WEBVTT - The Aaron Hernandez Story: Part Two 0:00:08.320 --> 0:00:11.680 Welcome back to playing dirty sports scandals. I'm Jay Harris, 0:00:11.680 --> 0:00:15.320 your host and barista extraordinary, serving up the juiciest sports 0:00:15.360 --> 0:00:19.439 scandals you crave. Unfortunately, the tail on tap we started 0:00:19.520 --> 0:00:23.279 last week only becomes more distasteful with a conclusion that 0:00:23.440 --> 0:00:27.520 is so bloody, dark and tragic it's downright painful to digest. 0:00:28.120 --> 0:00:30.200 But hey, it's my job to serve up scandals and 0:00:30.320 --> 0:00:33.479 give you access to the CD side of sports. So 0:00:33.560 --> 0:00:45.360 bottom's up. So far, we've navigated the turbulent blend of 0:00:45.360 --> 0:00:49.200 Aaron hernandez'z early life, starting with his beginnings in Bristol, Connecticut, 0:00:49.560 --> 0:00:52.520 to his rise as a football sensation at the University 0:00:52.520 --> 0:00:56.040 of Florida and then ultimately as a draft pick into 0:00:56.080 --> 0:00:58.840 the NFL by the New England Patriots. I share the 0:00:58.880 --> 0:01:03.040 complexities of Airan's upbringing with you, delving into the adversity 0:01:03.160 --> 0:01:08.000 his family encountered with financial instability and criminality, domestic violence, 0:01:08.080 --> 0:01:11.679 and of course, the sudden loss of his father, Dennis Hernandez. 0:01:12.560 --> 0:01:16.920 Amidst the conflicting backdrop of his athletic triumphs and personal battles, 0:01:17.360 --> 0:01:22.200 it was Aaron's off field behavior characterized by aggression, questionable 0:01:22.200 --> 0:01:27.240 associations and substance abuse that was increasingly stealing headlines and 0:01:27.319 --> 0:01:32.559 looming large over his promising NFL future. What would happen next? 0:01:33.240 --> 0:01:36.680 Aaron Hernandez had entered his professional career like Mentos and 0:01:36.760 --> 0:01:41.720 Asda Caid, ready to explode. How did this happen? Why 0:01:41.760 --> 0:01:45.839 would any NFL team take on such a huge risk? Hmm? 0:01:46.959 --> 0:01:49.400 Remember how I told you about coach Urban Meyer over 0:01:49.440 --> 0:01:52.240 at the University of Florida and his practice of protecting 0:01:52.320 --> 0:01:56.640 Florida Gators' star players at any cost. Well, urban Meyer 0:01:56.720 --> 0:01:59.480 is fast friends with New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick. 0:02:00.080 --> 0:02:02.640 According to The Boston Globe, the two coaches met in 0:02:02.680 --> 0:02:04.920 the winter of two thousand and five and have spent 0:02:05.000 --> 0:02:09.360 time together outside of work routinely ever since, with Belichick 0:02:09.400 --> 0:02:12.520 telling reporters quote, I go back a long way with 0:02:12.680 --> 0:02:15.720 urban Meyer and calling him a great man and a 0:02:15.760 --> 0:02:19.639 great friend. So one could assume that Erban Meyer used 0:02:19.680 --> 0:02:22.920 his friendship currency with Bill Belichick to pull the deal 0:02:22.960 --> 0:02:26.079 over the finish line for Aaron and assuming that urban 0:02:26.160 --> 0:02:29.200 Meyer did vouch for Aaron Hernandez's readiness to turn a 0:02:29.240 --> 0:02:32.000 new leaf in the pros to Bill Belichick, it was 0:02:32.040 --> 0:02:35.200 a touchdown, Urban Meyer could say yet another one of 0:02:35.200 --> 0:02:38.200 his players had gone pro, and Aaron Hernandez had his 0:02:38.400 --> 0:02:42.880 NFL dream realized. Patriots coach Bill Belichick, meanwhile, had signed 0:02:42.919 --> 0:02:45.400 on for a whole lot more trouble than he could 0:02:45.400 --> 0:02:51.040 have ever imagined. Bringing Aaron back to New England, where 0:02:51.080 --> 0:02:55.840 his roots and troubles ran deep, instantly introduced challenges that 0:02:55.919 --> 0:02:59.200 would contribute to the abrupt end of his NFL career 0:02:59.360 --> 0:03:03.840 and ultimate his life. In fact, the potential impact of 0:03:03.919 --> 0:03:09.200 geographical distance on Aaron Hernandez's trajectory was noted by Greg Badard, 0:03:09.320 --> 0:03:14.400 a seasoned football columnist. Badard, who closely followed Aaron's career, speculated, 0:03:14.800 --> 0:03:16.799 I think this story would have turned out a lot 0:03:16.800 --> 0:03:20.880 differently if he's, say, in Seattle or San Francisco, or 0:03:20.919 --> 0:03:25.240 someplace just out of reach of Bristol, Connecticut. And maybe 0:03:25.240 --> 0:03:29.440 Greg Badard is right, because even Dennis Sansusi, Aaron hernandez 0:03:29.600 --> 0:03:33.680 close childhood friend and high school football teammate, expressed deep 0:03:33.800 --> 0:03:37.040 reservations about him moving back north when he heard about 0:03:37.080 --> 0:03:40.160 the Patriots draft him. Going to New England was the 0:03:40.200 --> 0:03:43.120 worst thing the NFL could have done. Sansusie reflected to 0:03:43.160 --> 0:03:46.040 the Boston Globe, the one place you don't send him 0:03:46.080 --> 0:03:50.280 back is where he tried getting away from. So there 0:03:50.320 --> 0:03:53.240 was Aaron Hernandez back close to his old stomping grounds 0:03:53.320 --> 0:03:56.720 at just twenty years old, having become the youngest player 0:03:56.720 --> 0:03:59.720 in the NFL form millions of people. He was now 0:03:59.760 --> 0:04:03.800 a symbol of potential redemption and proof that talent could 0:04:03.840 --> 0:04:07.600 outshine adversity. But the problem with being a symbol is 0:04:07.640 --> 0:04:12.040 that underneath the sheen of front facing glory, the same 0:04:12.080 --> 0:04:16.080 old problem still often exists, just buried deep down away 0:04:16.120 --> 0:04:19.960 from the spotlight. Such was the case for Aaron even 0:04:20.000 --> 0:04:22.320 as he embarked on his rookie season with the Patriots, 0:04:22.800 --> 0:04:25.479 Aaron Hernandez was back in Bristol on his off time, 0:04:25.839 --> 0:04:30.520 again entangled with local criminals, smoking weed and getting into trouble. 0:04:31.160 --> 0:04:33.800 But as long as Patriots coach Bill Belichick didn't know 0:04:34.600 --> 0:04:39.080 well what harm could come of it. Right at first, 0:04:39.480 --> 0:04:42.120 it's safe to assume that Coach Belichick didn't know that 0:04:42.240 --> 0:04:45.960 anything was amiss. After all, Aaron Hernandez was a Titan 0:04:46.120 --> 0:04:49.919 on the field, partnering with Rob Gronkowski, who even to 0:04:50.000 --> 0:04:52.719 this day, is largely regarded as one of the greatest 0:04:52.760 --> 0:04:56.239 tight ends of all time. Aaron quickly became a lynch 0:04:56.320 --> 0:04:59.880 pin in the Patriots strategy, offering the team an offense 0:05:00.200 --> 0:05:04.760 versatility that was both envied and feared across the NFL. 0:05:04.920 --> 0:05:07.920 He recorded forty five receptions and six touchdowns in his 0:05:08.000 --> 0:05:11.359 rookie season, a rare feat for someone so young, to 0:05:11.360 --> 0:05:17.680 say the least. Moving into a second season, Aaron Hernandez 0:05:17.760 --> 0:05:21.120 star continued to rise. He caught seventy nine passes for 0:05:21.200 --> 0:05:25.560 nine hundred ten yards and seven touchdowns, demonstrating an athleticism 0:05:25.560 --> 0:05:30.080 that made him one of quarterback Tom Brady's favorite targets. However, 0:05:30.360 --> 0:05:33.080 as the Patriots marched toward the Super Bowl in Aaron's 0:05:33.120 --> 0:05:37.200 standout twenty eleven season, the rising star gave his team 0:05:37.320 --> 0:05:41.599 and fans a scare. In a pivotal Divisional round playoff 0:05:41.640 --> 0:05:45.480 game against the Broncos, a determined Aaron Hernandez, in an 0:05:45.520 --> 0:05:48.840 effort to score the first rushing touchdown of his NFL career, 0:05:49.440 --> 0:05:53.120 collided with Denver linebacker Joe Mays after advancing only two 0:05:53.200 --> 0:05:56.680 yards of the needed four. The impact left erin with 0:05:56.720 --> 0:06:02.440 a concussion, his second documented brain injury. Despite appearing groggy 0:06:02.480 --> 0:06:05.040 as he walked off the field and receiving medical attention 0:06:05.120 --> 0:06:09.080 on the sidelines. The Patriots classified his concussion as minor. 0:06:09.800 --> 0:06:12.840 As a result, Aaron was in practice the following week, 0:06:13.040 --> 0:06:16.919 though he was listed as limited. Aaron's head injury and 0:06:17.520 --> 0:06:20.400 get on with it approach to recovery happened amid growing 0:06:20.440 --> 0:06:23.880 concerns about players safety in the NFL, as the league 0:06:23.960 --> 0:06:28.560 was grappling with the implications of chronic traumatic encephalopathy or 0:06:28.600 --> 0:06:32.760 CTE following the suicides of former players diagnosed with the condition. 0:06:33.839 --> 0:06:37.160 But the concerns were just rumblings at this point. Remember, 0:06:37.640 --> 0:06:42.119 the NFL didn't formally acknowledge CTE as an organization until 0:06:42.160 --> 0:06:46.719 twenty sixteen. That's five years after this incident with Aaron, 0:06:47.839 --> 0:06:50.040 so without paying too much mind to their young tight 0:06:50.160 --> 0:06:53.679 ends injury, the Patriots continued to train and play hard, 0:06:54.040 --> 0:06:57.039 with Aaron helping lead the team to Super Bowl forty six, 0:06:57.640 --> 0:07:01.200 and though they didn't clinch the championship, Aaron hernandez performance 0:07:01.240 --> 0:07:05.839 on the sport's biggest stage was undeniable. His pivotal contributions 0:07:05.839 --> 0:07:09.520 were recognized in twenty twelve when the Patriots rewarded him 0:07:09.560 --> 0:07:12.920 with a five year contract extension. Worth forty one million 0:07:12.960 --> 0:07:16.920 dollars with a guaranteed twelve and a half million signing bonus. 0:07:17.440 --> 0:07:20.720 At the time, this was the largest bonus ever for 0:07:20.760 --> 0:07:23.960 a tight end. It signaled the Patriots' faith in his 0:07:24.040 --> 0:07:27.320 potential and solidified his status as a key player for 0:07:27.360 --> 0:07:32.240 the franchise's future. It seemed that Aaron was having a 0:07:32.280 --> 0:07:35.040 pinch me moment and that he was well on his 0:07:35.120 --> 0:07:40.760 way to personal fulfillment and professional greatness. He told reporters, quote, 0:07:41.080 --> 0:07:44.240 this place changed me as a person because you can't 0:07:44.280 --> 0:07:47.280 come here and act reckless. I was one of those persons. 0:07:47.560 --> 0:07:49.840 I came here and might have acted the way I 0:07:49.920 --> 0:07:53.640 wanted to act. But you get changed by Bill Belichick's way, 0:07:54.000 --> 0:07:56.840 you get changed by the Patriot way. And now that 0:07:56.920 --> 0:07:59.680 I'm a Patriot, I have to start living like one, 0:08:00.120 --> 0:08:04.520 making the right decisions for them and to the outside world, 0:08:04.600 --> 0:08:07.520 it looked like Aaron was doing just that, living within 0:08:07.600 --> 0:08:11.000 the lines and enjoying the American dream. He bought a 0:08:11.040 --> 0:08:14.400 one point three million dollar mansion in North Attleborough's prestigious 0:08:14.440 --> 0:08:18.160 Westwood Estates and moved into it with his longtime girlfriend, 0:08:18.240 --> 0:08:22.360 Seyanna Jenkins, whom he'd known since elementary school. They welcomed 0:08:22.360 --> 0:08:26.480 a daughter, Avl Hernandez, together, adding another layer to an 0:08:26.600 --> 0:08:31.360 already idyllic picture. Aaron was seemingly cementing his status as 0:08:31.400 --> 0:08:36.079 a fulfilled man living a charmed life. Fatherhood is definitely 0:08:36.080 --> 0:08:40.119 a great experience. She's a beautiful little girl. I am excited, 0:08:40.240 --> 0:08:43.440 Aaron Hernandez told the press, his voice filled with emotion. 0:08:44.040 --> 0:08:49.479 I'm happy, see me smiling. But this seemingly classic successful 0:08:49.520 --> 0:08:54.160 pro athlete's existence concealed a more complex reality. Beyond the 0:08:54.240 --> 0:09:03.280 mansion's walls. Hernandez life was still fraught with contradictions. For 0:09:03.360 --> 0:09:06.839 one thing. Despite becoming engaged to the mother of his child, 0:09:06.880 --> 0:09:11.920 Shanna Jenkins, there was growing speculation that Aaron Hernandez was gay. 0:09:12.559 --> 0:09:15.360 And not only was he gay, according to his high 0:09:15.400 --> 0:09:19.160 school friend and quarterback teammate Dennis Sansusi and his older 0:09:19.160 --> 0:09:24.000 brother Dj Hernandez, but Aaron had terribly conflicted emotions about 0:09:24.040 --> 0:09:28.439 his sexuality, stemming from early childhood sexual abuse and his 0:09:28.480 --> 0:09:33.800 father's enforced machismo. According to CNN, Aaron allegedly shared that 0:09:33.880 --> 0:09:36.600 at just six years old, he was forced to perform 0:09:36.760 --> 0:09:39.560 oral sex by an older boy during a game of 0:09:39.640 --> 0:09:43.080 hide and seek. He never got over this. According to 0:09:43.120 --> 0:09:46.840 his older brother DJ, and When DJ allegedly walked in 0:09:46.920 --> 0:09:49.320 on Aaron in bed with two male friends at a 0:09:49.320 --> 0:09:52.560 bachelor party many years later, he claims that he asked 0:09:52.600 --> 0:09:55.360 Aaron if he was gay, saying, if you are, I 0:09:55.360 --> 0:09:58.640 don't care. I love you. You're my brother. But according 0:09:58.679 --> 0:10:03.040 to DJ, Aaron reacted with sheer fury, screaming, don't you 0:10:03.160 --> 0:10:05.720 ever ask me that again. If you say that again, 0:10:05.800 --> 0:10:12.079 I'll fucking kill you. Dennis and Susie's revelations about their 0:10:12.120 --> 0:10:17.199 time together in high school mirror DJ's story. According to Sansusi, 0:10:17.400 --> 0:10:21.720 he and Aaron Hernandez had an intermittent sexual relationship that 0:10:21.840 --> 0:10:25.319 spanned from middle school through high school. Me and Aaron 0:10:25.360 --> 0:10:28.320 always had a great relationship and bond, but in middle 0:10:28.360 --> 0:10:31.840 school it progressed to just more than friends. We were 0:10:31.960 --> 0:10:34.240 very much into trying to hide what we were doing. 0:10:34.679 --> 0:10:37.600 We didn't want people to know. I was in such 0:10:37.640 --> 0:10:41.760 denial because I was an athlete. Sansusi said, you mean 0:10:41.800 --> 0:10:43.719 to tell me that the quarterback and the tight end 0:10:43.720 --> 0:10:46.880 were gay. He sleeps with other men. No, it doesn't 0:10:46.880 --> 0:10:49.520 sit right with people. It didn't sit right within our 0:10:49.559 --> 0:10:53.560 own stomachs at the time. Sansusi further described his alleged 0:10:53.559 --> 0:10:57.480 relationship with Aaron Hernandez as weird says, both of their 0:10:57.600 --> 0:11:02.040 dads were openly homophobic. After making out, it was like, 0:11:02.480 --> 0:11:06.360 did someone catch us? Did someone know? Dude? If we 0:11:06.400 --> 0:11:10.360 get caught, it's ruined. Our parents are going to disown us. 0:11:10.920 --> 0:11:14.800 We had to hide what we were. Dennis and Susi 0:11:14.840 --> 0:11:17.920 wouldn't come out as gay for many years, and for Aaron, 0:11:18.400 --> 0:11:22.400 this additional layer of duplicity within his own life added 0:11:22.440 --> 0:11:27.720 substantial pressure. He grappled with his personal and professional stresses 0:11:27.760 --> 0:11:32.199 by hitting the nightclubs, where naturally, his associations with questionable 0:11:32.280 --> 0:11:36.800 characters continued unabated. The difference now was that Aaron Hernandez 0:11:36.840 --> 0:11:43.000 had an awful lot of money. It was a recipe 0:11:43.000 --> 0:11:46.920 for disaster, and on the night of July fifteenth, twenty twelve, 0:11:47.040 --> 0:11:50.640 the situation came to a head when Aaron, accompanied by 0:11:50.679 --> 0:11:55.080 his hometown friend and assistant Alexander Bradley, ventured into the 0:11:55.200 --> 0:11:59.880 Cure Lounge in Boston's Theater District. At that same club, 0:12:00.080 --> 0:12:03.240 two immigrants from Cape Verdon, twenty nine year old daniel 0:12:03.280 --> 0:12:06.680 lebru and twenty eight year old Saphiro Fortado were enjoying 0:12:06.760 --> 0:12:11.240 drinks they accidentally knocked into Aaron Hernandez, spilling on the 0:12:11.320 --> 0:12:14.719 volatile NFL Star. Now, most people would wipe off the 0:12:14.800 --> 0:12:16.920 drink and move on with their night, given that the 0:12:16.960 --> 0:12:21.560 dowsing was unintentional, Maybe if someone had already had too 0:12:21.640 --> 0:12:25.760 many drinks and was feeling particularly vile, they might exchange 0:12:25.800 --> 0:12:29.080 angry words and even throw a couple of punches. But 0:12:29.160 --> 0:12:32.320 allegedly Aaron Hernandez waited until le Bru and for Tato 0:12:32.520 --> 0:12:36.400 left the club and followed them hours later. Around two 0:12:36.440 --> 0:12:40.600 thirty am on July sixteenth, twenty twelve, the unwitting friends 0:12:40.640 --> 0:12:43.720 piled into their BMW along with three other men, as 0:12:43.800 --> 0:12:48.120 Aaron continued to trail them in a silver SUV. When 0:12:48.160 --> 0:12:50.920 daniel Lebru and Saphiro Fortado stopped at a red light, 0:12:51.440 --> 0:12:55.040 Aaron Hernandez allegedly pulled up on their car's right side 0:12:55.360 --> 0:12:59.000 and then quote fired a thirty eight caliber revolver multiple 0:12:59.040 --> 0:13:02.320 times from the driver's side of his vehicle into the 0:13:02.360 --> 0:13:08.319 passenger's side of the victim's vehicle. Daniel Lebru and Spiro 0:13:08.360 --> 0:13:11.920 Fortado were each hit several times. A bro died from 0:13:11.960 --> 0:13:14.959 a gunshot wound to the chest, and Fortado died from 0:13:14.960 --> 0:13:18.000 a wound to the head. A third person was wounded 0:13:18.040 --> 0:13:20.560 in the arm, and two others in the car ran 0:13:20.600 --> 0:13:25.920 away without sustaining injuries. This is a shocking account and 0:13:26.040 --> 0:13:28.960 investigators wasted no time trying to get to the bottom 0:13:29.000 --> 0:13:33.679 of what had happened. Boston homicide detectives quickly reviewed surveillance 0:13:33.720 --> 0:13:37.480 footage from the Cure Lounge and noted Aaron Hernandez among 0:13:37.520 --> 0:13:41.959 the clubgoers that night. Initially, his presence was viewed by 0:13:41.960 --> 0:13:46.520 the detectives as coincidental, but their opinion shifted when it 0:13:46.600 --> 0:13:49.960 was revealed that the silver Suv, a loner from a 0:13:50.000 --> 0:13:54.960 car dealership, had been hidden in Robert Valentine's garage. You 0:13:55.120 --> 0:14:01.320 remember Terry Hernandez's maiden name, right, Valentine. Robert Valentine was 0:14:01.400 --> 0:14:06.360 Aaron hernandez uncle. Now the silver Suv used in the 0:14:06.440 --> 0:14:09.920 drive by shooting of daniel lebrou and Safiro Fortado could 0:14:09.920 --> 0:14:13.440 be linked to the troubled tight end. Sadly, for the 0:14:13.480 --> 0:14:17.319 devastated families of a bru In Fortado, the prosecution's case 0:14:17.480 --> 0:14:21.000 was light on forensics and relied heavily on testimony from 0:14:21.040 --> 0:14:26.119 Aaron hernandez friend and assistant Alexander Bradley, who received immunity 0:14:26.160 --> 0:14:30.280 in exchange for taking the stand. Alexander Bradley said he 0:14:30.400 --> 0:14:33.800 was with Aaron Hernandez during the fatal shooting, and since 0:14:33.840 --> 0:14:37.120 the prosecution couldn't prove beyond a reasonable doubt that it 0:14:37.160 --> 0:14:40.240 had been Aaron and not Alexander who pulled the trigger, 0:14:40.920 --> 0:14:45.720 Aaron was acquitted of the double homicide. Chillingly, Aaron had 0:14:45.760 --> 0:14:48.880 gotten a tattoo of a gun similar to the murder weapon, 0:14:49.160 --> 0:14:52.920 with exactly five bullets, the same number of bullets that 0:14:52.920 --> 0:14:57.840 had been fired. That is not random, That is not art. 0:14:58.600 --> 0:15:03.720 That is evidence. Prosecutor Patrick Hagen said, that is a confession. 0:15:07.240 --> 0:15:10.480 The deadly Cure Lounge incident left an indelible mark on 0:15:10.560 --> 0:15:13.840 Aaron Hernandez, and not a good one. While you might 0:15:13.880 --> 0:15:17.080 assume that he'd take such an experience and recognize the 0:15:17.160 --> 0:15:22.400 need to dramatically shift his behavior, you be wrong, dead wrong. 0:15:23.360 --> 0:15:27.480 Aaron instead became even more volatile and unpredictable. Even the 0:15:27.520 --> 0:15:32.960 other Patriots players were increasingly concerned. Brandon Lloyd, a receiver 0:15:33.040 --> 0:15:36.040 for the New England Patriots, shared his observations of Aaron 0:15:36.080 --> 0:15:40.520 hernandez erratic behavior, portraying a man caught between extreme mood 0:15:40.560 --> 0:15:44.760 shifts of aggression and vulnerability. There would be swings where 0:15:44.800 --> 0:15:48.800 he'd be the most hyper masculine, aggressive individual in the room, 0:15:49.240 --> 0:15:53.200 ready to fight somebody in fits of rage. Lloyd recounted, yet, 0:15:53.240 --> 0:15:56.760 in stark contrast, Hernandez could also be the most sensitive 0:15:56.800 --> 0:15:59.840 person in the room, talking about cuddling with his mother. 0:16:01.040 --> 0:16:04.680 Aaron hernandez continuing association with his friends from Bristol was 0:16:04.800 --> 0:16:08.040 definitely a worry for the other Patriots players, who knew 0:16:08.080 --> 0:16:11.680 about their troubling influence and were wary of Aaron's behavior 0:16:11.720 --> 0:16:15.600 in their presence. Dane Fletcher, a linebacker for the Patriots, 0:16:15.920 --> 0:16:20.480 expressed his reservations about Aaron's Bristol entourage setting boundaries for 0:16:20.520 --> 0:16:23.080 a Patriots get together by telling him, Chico, here's the 0:16:23.080 --> 0:16:26.120 one rule. You can bring one of your friends. I 0:16:26.160 --> 0:16:29.080 don't agree with your friends. You can bring one, but 0:16:29.240 --> 0:16:32.800 not any more than that was Dane Fletcher worried about 0:16:32.800 --> 0:16:35.760 what might happen in an altercation if the Patriot pals 0:16:35.760 --> 0:16:39.760 were outnumbered by Aaron's Bristol buddies. It certainly wouldn't have 0:16:39.800 --> 0:16:46.320 been an unreasonable concern. Despite the warning signs pointing to 0:16:46.360 --> 0:16:50.560 Aaron's increasing instability. The Patriots had a lot pinned on 0:16:50.680 --> 0:16:53.800 the broad shoulders of their talented tight end going into 0:16:53.800 --> 0:16:58.000 the twenty twelve NFL season, But for once, Aaron couldn't 0:16:58.040 --> 0:17:01.760 redeem himself on the field. He sustained an ankle injury 0:17:01.760 --> 0:17:05.560 that sidelined him for six games, a significant setback that 0:17:05.720 --> 0:17:08.760 was compounded by a shoulder injury a torn labrum that 0:17:08.800 --> 0:17:11.399 he got promptly on his return to the gridiron in 0:17:11.480 --> 0:17:15.840 a game against the Miami Dolphins. Aaron Hernandez soldiered through 0:17:15.880 --> 0:17:18.320 the pain of the torn labrum in order to participate 0:17:18.359 --> 0:17:21.560 in the season's final six games, which culminated in a 0:17:21.640 --> 0:17:25.840 disappointing loss to Baltimore in the conference championship game. It 0:17:25.960 --> 0:17:29.040 was to be the last game of Aaron Hernandez's short 0:17:29.200 --> 0:17:36.240 but mostly stellar career. That off season for Aaron was 0:17:36.280 --> 0:17:40.600 marked by turmoil. He and his assistant Alexander Bradley, seemingly 0:17:40.720 --> 0:17:44.840 undeterred by their summer escapade and the resultant violent deaths 0:17:44.840 --> 0:17:48.800 of daniel lebru and Saphiro Furtado, revisited the cure lounge. 0:17:49.440 --> 0:17:52.600 Their departure from the venue escalated into a high speed 0:17:52.640 --> 0:17:57.520 pursuit by state troopers, culminating in Alexander Bradley's dui arrest. 0:17:58.240 --> 0:18:02.120 Aaron attempted to use his selectelebrity status to diffuse the situation, 0:18:02.760 --> 0:18:07.640 reportedly saying Trooper, I'm Aaron Hernandez. It's okay this time. However, 0:18:07.760 --> 0:18:11.760 it was anything but okay, and Aaron's fame offered no 0:18:11.920 --> 0:18:16.639 shield against the consequences of their actions. Bradley's dui stuck. 0:18:18.160 --> 0:18:21.639 The bad times continued from there. A subsequent trip to 0:18:21.680 --> 0:18:24.520 Florida for a Super Bowl party hosted by Aaron hernandez 0:18:24.560 --> 0:18:29.280 former teammate Deontay Thompson, only increased the divide between Aaron's 0:18:29.320 --> 0:18:35.520 smiling public image and his private psychological turmoil. Amidst the celebrations, 0:18:35.680 --> 0:18:39.280 Aaron's paranoia surged while at the Miami strip club Tutsis, 0:18:39.400 --> 0:18:43.840 where he suspected the presence of undercover police surveillance. Now 0:18:43.880 --> 0:18:48.199 his paranoia in this instance was not baseless. Alexander Bradley 0:18:48.200 --> 0:18:51.720 would later imply that their shared secret, the double murder 0:18:51.760 --> 0:18:54.840 of daniel Le Brow and Sofira Fertado, might well have 0:18:54.920 --> 0:18:59.680 attracted heightened police attention. That shared secret had also ratcheted 0:18:59.760 --> 0:19:03.840 up the tension between Aaron Hernandez and Alexander Bradley. Now 0:19:03.840 --> 0:19:07.159 I've told you that Alexander Bradley was Aaron's longtime friend 0:19:07.280 --> 0:19:10.399 and acting assistant, but he was a lot more than that. 0:19:11.119 --> 0:19:14.800 Alexander was a dangerous guy in his own right, a 0:19:14.840 --> 0:19:19.040 notorious drug kingpin and self proclaimed drug dealer. He was 0:19:19.119 --> 0:19:22.200 exactly the kind of person the other Patriot players tried 0:19:22.240 --> 0:19:26.120 to avoid engaging with. So when Aaron and Alexander had 0:19:26.119 --> 0:19:29.959 a disagreement, it was just about guaranteed to be bloody. 0:19:31.280 --> 0:19:34.120 That knight at Tutsi's in Miami, when Aaron was already 0:19:34.160 --> 0:19:38.760 worried about undercover police, Alexander apparently commented that the cops 0:19:38.760 --> 0:19:41.719 could be after him for the quote stupid shit he'd 0:19:41.760 --> 0:19:45.320 done in Boston. That remark was all it took to 0:19:45.480 --> 0:19:49.720 light Aaron Hernandez match. Aaron took Alexander to a somewhat 0:19:49.760 --> 0:19:52.879 remote area later that night and allegedly shot him in 0:19:52.880 --> 0:19:57.800 the head. Remarkably, Alexander Bradley survived the shot, but he 0:19:57.920 --> 0:20:01.960 lost his right eye, possibly because he himself didn't have 0:20:02.119 --> 0:20:05.600 great rapport with the police, and possibly because his account 0:20:05.640 --> 0:20:10.240 of events was faulty, Alexander Bradley refused to cooperate with 0:20:10.320 --> 0:20:14.480 the police investigating his shooting. Instead, he decided to try 0:20:14.520 --> 0:20:18.880 and seek revenge against Aaron Hernandez directly. I didn't want 0:20:18.920 --> 0:20:21.280 to talk to the police, Alexander Bradley said, when the 0:20:21.320 --> 0:20:24.879 case finally came to court in March twenty seventeen. I 0:20:25.040 --> 0:20:30.880 wanted mister Hernandez. I wanted his life. As Alexander Bradley recovered, 0:20:30.920 --> 0:20:34.520 albeit with significant injuries, the fallout from that night began 0:20:34.560 --> 0:20:37.760 to unfold, and a confrontation played out through text messages. 0:20:38.720 --> 0:20:42.119 Alexander's messages to Aaron were a blend of threats and 0:20:42.160 --> 0:20:46.880 demands for compensation, reflecting the deep scars left by the incident. 0:20:47.600 --> 0:20:49.720 You left me with one eye and a lot of 0:20:49.760 --> 0:20:53.720 head trauma. You owe for what you did, Alexander texted, 0:20:54.200 --> 0:20:58.199 igniting a furious exchange that saw Aaron desperately trying to 0:20:58.320 --> 0:21:02.400 navigate the threats looming over him. The once inseparable pair 0:21:02.480 --> 0:21:08.520 were now dangerous enemies. In an effort to shield himself 0:21:08.560 --> 0:21:14.000 from Alexander Bradley's relentless intimidation, Aaron Hernandez turned to Ernest 0:21:14.080 --> 0:21:17.520 bo Wallace, a Bristol acquaintance of his with a checkered past, 0:21:17.600 --> 0:21:21.479 for protection. It was clear that Aaron was genuinely worried 0:21:21.480 --> 0:21:25.359 about the threat Alexander posed. In fact, Aaron was so 0:21:25.520 --> 0:21:30.080 worried that he sought guidance from an unlikely confidant, Bill Belichick, 0:21:30.359 --> 0:21:34.240 the new England Patriots head coach. Aaron's approach to Belichick 0:21:34.400 --> 0:21:38.760 was uncharacteristic for an NFL player, signaling the depths of 0:21:38.840 --> 0:21:42.520 his desperation. He viewed Belichick not just as a coach, 0:21:42.840 --> 0:21:45.320 but as a surrogate father figure to whom he could 0:21:45.400 --> 0:21:50.119 safely reveal his fears. Their planned meeting at Gillette Stadium, however, 0:21:50.200 --> 0:21:54.959 fell through, pushing their discussion to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. 0:21:56.280 --> 0:21:59.960 This meeting represented a critical juncture, a moment where Into 0:22:00.800 --> 0:22:05.359 might have redirected Aaron's path. Apparently, Aaron laid bare his 0:22:05.440 --> 0:22:09.280 anxieties to Bill Belichick, expressing fears for his and his 0:22:09.320 --> 0:22:14.240 family's safety and hinting at the tumult beneath his professional facade. 0:22:14.320 --> 0:22:18.879 He allegedly spoke of feeling pursued, even fearing assassination on 0:22:18.920 --> 0:22:22.960 the football field. A startling admission that highlighted his profound 0:22:23.080 --> 0:22:28.879 sense of vulnerability and paranoia. Brian Murphy, Aaron Hernandez agent, 0:22:28.960 --> 0:22:33.160 later testified about the gravity of the situation, recounting how 0:22:33.200 --> 0:22:36.600 Aaron had even pondered a drastic career shift to ensure 0:22:36.640 --> 0:22:40.560 his family's safety. He wanted to talk to Coach Belichick 0:22:40.600 --> 0:22:44.159 about possibly being traded or released so he could go 0:22:44.200 --> 0:22:47.200 play for one of the West Coast teams, Brian Murphy revealed, 0:22:47.880 --> 0:22:52.159 underlining Aaron's desperation for a geographical escape from the threats 0:22:52.160 --> 0:22:55.560 that shadowed him. Of course, many of the threats were 0:22:55.600 --> 0:22:59.000 of his own making, but still, his outreach to Coach 0:22:59.040 --> 0:23:01.359 Belichick seemed like I could cry for help from a 0:23:01.359 --> 0:23:05.200 grown man drowning under the weight of his own bad choices. 0:23:08.560 --> 0:23:12.160 The response from the Patriots, and specifically from Bill Belichick, 0:23:12.200 --> 0:23:16.640 to Aaron hernandez plea for help, raises poignant questions about 0:23:16.680 --> 0:23:22.720 the potential missed opportunities for intervention. Coach Belichick's seeming acknowledgment 0:23:22.760 --> 0:23:26.800 of Aaron's concerns, only to later dismiss them, underscores a 0:23:26.840 --> 0:23:30.560 disconcerting lack of sufficient response to a player clearly in 0:23:30.600 --> 0:23:33.600 turmoil he was a twenty two year old kid who 0:23:33.720 --> 0:23:36.840 was ultimately signed for an enormous amount of money, who 0:23:36.960 --> 0:23:40.280 had known problems, and no one did anything to try 0:23:40.320 --> 0:23:43.400 to address what was going on, said George Leean Tyre, 0:23:43.480 --> 0:23:47.520 one of Aaron hernandez lawyers. But while what Attorney lean 0:23:47.560 --> 0:23:51.200 Tyre said is certainly true, and while there were opportunities 0:23:51.200 --> 0:23:56.080 for others to intervene, ultimately Aaron Hernandez was a grown 0:23:56.160 --> 0:24:01.320 man responsible for his own actions, and those actions were unconscionable. 0:24:03.119 --> 0:24:05.800 The descent of Aaron Hernandez into the abyss of his 0:24:05.920 --> 0:24:09.359 darkest impulses marks a stark departure from the image of 0:24:09.400 --> 0:24:12.679 an NFL star on the rise. With so much attention 0:24:12.800 --> 0:24:17.480 going towards his anxieties around Alexander Bradley's revenge threats, Aaron's 0:24:17.480 --> 0:24:21.880 commitment to football and the discipline it requires began to wane. 0:24:22.080 --> 0:24:26.360 This drew the ire of Coach Belichick. Aaron hernandez flippant 0:24:26.400 --> 0:24:30.280 attitude toward his professional responsibilities, coupled with a hint of 0:24:30.359 --> 0:24:35.560 mockery towards Coach Belichick's reprimands, suggested a man increasingly detached 0:24:35.560 --> 0:24:40.800 from the ramifications of his actions. Rolling Stone exclusively reported 0:24:40.840 --> 0:24:43.080 that friends of Aaron Hernandez said he was using the 0:24:43.160 --> 0:24:47.080 maniacal drug angel dust or PCP by this time and 0:24:47.280 --> 0:24:51.720 was carrying a gun wherever he went. According to the magazine, 0:24:52.040 --> 0:24:54.840 sources close to the tight End added that throughout the spring, 0:24:55.200 --> 0:24:57.879 when players were expected to be preparing themselves for the 0:24:57.920 --> 0:25:02.640 marathon NFL season, Aaron Hernandez had missed workouts and sessions 0:25:02.640 --> 0:25:05.320 with a rehab trainer, and had been told by his 0:25:05.400 --> 0:25:08.880 head coach Bill Belichick that he was one misstep from 0:25:08.920 --> 0:25:13.320 being cut. Apparently, Aaron also blew off sessions with his 0:25:13.480 --> 0:25:17.119 therapist Alex Guerrero and stood up Tom Brady, who was 0:25:17.200 --> 0:25:20.760 running a camp for Patriots receivers. And while he was 0:25:20.800 --> 0:25:25.000 sinking his relationships with the Patriots, Aaron was revving up 0:25:25.000 --> 0:25:29.200 his associations with guys like Ernest bo Wallace and Carlos Ortiz, 0:25:29.400 --> 0:25:32.879 both of whom had troubling pasts and were living listlessly 0:25:33.000 --> 0:25:36.840 under the roof of Aaron's cousin, Tanya Singleton. These were 0:25:36.880 --> 0:25:39.560 men who had never found their way, and sure enough 0:25:40.119 --> 0:25:43.280 they were dragging Aaron Hernandez deeper and deeper into a 0:25:43.320 --> 0:25:47.359 life of crime. Odin Lloyd A twenty seven year old 0:25:47.400 --> 0:25:51.000 semi pro football player for the Boston Bandits had recently 0:25:51.040 --> 0:25:54.919 become an integral part of Aaron Hernandez's life. Alongside Ernest 0:25:54.960 --> 0:25:59.800 bo Wallace and Carlos Ortiz. Odin shared Aaron's interests in 0:25:59.800 --> 0:26:04.520 a busy nightlife, video games, and marijuana. Plus he was 0:26:04.600 --> 0:26:09.320 dating Aaron's fiance's sister, Shania Jenkins, further tying them together. 0:26:10.040 --> 0:26:13.080 Their camaraderie, however, took a fatal turn in the early 0:26:13.119 --> 0:26:17.679 hours of June fifteenth, twenty thirteen. After spending an evening together, 0:26:18.200 --> 0:26:23.840 something about Odin Lloyd's actions incited Aaron Hernandez, now infamous wrath. 0:26:24.640 --> 0:26:27.679 Did Odin become aware of Aaron's homosexuality and threaten to 0:26:27.680 --> 0:26:31.040 out him. Did Aaron see Odin talking with men whom 0:26:31.040 --> 0:26:36.120 Aaron had had earlier altercations with and feel betrayed. Nobody 0:26:36.160 --> 0:26:39.040 knows for sure, but whatever went down on June fifteenth, 0:26:39.560 --> 0:26:45.560 this much is clear. Odin Lloyd's fate was sealed. Even 0:26:45.560 --> 0:26:48.439 as he celebrated his first Father's Day as a dad 0:26:48.520 --> 0:26:52.120 with his own little daughter, Aviel. On June sixteenth, twenty thirteen, 0:26:52.880 --> 0:26:56.800 Aaron Hernandez was orchestrating a deadly meet up with Odin Lloyd. 0:26:57.720 --> 0:27:01.520 Aaron texted Odin under the pretense of continued friendship and 0:27:01.600 --> 0:27:05.000