.240
good and faithful servant, and welcome to the joys of

381
00:24:43.319 --> 00:24:46.799
my kingdom, and that's when I will see my baby again.

382
00:24:47.359 --> 00:24:50.200
I'm not giving up. When God says the battle's over,

383
00:24:50.359 --> 00:24:53.079
the battles over. So I'm holding on until he tells

384
00:24:53.119 --> 00:24:57.839
me to give up. And that freaking infuriates me that

385
00:24:57.920 --> 00:25:02.680
this was overturned, because this he's so disrespectful to the family.

386
00:25:02.759 --> 00:25:06.400
It's just disgusting. I can't believe that happened. But we'll

387
00:25:06.440 --> 00:25:10.720
move on. Bristol County DA Thomas Quinn said he plans

388
00:25:10.720 --> 00:25:12.799
to appeal the ruling and is willing to take the

389
00:25:12.880 --> 00:25:16.720
case all the way to the Massachusetts Supreme Court. Despite

390
00:25:16.720 --> 00:25:19.839
the tragic ending to airin hernandez life, he should not

391
00:25:19.960 --> 00:25:22.759
reap the legal benefits of an antiquated rule.

392
00:25:22.880 --> 00:25:24.440
Quinn said, state.

393
00:25:24.200 --> 00:25:27.319
And federal courts from across the country have rejected this

394
00:25:27.400 --> 00:25:31.880
antiquated rule. Massachusetts is, in my opinion, needs to follow suit.

395
00:25:32.240 --> 00:25:35.799
Lawyers for Hernandez had argued the Supreme Judicial Court had

396
00:25:35.839 --> 00:25:40.519
applied the legal doctrine without exception, even in cases of suicide.

397
00:25:40.640 --> 00:25:44.160
They said his conviction wasn't considered final because the automatic

398
00:25:44.200 --> 00:25:48.119
appeal he was entitled to had not been heard. Prosecutor

399
00:25:48.160 --> 00:25:52.400
Patrick Boomberg said hernandez suicide was a calculated act. He

400
00:25:52.519 --> 00:25:55.839
cited a report issued last week from the doc that

401
00:25:55.880 --> 00:25:58.960
said Hernandez told another inmate he had a rumor that

402
00:25:59.039 --> 00:26:01.319
if the inmate has an open appeal on the case

403
00:26:01.400 --> 00:26:04.559
and dies in prison, he would be acquitted. Gorse said

404
00:26:04.599 --> 00:26:09.640
there may be many complex, admired reasons that Hernandez killed himself.

405
00:26:10.000 --> 00:26:13.400
She cited a report from prison officials that some inmates

406
00:26:13.400 --> 00:26:17.599
said they knew about a radio broadcast that speculated Hernandez

407
00:26:17.640 --> 00:26:20.880
may have been gay. She also said a possible mental

408
00:26:20.920 --> 00:26:24.960
disturbance was reflected in the suicide note to his fiance

409
00:26:25.119 --> 00:26:28.440
in which he said as death was quote the Supremes,

410
00:26:28.519 --> 00:26:32.039
the almighties plan not mine. Lloyd's mother had filed a

411
00:26:32.079 --> 00:26:36.599
wrongful death lawsuit against Hernandez. Her attorney, Douglas Chef, said

412
00:26:36.640 --> 00:26:39.759
he doesn't believe the civil case would be undermined by

413
00:26:39.799 --> 00:26:44.519
the dismissal of hernandez conviction. An attorney in hernandez criminal

414
00:26:44.599 --> 00:26:47.799
case filed core papers last month that said his estate

415
00:26:47.880 --> 00:26:52.400
is currently worth zero. Chef said the only identified lass

416
00:26:52.640 --> 00:26:57.039
identifiable assets he knows of or hermand As house, theyde

417
00:26:57.079 --> 00:26:59.559
at one point three million dollars in a hummer. But

418
00:26:59.640 --> 00:27:03.039
in that that a message Hernandez left first fiance said

419
00:27:03.039 --> 00:27:05.799
in part you're rich, and he said, we don't know

420
00:27:05.839 --> 00:27:09.359
what that refers to. We'd like to find out. Hernandez

421
00:27:09.400 --> 00:27:13.279
appeal attorney John Thompson told reporters he believes is still

422
00:27:13.400 --> 00:27:17.079
uncertain as to whether Hernandez took his own life. Thompson

423
00:27:17.119 --> 00:27:20.400
said he has recent correspondence from Hernandez in which he

424
00:27:20.440 --> 00:27:24.119
said he was interested in pursuing an appeal. Hernandez lead

425
00:27:24.160 --> 00:27:27.559
attorney in his recent double murder trial, Jose Boss, had

426
00:27:27.599 --> 00:27:32.400
pledged to independently investigate the death state police said in

427
00:27:32.480 --> 00:27:35.240
an investigative report, and I'm not going to go through

428
00:27:35.240 --> 00:27:36.119
that because.

429
00:27:35.799 --> 00:27:36.599
I just did.

430
00:27:37.119 --> 00:27:40.440
His death came five days after he was acquitted, and

431
00:27:40.480 --> 00:27:44.319
then it kind of goes through what he did, so

432
00:27:44.759 --> 00:27:49.880
at this point just disgusting, sickening stuff in my opinion. Now,

433
00:27:49.920 --> 00:27:53.440
there's another thing the public discovered during this time, and

434
00:27:53.519 --> 00:27:58.640
that is that Boston University had been studying Aaron's brains

435
00:27:58.839 --> 00:28:02.680
since his death to see if he suffered from CTE.

436
00:28:03.440 --> 00:28:06.519
But before we get into the results of that, let

437
00:28:06.519 --> 00:28:08.200
me cover what CTE is.

438
00:28:08.440 --> 00:28:08.799
Now.

439
00:28:09.119 --> 00:28:15.039
It stands for chronic traumatic encephalopathy and it's a miracle

440
00:28:15.079 --> 00:28:16.400
that I just pronounced that right.

441
00:28:16.440 --> 00:28:17.759
I'm only gonna try it once.

442
00:28:17.839 --> 00:28:23.440
It's a progressive disease that degenerates the brain. It's found

443
00:28:23.480 --> 00:28:29.079
in individuals with history of repetitive head trauma. It's characterized

444
00:28:29.119 --> 00:28:32.160
by the build up of an abnormal protein. This is

445
00:28:32.200 --> 00:28:37.759
called tau tau in the brain, which can lead to cognitive, emotional,

446
00:28:37.880 --> 00:28:43.839
and behavioral problems. CTE is primarily diagnosed after death through

447
00:28:43.880 --> 00:28:48.480
a brain onutopsy, but suspicion can arise from symptoms and

448
00:28:48.599 --> 00:28:51.160
a history of repeated head impacts.

449
00:28:51.400 --> 00:28:53.079
Key features of CTE.

450
00:28:53.480 --> 00:28:58.240
It's very progressive and it worsens over time, it degenerates.

451
00:28:58.759 --> 00:29:03.880
It involves a gradual breakdown and loss of brain cells,

452
00:29:04.400 --> 00:29:08.400
and it's caused by repetitive head trauma like when you're

453
00:29:08.440 --> 00:29:13.119
playing football. Protein build up is kind of the hallmark

454
00:29:13.240 --> 00:29:18.079
of CTE. That thau, that tail protein in the brain.

455
00:29:18.920 --> 00:29:24.519
That's what causes the normal brain function to be disrupted.

456
00:29:24.799 --> 00:29:27.000
And what are some symptoms, Well, a lot of it's

457
00:29:27.200 --> 00:29:33.640
cognitive memory loss, confusion, difficulty concentrating, impaired judgment. There's a

458
00:29:33.680 --> 00:29:39.680
lot of behavior changes that are associated aggression, being very impulsive,

459
00:29:39.960 --> 00:29:45.559
being very irritable, depressed, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, all that, and

460
00:29:45.640 --> 00:29:51.319
you'll notice mood instability. One point you're happy, one point

461
00:29:51.359 --> 00:29:55.240
you're sad, and it's just back and forth all the time.

462
00:29:55.559 --> 00:30:00.880
And who's at risk athletes, soccer, boxing, high key football,

463
00:30:01.000 --> 00:30:07.279
the UFC, things like that. Also military personnel, veterans who

464
00:30:07.319 --> 00:30:10.480
have been in combat for example and got a head

465
00:30:10.480 --> 00:30:14.920
injury very at risk. And really anyone else that gets

466
00:30:15.119 --> 00:30:18.720
multiple head injuries like from accidents. If you get in

467
00:30:18.759 --> 00:30:22.240
several car accidents and you get knocked out in these accidents,

468
00:30:22.440 --> 00:30:25.039
that can bring on CTE.

469
00:30:25.279 --> 00:30:26.519
And they're learning more.

470
00:30:26.359 --> 00:30:30.079
About this as they go along in society. The problem

471
00:30:30.119 --> 00:30:33.599
with CTE is a lot of times it's not diagnosed

472
00:30:33.880 --> 00:30:37.680
until you die, and then they look at your brain

473
00:30:37.920 --> 00:30:42.039
and they discover all this protein build up in there. Now,

474
00:30:42.319 --> 00:30:46.880
not everyone with head injuries will develop CTE. It's a

475
00:30:46.960 --> 00:30:50.720
high risk factor, obviously, but there's been a lot of

476
00:30:50.759 --> 00:30:55.839
people that have had major head collisions from football, et

477
00:30:55.920 --> 00:31:01.039
cetera that don't develop CTE. They don't really have an

478
00:31:01.079 --> 00:31:05.200
exact number of people that actually had CTE because they

479
00:31:05.240 --> 00:31:07.119
have to be able to look at your brain to

480
00:31:07.160 --> 00:31:11.039
do that. A lot of people don't allow that to

481
00:31:11.119 --> 00:31:15.680
happen after someone dies, and there's no cure for CTE.

482
00:31:16.640 --> 00:31:21.200
You can treat it a little bit and manage the symptoms,

483
00:31:21.240 --> 00:31:25.519
but there is no cure once it occurs. So now

484
00:31:25.559 --> 00:31:28.279
that you know what CTE is, let's get into the

485
00:31:28.319 --> 00:31:32.039
results as it relates to Aaron Hernandez and I Minum

486
00:31:32.200 --> 00:31:36.400
reference an article put out by Boston University. This was

487
00:31:36.440 --> 00:31:40.599
on September twenty first of twenty seventeen, and it reads

488
00:31:40.680 --> 00:31:45.480
as follows. Aaron Hernandez, a former New England patriot and

489
00:31:45.559 --> 00:31:49.519
convicted murderer who died from suicide in jail in April,

490
00:31:50.039 --> 00:31:54.400
suffered from chronic traumatic I'm not even going to try

491
00:31:54.400 --> 00:31:58.240
to pronounce it again. Suffer from CTE to a degree

492
00:31:58.799 --> 00:32:04.240
never seen before by researchers at Boston University. In such

493
00:32:04.240 --> 00:32:07.720
a young person. Hernandez, just twenty seven, when he hanged

494
00:32:07.759 --> 00:32:10.559
himself with a bed sheet, was riddled with what's known

495
00:32:10.599 --> 00:32:14.799
as stage three CTE to a degree that quote, we've

496
00:32:14.880 --> 00:32:18.319
never seen in our four hundred and sixty eight brains,

497
00:32:18.519 --> 00:32:23.359
except for in individuals very much older. That from Anne McKee,

498
00:32:23.359 --> 00:32:28.240
director of Boston University's Chronic Traumatic I'm not going to

499
00:32:28.319 --> 00:32:31.400
try to say it again Center. She went on to

500
00:32:31.400 --> 00:32:35.039
say individuals with similar gross findings were at least forty

501
00:32:35.039 --> 00:32:39.039
six years old at the time of death. CTE, which

502
00:32:39.079 --> 00:32:43.480
has four stages, is progressive and it's finding athletes and

503
00:32:43.519 --> 00:32:47.599
others who suffer repeated concussions and other brain trauma. It's

504
00:32:47.640 --> 00:32:53.119
associated with dementia, mood changes, and aggression. Quote, especially in

505
00:32:53.160 --> 00:32:57.119
the frontal lobes, which are very important for decision making, judgment,

506
00:32:57.279 --> 00:33:01.319
and cognitive skills. We could see damaged the inner chambers

507
00:33:01.359 --> 00:33:05.039
of the brain, McKee said as she screamed through slides

508
00:33:05.119 --> 00:33:08.680
showing sections of Hernandez brain. This would be the first

509
00:33:08.720 --> 00:33:11.519
case we've ever seen of that kind of damage in

510
00:33:11.640 --> 00:33:13.799
such a young individual.

511
00:33:13.720 --> 00:33:14.240
She said.

512
00:33:14.319 --> 00:33:17.759
In addition to deposits of the protein tile, which is

513
00:33:17.799 --> 00:33:22.359
associated with CTE, other evidence of the disease ranged across

514
00:33:22.359 --> 00:33:27.359
her named as brain that included diluted ventricles, the chambers

515
00:33:27.400 --> 00:33:31.720
storing spinal fluid which indicated the braining trunk, and an

516
00:33:31.759 --> 00:33:35.920
atrophied for nex, which are the nerves associated with memory,

517
00:33:36.160 --> 00:33:40.279
all of these caused by repetitive brain trauma. Noting that

518
00:33:40.359 --> 00:33:45.160
Hernandez did not suffer from other brain diseases such as Alzheimer's,

519
00:33:45.599 --> 00:33:48.200
McKee said that in every place that we looked, it

520
00:33:48.279 --> 00:33:52.920
was classic CTE. This is substantial damage that undoubtedly took

521
00:33:53.039 --> 00:33:56.759
years to develop. McKee is a School of Medicine professor

522
00:33:56.880 --> 00:34:00.759
of neurology and pathology, and had disclosed in September that

523
00:34:00.839 --> 00:34:05.079
Hernandez has suffered from CTE. Her center has done pioneering

524
00:34:05.200 --> 00:34:09.280
research on the illness through its bank of donated brains,

525
00:34:09.320 --> 00:34:13.880
including Hernandez. She brief reporters on details of her examination

526
00:34:14.199 --> 00:34:18.880
during their second annual CTE conference, and she said this

527
00:34:19.039 --> 00:34:22.079
brain had been one of the most significant contributions to

528
00:34:22.159 --> 00:34:25.679
our work because of hernandez youth and the organ's pristine

529
00:34:25.719 --> 00:34:29.320
condition when it was turned over by the medical examiner.

530
00:34:29.679 --> 00:34:32.760
The integrity of the brain tissue is so well preserved

531
00:34:32.760 --> 00:34:36.239
that we're advancing our understanding of the disease at a

532
00:34:36.280 --> 00:34:39.880
sub microscopic level. We're able to do things in this

533
00:34:39.920 --> 00:34:44.199
particular brain that we can't always do given the condition

534
00:34:44.320 --> 00:34:46.800
of the brain when we receive it. She went on

535
00:34:46.880 --> 00:34:50.000
to say helmets do not protect athletes from the jarring

536
00:34:50.039 --> 00:34:55.440
head movements associated with CTE. It's an intrinsic component of football.

537
00:34:55.599 --> 00:34:58.280
Every time you have a tackle or collision, you're going

538
00:34:58.320 --> 00:35:02.400
to have these rapid forces affecting the brain. That's one

539
00:35:02.440 --> 00:35:06.760
of the most difficult things to keep football safe. Hernandez

540
00:35:06.760 --> 00:35:10.400
CTE prompted the players a state to sue the National

541
00:35:10.480 --> 00:35:13.280
Football League and the Patriots, and I'm going to get

542
00:35:13.320 --> 00:35:16.599
into that in a second. But she went on to say,

543
00:35:16.800 --> 00:35:19.079
while I'm not going to connect the dots with his

544
00:35:19.239 --> 00:35:23.159
behavior or difficulties during life, the frontal lobes and his

545
00:35:23.280 --> 00:35:27.880
were very severely affected. Were involved in problem solving, judgment,

546
00:35:28.000 --> 00:35:31.440
impulse control, and social behavior. There were also parts of

547
00:35:31.480 --> 00:35:35.800
Aaron Hernandez's brain that were involved in emotional regulation and

548
00:35:35.880 --> 00:35:40.480
emotional behavior fear and anxiety that were affected. She also

549
00:35:40.559 --> 00:35:43.880
said that while Hernandez had genetic markers that make people

550
00:35:44.079 --> 00:35:48.679
vulnerable to brain disease, it wasn't certain that it contributed

551
00:35:49.280 --> 00:35:54.280
to his condition. So look, all that's horrible, but he

552
00:35:54.320 --> 00:35:57.960
didn't get a pass in my mind, regardless of that.

553
00:35:59.000 --> 00:36:01.239
But take with that what you will.

554
00:36:01.800 --> 00:36:05.960
Now, something positive in this case finally occurred on March

555
00:36:06.320 --> 00:36:11.119
thirteenth of twenty nineteen, when the AP released this article

556
00:36:11.199 --> 00:36:16.440
that I'm going to reference reversing reversing that abatement principle

557
00:36:16.599 --> 00:36:21.000
as it relates to the initial conviction of Aaron Hernandez.

558
00:36:21.480 --> 00:36:25.159
So let me read you that Aaron Hernandez martyr conviction

559
00:36:25.400 --> 00:36:29.840
was reinstated in a sweeping ruling in the Massachusetts highest

560
00:36:29.880 --> 00:36:33.039
Court that does away with the legal principle that made

561
00:36:33.119 --> 00:36:35.679
the former NFL star innocent in the eyes of the

562
00:36:35.760 --> 00:36:39.440
law after he killed himself in prison. The Supreme Court

563
00:36:39.559 --> 00:36:43.920
unanimously found that the legal rule that erased hernandez conviction

564
00:36:44.199 --> 00:36:48.199
is outdated and no longer consistent with the circumstances of

565
00:36:48.280 --> 00:36:52.480
contemporary life. It ordered Hernandez conviction be restored and the

566
00:36:52.599 --> 00:36:56.760
practice be abolished for future cases. The ruling does not

567
00:36:56.840 --> 00:37:00.719
affect past cases. Then it goes into her Hernandez and

568
00:37:00.840 --> 00:37:02.960
what he did. I'm not going to cover all that,

569
00:37:03.440 --> 00:37:06.519
but it says, under the doctrine rooted in centuries of

570
00:37:06.599 --> 00:37:09.920
English law, a conviction should not be considered until the

571
00:37:10.039 --> 00:37:14.760
final appeal can determine whether mistakes were made that deprived

572
00:37:14.800 --> 00:37:18.719
the defendant of fair trial. House states handle cases such

573
00:37:18.719 --> 00:37:23.960
as Hernandez very widely. Some like Massachusetts, tossed the convictions,

574
00:37:23.960 --> 00:37:28.000
while other states dismissed the defendant's appeal and the conviction stands,

575
00:37:28.039 --> 00:37:30.719
which in my opinion, is how it should be. Others

576
00:37:30.719 --> 00:37:34.679
allow appeal courts to consider the dead defendant's case. The

577
00:37:34.800 --> 00:37:39.880
da whose office prosecuted Hernandez case, applauded the court's decision,

578
00:37:40.079 --> 00:37:43.719
saying they are pleased that justice has served in the case.

579
00:37:44.199 --> 00:37:48.320
The antiquity practice of vacating a valid conviction is being eliminated,

580
00:37:48.360 --> 00:37:52.119
and the victim's family can get closure that they deserve.

581
00:37:52.800 --> 00:37:55.920
The decision has helped the family to obtain closure from

582
00:37:55.960 --> 00:38:01.199
a horrible loss of their beloved son, Odin, and it

583
00:38:01.320 --> 00:38:06.599
also said other high profile Massachusetts. Criminals who convictions have

584
00:38:06.719 --> 00:38:10.599
been erased after their deaths include John Salvey, who was

585
00:38:10.639 --> 00:38:14.760
convicted of killing two abortion clinic workers and winning five

586
00:38:14.840 --> 00:38:18.639
other people during his shooting in nineteen ninety four, and

587
00:38:18.840 --> 00:38:23.199
Roman Catholic priest John Geogan, a key figure in the

588
00:38:23.239 --> 00:38:27.639
clergy sex abuse scandal that rocked the Boston Archdiocese and

589
00:38:27.719 --> 00:38:32.320
spread across the globe, also had his child molestation conviction

590
00:38:32.480 --> 00:38:35.800
vacated after he was beaten to death in two thousand

591
00:38:35.800 --> 00:38:40.159
and three in his cell the same maximum security prison

592
00:38:40.360 --> 00:38:47.400
where her Nandz died. Victory there as odin Lloyd's family.

593
00:38:48.800 --> 00:38:51.440
They may never get closure, because you don't get closure

594
00:38:51.719 --> 00:38:55.320
in these things, but at least they got some justice there,

595
00:38:55.639 --> 00:38:58.800
all right. So in that most recent article that I

596
00:38:59.000 --> 00:39:03.599
just covered, I told you about the NFL getting sued

597
00:39:04.440 --> 00:39:09.239
by the family of Aaron Hernandez over CTE. And when

598
00:39:09.280 --> 00:39:15.480
I say the family, his fiance, Shay and his child

599
00:39:15.719 --> 00:39:18.679
who was also listed in this suit against the New

600
00:39:18.679 --> 00:39:21.239
England Patriots and the NFL. And I'm going to go

601
00:39:21.239 --> 00:39:24.760
over that with you quickly, give you facts of that case.

602
00:39:25.519 --> 00:39:28.679
And it says the National Football League is the most

603
00:39:28.679 --> 00:39:34.360
successful professional sports organization in the US. In twenty sixteen alone,

604
00:39:34.440 --> 00:39:39.480
the NFL generated approximately thirteen billion with a B dollars

605
00:39:39.480 --> 00:39:43.519
in revenue. A substantial portion of this revenue comes from

606
00:39:43.559 --> 00:39:48.760
sponsorships licensing in the sale of national broadcasting rights to

607
00:39:48.800 --> 00:39:52.679
football games. Professional football teams that compete in the league,

608
00:39:52.760 --> 00:39:56.000
such as the Patriots, share a percentage of the league's

609
00:39:56.039 --> 00:40:00.000
overall revenue. Since its formation in August of nineteen twelve,

610
00:40:00.400 --> 00:40:05.360
the American Professional Football Association renamed the NFL in nineteen

611
00:40:05.440 --> 00:40:09.280
twenty two. The NFL had promoted the game of football,

612
00:40:09.480 --> 00:40:13.119
acting as a governing body and establishing rules related to

613
00:40:13.199 --> 00:40:17.639
player health, safety, league policies, and ownership. The NFL actively

614
00:40:17.719 --> 00:40:21.679
monitors player conduct, health and safety, and in addition, the

615
00:40:21.800 --> 00:40:26.159
NFL consults with medical professionals regarding the risk of players

616
00:40:26.559 --> 00:40:32.079
health associated to playing football. The NFL has autonomous power

617
00:40:32.199 --> 00:40:36.480
to establish rules and policies, and at all relevant times

618
00:40:36.559 --> 00:40:39.599
exercised its power to set rules and policy for the

619
00:40:39.639 --> 00:40:42.679
health and safety of football players. Then it goes on

620
00:40:42.760 --> 00:40:45.519
to say the NFL was well aware of the long

621
00:40:45.639 --> 00:40:49.360
term risks of head impacts for decades. The medical and

622
00:40:49.480 --> 00:40:53.119
scientific community has been aware of the link between repetitive

623
00:40:53.280 --> 00:40:56.719
joining and injury to the head and increase risks of

624
00:40:56.920 --> 00:41:01.320
neurocognitive damage. Since the early nineteen nineties, the medical and

625
00:41:01.440 --> 00:41:06.480
scientific community is indicated through overwhelming consensus that many football

626
00:41:06.519 --> 00:41:11.599
players developed brain injuries from sub concussive injuries and concussions.

627
00:41:12.039 --> 00:41:16.880
Independent scientists and neurologists recognized the concussions where serious injuries

628
00:41:17.119 --> 00:41:21.639
and result in permanent brain injury, impaired abilities, and increased

629
00:41:21.719 --> 00:41:26.159
onset ofmental deterioration. The NFL had been aware since nineteen

630
00:41:26.280 --> 00:41:29.920
ninety four that on field collisions led to latent head

631
00:41:29.920 --> 00:41:34.920
injuries that have long term debilitating effects on players. For decades,

632
00:41:34.920 --> 00:41:37.679
the NFL has been aware the multiple blows to the

633
00:41:37.719 --> 00:41:40.840
head can lead to long term brain injury, including but

634
00:41:41.000 --> 00:41:46.000
not limited to memory loss, dementia, depression, and CTE. The

635
00:41:46.079 --> 00:41:50.760
NFL also acknowledged the dehabilitating effects of head trauma in

636
00:41:50.800 --> 00:41:54.199
its core filings. In nineteen ninety nine, Mike Webster, who

637
00:41:54.199 --> 00:41:58.119
had played professional football for the Pittsburgh Steelers between nineteen

638
00:41:58.159 --> 00:42:02.199
seventy four and nineteen ninety filed a requests for complete

639
00:42:02.280 --> 00:42:06.920
disability benefits with the NFL based on neuro damage he

640
00:42:07.039 --> 00:42:10.800
sustained over the course of his career. An NFL physician

641
00:42:11.000 --> 00:42:15.840
examined Webster independently and concluded Webster was in fact mentally

642
00:42:15.880 --> 00:42:19.519
disabled as a result of head impacts he sustained while

643
00:42:19.519 --> 00:42:22.599
playing in the NFL. In December two thousand and six,

644
00:42:22.679 --> 00:42:25.719
the Fourth Circuit of the United States Court of Appeals

645
00:42:25.760 --> 00:42:30.079
stated in an unpublished opinion that the NFL's disability plan

646
00:42:30.280 --> 00:42:34.760
accepted that Webster's mental disability was cast by the multiple

647
00:42:34.800 --> 00:42:39.960
head injuries Webster sustained while playing pro football. The NFL

648
00:42:40.119 --> 00:42:44.599
was aware of the link between sub concussive and concussive

649
00:42:44.719 --> 00:42:49.559
injury sustained in football in chronic neuro injury to players.

650
00:42:49.599 --> 00:42:53.400
The NFL hit or otherwise failed to provide this information

651
00:42:54.000 --> 00:42:57.920
to NFL players. The failure has been well documented in

652
00:42:58.000 --> 00:43:01.480
the news media, in the science centific and medical community,

653
00:43:01.599 --> 00:43:07.000
during Congress and in prior litigation. The NFL's Mild Traumatic

654
00:43:07.159 --> 00:43:10.679
Brain Injury Committee was formed in nineteen ninety four to

655
00:43:10.760 --> 00:43:15.000
improve player safety and recommend rule changes aimed at reducing

656
00:43:15.079 --> 00:43:19.280
head injuries. The committee set out to study the effects

657
00:43:19.280 --> 00:43:23.519
of concussions to NFL players. However, the NFL used the

658
00:43:23.559 --> 00:43:27.559
committee to work and manipulate the scientific and medical community

659
00:43:28.000 --> 00:43:31.760
in an effort to avoid potential liability in rule changes

660
00:43:31.880 --> 00:43:36.079
that might affect the commercial success of pro football. For years,

661
00:43:36.199 --> 00:43:41.599
they utilized biased, industry friendly, and false information related to

662
00:43:41.719 --> 00:43:47.400
concussive injuries, etc. Despite the NFL publicizing the committee's doctors

663
00:43:47.400 --> 00:43:51.360
and researchers were independent, the committee consisted of at least

664
00:43:51.400 --> 00:43:58.679
five people previously connected to the NFL, and that's significant. Moreover,

665
00:43:58.719 --> 00:44:03.079
the NFL failed to appoint any neurologists, head trauma specialists,

666
00:44:03.199 --> 00:44:08.480
or neuro pathologists to chair the committee. Instead, the Commissioner,

667
00:44:08.559 --> 00:44:14.480
Paul Tagliabu appointed doctor Elliott Pellman, a rheumatologist who had

668
00:44:14.519 --> 00:44:18.920
no specialized training or education in concussion or head injuries,

669
00:44:18.960 --> 00:44:22.639
and that is very strange. Doctor Pellman was a paid

670
00:44:22.719 --> 00:44:26.199
physician and trainer for the New York Jets. Despite his

671
00:44:26.320 --> 00:44:29.840
lack of qualifications, he remained the chair of the committee

672
00:44:29.880 --> 00:44:33.119
from nineteen ninety four until two thousand and seven, and

673
00:44:33.199 --> 00:44:37.840
during this period, the committee publicly disputed scientific findings that

674
00:44:38.000 --> 00:44:44.519
established a link between concussions and permanent neurological injuries. Doctor

675
00:44:44.639 --> 00:44:49.440
Ira Casson, a board certified neurologist, and doctor David Viano,

676
00:44:49.480 --> 00:44:53.039
a biomedical Engineer were both members of the committee, and

677
00:44:53.079 --> 00:44:57.280
they attempted to discredit published scientific studies that linked head

678
00:44:57.320 --> 00:45:02.639
impacts and concussions suffered by NFL players two permanent neuro

679
00:45:02.920 --> 00:45:09.519
cognitive injuries. The committee also conducted and published industry sponsor biased, falsified,

680
00:45:09.639 --> 00:45:13.159
and inaccurate research to support the NFL's position there was

681
00:45:13.199 --> 00:45:18.320
no connection between concussions and permanent neuro injuries. In nineteen

682
00:45:18.400 --> 00:45:22.400
ninety seven, the Academy of Neurology published guidelines for athletes

683
00:45:22.480 --> 00:45:25.880
returning to play the game after having suffered a concussion.

684
00:45:26.079 --> 00:45:29.960
These guidelines recommended that any athlete who suffers a concussion

685
00:45:30.039 --> 00:45:33.960
at grade three that's where you lose consciousness, should be

686
00:45:34.079 --> 00:45:38.639
ineligible to play and should rust until asymptomatic for at

687
00:45:38.760 --> 00:45:39.639
least one week.

688
00:45:39.800 --> 00:45:41.639
After a prolong grade.

689
00:45:41.320 --> 00:45:45.719
Three concussion, they recommended the athlete should be withheld from play.

690
00:45:45.480 --> 00:45:46.360
For two weeks.

691
00:45:46.519 --> 00:45:50.360
In two thousand and the NFL officially rejected the application

692
00:45:50.519 --> 00:45:54.280
of these guidelines to NFL players. Between two thousand and

693
00:45:54.280 --> 00:45:57.679
two and two thousand and seven, doctor Bennett Amalu, an

694
00:45:57.679 --> 00:46:02.159
independent researcher at the University of Pittsburgh, examined the brain

695
00:46:02.480 --> 00:46:07.400
tissue of deceased NFL players, including Mike Webster, Terry Long,

696
00:46:07.559 --> 00:46:12.199
and Andre Waters. These individuals suffered multiple concussions during their

697
00:46:12.280 --> 00:46:17.320
NFL careers and later in life exhibited symptoms of deteriorated

698
00:46:17.519 --> 00:46:22.960
cognitive functions paranoia, panic, and depression. The doctor determined these

699
00:46:23.000 --> 00:46:27.639
individuals suffered from the neuro disorder CTE. The doctor's findings

700
00:46:27.679 --> 00:46:31.519
were published in the Neurosurgery Magazine, where he concluded the

701
00:46:31.559 --> 00:46:35.920
Webster and Long's respective deaths were partially caused by CTM

702
00:46:36.039 --> 00:46:40.519
were related to multiple concussions. In response to the doctor's articles,

703
00:46:40.559 --> 00:46:44.119
doctor Pellman, Casson, and Viana, members of the committee wrote

704
00:46:44.119 --> 00:46:47.880
a letter to the editor of Neurosurgery magazine demanding that

705
00:46:48.000 --> 00:46:53.840
doctor Amalu's article be retracted. Doctor Amalu's articles were not retracted,

706
00:46:53.920 --> 00:46:59.880
and Neurosurgery Magazine would later publish additional papers by doctor Amalu.

707
00:46:59.400 --> 00:47:00.960
On this time been good for them.

708
00:47:01.119 --> 00:47:03.920
In October of two thousand and three, the committee published

709
00:47:03.960 --> 00:47:07.119
its first paper and suggestive there were no long term

710
00:47:07.199 --> 00:47:12.360
negative effects associated with concussions or concussive injuries sustained by

711
00:47:12.440 --> 00:47:18.039
NFL players and that y'all is absolute fucking bullshit, and

712
00:47:18.079 --> 00:47:21.840
that pisces me off. There is so much proof that

713
00:47:21.840 --> 00:47:25.480
that's bullshit. It's unbelievable. How the hell can you say

714
00:47:25.599 --> 00:47:28.679
someone can be concussed to the point that they are

715
00:47:28.800 --> 00:47:32.360
knocked out and it not produce long term injuries when

716
00:47:32.880 --> 00:47:35.440
when it happens over and over and over again to

717
00:47:35.480 --> 00:47:39.800
the same person, unbelievable. In November of two thousand and three,

718
00:47:39.880 --> 00:47:43.920
doctor Pellman appeared on the HBO television program Inside the

719
00:47:44.039 --> 00:47:47.159
NFL to discuss a report by the Center for the

720
00:47:47.239 --> 00:47:51.480
Study of Retired Athletes the link concussions and depressions in

721
00:47:51.679 --> 00:47:54.519
former players instead of quote when I look at the study,

722
00:47:54.639 --> 00:47:58.639
I don't believe it. The committee subsequently published sixteen papers

723
00:47:58.719 --> 00:48:01.320
between two thousand and five try In two thousand and nine,

724
00:48:01.440 --> 00:48:04.800
the committee indicated that all of the completed studies supported

725
00:48:04.800 --> 00:48:08.360
their conclusion that there were no long term negative health

726
00:48:08.400 --> 00:48:14.400
consequences associated with concussions or injuries concussive in nature's sustained

727
00:48:14.400 --> 00:48:17.519
by NFL players. In two thousand and four, the committee

728
00:48:17.519 --> 00:48:21.639
published a study based on clinical data they collected from

729
00:48:21.679 --> 00:48:25.360
physicians and athletic trainers for six years and concluded there's

730
00:48:25.559 --> 00:48:29.559
no evidence of increased severity of injury in multiple versus

731
00:48:29.679 --> 00:48:34.599
single mild traumatic brain injury cases. Their research also concluded

732
00:48:34.639 --> 00:48:40.159
that repeated injuries occurred relatively infrequently during the six year period.

733
00:48:40.320 --> 00:48:43.079
In February of two thousand and five, the committee published

734
00:48:43.079 --> 00:48:46.079
findings based on a six year study that players who

735
00:48:46.119 --> 00:48:49.199
are concussed and return to the same game have fewer

736
00:48:49.280 --> 00:48:53.679
initial signs and symptoms than those removed from play. Return

737
00:48:53.719 --> 00:48:56.440
to play does not involve a significant risk of a

738
00:48:56.480 --> 00:48:58.559
second injury, either in the same game.

739
00:48:58.400 --> 00:49:00.519
Or during the season. That is absolutely insane.

740
00:49:00.559 --> 00:49:03.920
As well, the report continued to say, the current decision

741
00:49:03.960 --> 00:49:08.159
making of NFL team physicians seems appropriate for the return

742
00:49:08.280 --> 00:49:11.159
to the game after a concussion. Can you believe that

743
00:49:11.280 --> 00:49:15.280
biased and erroneous conclusions by the committee published and clue

744
00:49:15.280 --> 00:49:18.480
but are not limited to the following doctors. Pelman and

745
00:49:18.480 --> 00:49:22.360
Biano stated that because of significant percentage of players were

746
00:49:22.400 --> 00:49:25.079
turned to play in the same game as they suffered

747
00:49:25.079 --> 00:49:29.480
a concussion, and the overwhelming majority of players with concussions

748
00:49:29.480 --> 00:49:32.440
were kept out of football related activities for less than

749
00:49:32.480 --> 00:49:36.840
one week, it can be concluded that mild TBIs in

750
00:49:36.920 --> 00:49:41.000
professional football are not serious injuries. The NFL players did

751
00:49:41.039 --> 00:49:44.280
not show a decline in brain function after a concussion.

752
00:49:44.480 --> 00:49:47.119
There were no ill effects among those who had three

753
00:49:47.199 --> 00:49:50.039
or more concussions or took hits to the head that

754
00:49:50.159 --> 00:49:53.599
sideline them for a week or more. No NFL player

755
00:49:53.760 --> 00:50:00.719
experiencing the second impact syndrome or CTE from repeated concus hushions.

756
00:50:00.880 --> 00:50:03.559
This is just crazy that they would even say this.

757
00:50:03.880 --> 00:50:07.079
In two thousand and six, the Committee published research concluding

758
00:50:07.119 --> 00:50:11.480
that on field evaluation by teen physicians is effective with

759
00:50:11.639 --> 00:50:16.480
regard to the identification of cognitive and memory impairments immediately

760
00:50:16.559 --> 00:50:19.280
after an injury. And what they're talking about is when

761
00:50:19.320 --> 00:50:21.440
these players get knocked out and they run on the

762
00:50:21.480 --> 00:50:24.199
field and they hold up how many fingers am I

763
00:50:24.239 --> 00:50:26.960
holding up? They might be holding up three, and if

764
00:50:27.000 --> 00:50:28.280
you say three, you're good to go.

765
00:50:28.559 --> 00:50:29.239
That kind of thing.

766
00:50:29.440 --> 00:50:33.079
Throughout this period, the committee was heavily criticized by independent

767
00:50:33.159 --> 00:50:36.920
doctors and research because the committee's conclusions were contrary to

768
00:50:37.039 --> 00:50:40.800
multitude of peer reviewed studies that were based on one

769
00:50:40.840 --> 00:50:44.880
sided data collection techniques. In February two thousand and seven,

770
00:50:44.960 --> 00:50:47.840
doctor Pellman stepped down as the chairman of the committee

771
00:50:47.840 --> 00:50:51.719
following increasing media scrutiny over the committee's studies. He was

772
00:50:51.840 --> 00:50:56.079
replaced as chair by doctor Ira Kson and doctor Viano,

773
00:50:56.360 --> 00:50:59.679
but remained a member of the committee. Doctor Kason and

774
00:51:00.000 --> 00:51:05.039
I continue to dismiss outside studies and overwhelming evidence linked

775
00:51:05.400 --> 00:51:10.000
head injuries and concussions suffered by NFL players to permanent

776
00:51:10.199 --> 00:51:14.599
neurocognitive injuries. In a two thousand and seven televised interview

777
00:51:14.679 --> 00:51:20.159
by Bernard Goldberg on HBO's Real Sports, doctor Kson unequivocally

778
00:51:20.239 --> 00:51:24.079
stated there was no evidence that links multiple head injuries

779
00:51:24.079 --> 00:51:28.920
among pro football players with depression, dementia, early onset Alzheimers,

780
00:51:29.079 --> 00:51:33.840
or other permanent neurological disorders. On June nineteenth, two thousand

781
00:51:33.840 --> 00:51:37.719
and seven, the NFL held its first league wide Concussion

782
00:51:37.920 --> 00:51:42.000
Summit in Chicago, where all thirty two NFL teams, health

783
00:51:42.039 --> 00:51:46.039
and safety committees, doctors, and trainers convened. At the summit,

784
00:51:46.199 --> 00:51:50.760
doctor Kason told team doctors and trainers that the only

785
00:51:50.840 --> 00:51:57.159
scientifically valid evidence CTE has been found in boxers and jockeys.

786
00:51:57.639 --> 00:52:01.679
He added it has never been signedly valid.

787
00:52:01.440 --> 00:52:02.840
In any other athletes.

788
00:52:02.960 --> 00:52:06.320
On August fourteenth, two thousand and seven, the NFL published

789
00:52:06.360 --> 00:52:11.039
an informational pamphlet on concussions to NFL players and their families,

790
00:52:11.039 --> 00:52:15.079
and its stated, current research with professional athletes has not

791
00:52:15.199 --> 00:52:18.519
shown that having more than one or two concussions can

792
00:52:18.639 --> 00:52:22.400
lead to permanent problems if each injury is managed properly.

793
00:52:22.519 --> 00:52:25.559
It's important to understand there's no magic number for how

794
00:52:25.559 --> 00:52:30.320
many concussions is too many. Research is currently underway to

795
00:52:30.360 --> 00:52:34.400
determine if there are any long term effects of concussion

796
00:52:34.599 --> 00:52:39.079
in NFL athletes. In two thousand and eight, Boston Universities

797
00:52:39.119 --> 00:52:42.719
doctor am mckeeth found CTE in the brains of two

798
00:52:43.360 --> 00:52:48.519
deceased NFL players, John Grimsley and Tom McHale. Doctor mckeeth

799
00:52:48.559 --> 00:52:52.480
stated the easiest way to decrease the incidents of CTE

800
00:52:52.639 --> 00:52:56.119
is to decrease the number of concussions or mild traumatic

801
00:52:56.239 --> 00:53:00.000
brain injuries. Doctor McKee further noted that this is accomplished

802
00:53:00.199 --> 00:53:04.239
by penalizing intentional hits to the head and adhering to

803
00:53:04.320 --> 00:53:09.039
strict return to play guidelines. Finally, doctor McKee concluded that

804
00:53:09.119 --> 00:53:12.920
studies indicate the safe return to play guidelines might require

805
00:53:12.960 --> 00:53:17.239
at least four to six weeks to facilitate more complete

806
00:53:17.280 --> 00:53:21.320
recovery and to protect from re injury, as a second

807
00:53:21.320 --> 00:53:26.519
concussion occurs much more frequently in the immediate period. After concussion,

808
00:53:26.880 --> 00:53:30.440
and I would even go further. I played football for

809
00:53:30.480 --> 00:53:33.360
over ten years of my life, and I'm also an

810
00:53:33.480 --> 00:53:36.840
avid fan of the UFC. And I'm going to tell

811
00:53:36.880 --> 00:53:42.360
you when someone gets knocked out in the UFC, they

812
00:53:42.440 --> 00:53:47.559
become susceptible to knockouts from there on out. Chuck the

813
00:53:47.599 --> 00:53:52.719
Iceman Liddell was a knockout artist and he dominated the

814
00:53:52.880 --> 00:53:56.800
UFC about ten years ago. And then he gets knocked out,

815
00:53:57.239 --> 00:54:01.280
he loses his title, and he got knocked out in

816
00:54:01.360 --> 00:54:04.639
the next five fights he did.

817
00:54:06.360 --> 00:54:09.639
Once you turn that button on, you can't turn it off.

818
00:54:09.679 --> 00:54:10.760
But I'll continue.

819
00:54:11.000 --> 00:54:15.280
Doctor Kason characterize each study is an isolated incident in

820
00:54:15.320 --> 00:54:20.119
response to doctor McKee studies. Responding to the publication, Doctor

821
00:54:20.199 --> 00:54:23.760
Kayson asserted in a written statement before his appearance at

822
00:54:23.800 --> 00:54:28.119
a House Judiciary Committee hearing in January of twenty ten

823
00:54:28.719 --> 00:54:32.239
that his position was there's not enough valid or reliable

824
00:54:32.360 --> 00:54:36.519
scientific evidence at present time to determine whether or not

825
00:54:36.639 --> 00:54:41.239
repeated head impacts in professional football result in long term

826
00:54:41.320 --> 00:54:44.480
brain damage. In two thousand and eight, the NFL commissioned

827
00:54:44.519 --> 00:54:48.960
the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research to conduct

828
00:54:49.000 --> 00:54:52.880
fund interviews of a random sample of over one thousand

829
00:54:53.039 --> 00:54:57.360
retired players and ask them questions across a range of topics,

830
00:54:57.760 --> 00:55:00.639
and the findings of that study, released on on September

831
00:55:00.679 --> 00:55:04.360
tenth of two thousand and nine, reported that diseases of

832
00:55:04.400 --> 00:55:07.679
the mind are rare in both the general population and

833
00:55:08.239 --> 00:55:13.199
NFL retirees, but the retirees do report a higher rate

834
00:55:13.360 --> 00:55:18.440
at six percent. The older group of retirees is particularly high.

835
00:55:18.719 --> 00:55:23.119
After the finding was published, NFL spokesman Greg al Ailow

836
00:55:23.360 --> 00:55:26.840
stated in an email message the study did not formally

837
00:55:26.920 --> 00:55:32.519
diagnose dementia, that it was subject to shortcomings of telephone surveys,

838
00:55:32.559 --> 00:55:35.159
and that there are thousands of retired players who do

839
00:55:35.239 --> 00:55:38.960
not have memory problems. Doctor Kson then stated, what I

840
00:55:39.000 --> 00:55:41.159
take from this report is that there's a need for

841
00:55:41.280 --> 00:55:45.039
further studies based on these and many other documented incidents.

842
00:55:45.079 --> 00:55:48.960
As clear the NFL was aware of neurological rests associated

843
00:55:48.960 --> 00:55:52.079
with repeated head impact and that the NFL failed to

844
00:55:52.119 --> 00:55:57.079
disclose this to the players. The conduct also needlessly delayed

845
00:55:57.159 --> 00:56:00.960
adoption of rules and league policies related to player health,

846
00:56:01.360 --> 00:56:04.079
and it goes on and on with some other studies.

847
00:56:04.239 --> 00:56:06.400
I'm not going to cover that, but I will cover

848
00:56:06.519 --> 00:56:10.960
what it says directly about Aaron Hernandez. Says Aaron Hernandez

849
00:56:10.960 --> 00:56:15.480
developed CTE as a result of playing professional football. Between

850
00:56:15.480 --> 00:56:19.599
twenty ten and twenty thirteen. Aaron Hernandez played football for

851
00:56:19.679 --> 00:56:24.559
the Patriots. During his professional football career, Aaron experience repeated

852
00:56:24.599 --> 00:56:30.079
traumatic had impacts, including subconcussive blows and concussions, with a

853
00:56:30.119 --> 00:56:34.320
greater frequency and severity than the general population of men

854
00:56:34.840 --> 00:56:38.639
of a similar age. The repeated head impacts experienced by Aaron,

855
00:56:38.800 --> 00:56:43.440
including these subconcussive blows and concussions, are known to greatly

856
00:56:43.480 --> 00:56:48.920
increase the risk of developing CTE. On April nineteenth, twenty seventeen,

857
00:56:49.159 --> 00:56:53.679
Aaron committed suicide while in custody of the Massachusetts Department

858
00:56:53.719 --> 00:56:58.159
of Corrections. Boston University School of Medicine after his death,

859
00:56:58.400 --> 00:57:03.360
examined Aaron hernandez brain and neurological matter. On August seventeenth,

860
00:57:03.480 --> 00:57:08.079
twenty seventeen, the School of Medicine issued a neuropathology report

861
00:57:08.199 --> 00:57:12.320
diagnosing Aaron with Stage three ct at the time of

862
00:57:12.360 --> 00:57:16.719
his death. CTE is a neurological disorder that progresses through

863
00:57:16.840 --> 00:57:23.440
four worsening stages of brain degeneracy. According to the CTE Society.

864
00:57:23.559 --> 00:57:28.000
Individuals suffering from CTE in stage three, like Aaron, typically

865
00:57:28.079 --> 00:57:34.239
experienced symptoms such as memory loss, executive dysfunction, aggressive explosive behavior,

866
00:57:34.400 --> 00:57:40.519
loss of concentration, mood swings, depression, and cognitive impairment. The

867
00:57:40.559 --> 00:57:46.159
Boston University report also notes that aaron CTE pathology was

868
00:57:46.320 --> 00:57:50.679
unusually severe considering his young age.

869
00:57:50.800 --> 00:57:54.320
So that is the lawsuit. So what happened in that lawsuit?

870
00:57:54.480 --> 00:57:57.519
If you're curious, here's a short little paragraph on that.

871
00:57:57.679 --> 00:58:01.679
A lawsuit brought by Aaron Hernandez family against the NFL

872
00:58:01.880 --> 00:58:05.639
over CTE was dismissed by a federal judge in twenty

873
00:58:05.760 --> 00:58:09.480
nineteen because he was considered a retired player under a

874
00:58:09.480 --> 00:58:13.559
class action settlement that excluded individual claims.

875
00:58:14.000 --> 00:58:15.320
The judge ruled.

876
00:58:15.000 --> 00:58:20.239
The lawsuit involved relitigating issues already covered by the broader

877
00:58:20.360 --> 00:58:25.719
NFL concussion settlement, which also stipulated the individual compensation for

878
00:58:25.800 --> 00:58:29.639
suicides related to CTE was too late to be sought

879
00:58:29.840 --> 00:58:35.599
after hernandez twenty seventeen death. So basically it got thrown out.

880
00:58:35.760 --> 00:58:38.599
So you would think that's it, right, Well, I got

881
00:58:38.960 --> 00:58:43.079
one more shocking piece of information for you, and I'm

882
00:58:43.119 --> 00:58:44.760
going to take you to twenty twenty four, and we're

883
00:58:44.800 --> 00:58:50.039
going to talk quickly about Aaron Hernandez brother DJ, DJ

884
00:58:51.239 --> 00:58:56.719
was arrested in twenty twenty four for threatening to shoot

885
00:58:56.840 --> 00:59:03.519
up the University of Connecticut. Now he pleaded to those charges,

886
00:59:04.199 --> 00:59:09.039
and he pleaded guilty on December eighteenth of twenty twenty four.

887
00:59:09.119 --> 00:59:12.199
In a reference a quick article by the Associated Presce

888
00:59:12.960 --> 00:59:17.320
Dennis Hernandez, the troubled brother of late New England Patriots

889
00:59:17.360 --> 00:59:20.800
tight end Aaron, pleaded guilty to threatening to carry out

890
00:59:20.840 --> 00:59:24.199
a shooting at the University of Connecticut and to kill

891
00:59:24.239 --> 00:59:28.440
three people outside of the state, including a judge. In

892
00:59:28.559 --> 00:59:32.880
twenty twenty three, federal prosecutor said Hernandez, thirty eight, who

893
00:59:32.960 --> 00:59:36.280
went by DJ while playing football for Yukon in the

894
00:59:36.320 --> 00:59:38.079
mid two thousands, appeared.

895
00:59:37.760 --> 00:59:39.679
In federal court in Hartford and.

896
00:59:39.639 --> 00:59:44.960
Plaged guilty to transmitting interstate communications containing a threat to injure,

897
00:59:45.119 --> 00:59:49.039
which carries up to five years in prison. Sentencing is

898
00:59:49.119 --> 00:59:53.360
set for February sixth, twenty twenty five. His public defender

899
00:59:53.480 --> 00:59:57.800
did not immediately return an email. Terry Hernandez told police

900
00:59:57.840 --> 01:00:01.119
around the time of his arrest in Brustol last year

901
01:00:01.159 --> 01:00:05.760
that he had deteriorating mental health problems, including bipolar disorder

902
01:00:06.119 --> 01:00:10.440
and schizophrenia. Dennis Hernandez was shocked with a stun gun

903
01:00:10.559 --> 01:00:13.280
and taken into custody after he came out of his

904
01:00:13.400 --> 01:00:17.079
sister's house with his arms raised, yelling shoot me and

905
01:00:17.159 --> 01:00:21.920
threatening to harm officers. Federal prosecutors said Hernandez threatening is

906
01:00:22.000 --> 01:00:26.119
shooting at Yukon's main campus in July of twenty twenty

907
01:00:26.119 --> 01:00:29.800
three while messaging another person on Facebook. Quote, I will

908
01:00:29.880 --> 01:00:33.639
recommend remaining away from there because when I go, I'm

909
01:00:33.679 --> 01:00:37.719
taking down everything, Hernandez wrote. And I don't give a

910
01:00:37.760 --> 01:00:41.159
fuck who gets caught in the crossfire. I've died for

911
01:00:41.320 --> 01:00:44.199
years now, and it's other people's turn. I'm prepared to

912
01:00:44.199 --> 01:00:46.880
give my life. Not all shootings are bad, and I'm

913
01:00:46.960 --> 01:00:51.039
realizing some are necessary for change to happen. Court filing

914
01:00:51.119 --> 01:00:55.440
said Hernandez was struggling financially, was frustrated at seeing other

915
01:00:55.480 --> 01:00:59.760
people get hired as football coaches, and fell owed by Yukon.

916
01:01:00.280 --> 01:01:04.000
He played quarterback and wide receiver for the Huskies. Police

917
01:01:04.039 --> 01:01:07.280
said her name as had driven to the Yukon campus

918
01:01:07.320 --> 01:01:10.679
and to Brown University in Rhode Island, where he once

919
01:01:10.760 --> 01:01:14.440
served as quarterbacks coach to map the schools out for shooting.

920
01:01:14.800 --> 01:01:17.639
Also in July of twenty twenty three, prosecutors said her

921
01:01:17.679 --> 01:01:20.960
name has made multiple Facebook posts threatening to harm or

922
01:01:21.039 --> 01:01:24.519
kill three people who lived outside of Connecticut, including a

923
01:01:24.559 --> 01:01:28.800
state judge. Hernandez has penning charges in state court in

924
01:01:28.880 --> 01:01:34.320
Connecticut in connection with an incident outside ESPN headquarters in Bristol.

925
01:01:34.519 --> 01:01:36.920
He was arrested in March of twenty twenty three on

926
01:01:37.039 --> 01:01:40.519
misdemeanor breach of the peace charges. After police set he

927
01:01:40.639 --> 01:01:43.559
threw a bag containing a brick and a note over

928
01:01:43.800 --> 01:01:48.719
a fence and ont ESPN's property before leaving it said

929
01:01:48.800 --> 01:01:52.320
quote to all media outlets, It's about time you all

930
01:01:52.400 --> 01:01:56.119
realize the effects media has on family members. Since you're

931
01:01:56.159 --> 01:02:00.119
a worldwide leader, maybe you could lead how media and

932
01:02:00.199 --> 01:02:04.199
messages are delivered brick by brick. Clean it up, yours truly,

933
01:02:04.400 --> 01:02:09.239
DJ Hernandez. The note said authority said. Hernandez was angry

934
01:02:09.280 --> 01:02:11.840
with people he believed were profiting from the death of

935
01:02:11.880 --> 01:02:15.559
his younger brother, Aaron Hernandez, who killed himself in twenty

936
01:02:15.599 --> 01:02:20.000
seventeen while serving death sentence. So what happened to him?

937
01:02:20.599 --> 01:02:24.000
Let's get to the sentencing February seventh of twenty twenty five,

938
01:02:24.159 --> 01:02:27.119
the brother of late New England patriots Tiny and air

939
01:02:27.119 --> 01:02:31.559
And Hernandez was sentenced Friday to eighteen months up prison time,

940
01:02:31.800 --> 01:02:35.559
but he was served to time serve, so he didn't

941
01:02:35.840 --> 01:02:39.559
really stay in prison any longer. Dennis Hernandez, thirty eight,

942
01:02:39.559 --> 01:02:42.920
who went by DJ while playing quarterback at Yukon, was

943
01:02:42.920 --> 01:02:45.840
suffering a severe mental health problem at the time of

944
01:02:45.880 --> 01:02:50.559
the threats in his sense, received treatment and medication, according

945
01:02:50.639 --> 01:02:54.280
to his public defender. Hernandez, who apologized for his action

946
01:02:54.480 --> 01:02:57.800
during brief comments and court, was expected to be released

947
01:02:57.800 --> 01:03:02.119
from custody later that afternoon. The Federal Bureau of Prison

948
01:03:02.119 --> 01:03:04.960
record show he was no longer in custody as of

949
01:03:05.039 --> 01:03:09.559
the evening of this article. State criminal charges in Connecticut

950
01:03:09.599 --> 01:03:14.119
and Florida in other cases, including allegations against ESPN, are

951
01:03:14.119 --> 01:03:17.960
expected to be dismissed because of the federal case, adding

952
01:03:18.000 --> 01:03:23.079
those incidents happen during the same mental health crisis.

953
01:03:23.440 --> 01:03:24.679
So there you have it.

954
01:03:25.079 --> 01:03:27.559
Look, this has been a long series. I wanted to

955
01:03:27.599 --> 01:03:29.760
give the rest of it to you today because I

956
01:03:29.800 --> 01:03:32.880
got some other shit I need to get into other

957
01:03:33.000 --> 01:03:37.320
than Aaron Hernandez. But I hope you enjoyed this Bad

958
01:03:37.440 --> 01:03:40.280
Boys series. Would love to hear your opinions.

959
01:03:40.880 --> 01:03:41.280
Comment.

960
01:03:41.440 --> 01:03:43.960
Y'all know I post this on the Facebook page and

961
01:03:44.000 --> 01:03:48.960
I usually link each episode that I post comment in

962
01:03:49.000 --> 01:03:50.760
there and let me know what you think.

963
01:03:50.840 --> 01:03:55.320
Did CTE play a major role in this? Do you

964
01:03:55.360 --> 01:03:56.360
feel bad.

965
01:03:56.199 --> 01:03:58.920
Because of the CTE to the point that it kind

966
01:03:58.920 --> 01:04:02.599
of excuses the murder of Aden Lloyd. I'd love to

967
01:04:02.639 --> 01:04:05.760
know your opinion because there's a big gray area there

968
01:04:06.760 --> 01:04:09.440
and I just want to know what y'all think, what

969
01:04:09.480 --> 01:04:13.360
my listeners think. Thank you so much for listening. I

970
01:04:13.440 --> 01:04:17.599
got some big check coming up here on Exposed Scandalous

971
01:04:17.599 --> 01:04:20.360
Files of the Elite. I'll see you in a couple

972
01:04:20.400 --> 01:04:23.199
of days when we drop our next episode. And until

973
01:04:23.559 --> 01:04:28.440
next time for Exposed Scandalous Files of the Elite, I'm

974
01:04:28.480 --> 01:04:29.719
your host, Jim Chapman.

975
01:04:30.599 --> 01:04:31.280
Much love,