Aaron Hernandez, a former NFL player who was convicted of murder, wrote a chilling note to his fiancée that was found in his prison cell after he died by suicide in 2017.
In this note, Hernandez cryptically stated,
“I told you what was coming indirectly!” and added a comment saying “(YOURE RICH),” possibly referencing financial matters related to his death.
These details emerged from a legal filing in Bristol County Superior Court, Massachusetts, where prosecutors included parts of the handwritten suicide note.
Investigators discovered three notes in his cell when Hernandez was found hanged.
The content of these notes has been subject to much scrutiny and speculation, as they could provide insight into his state of mind and motivations at the time.
State prosecutors are attempting to use Aaron Hernandez’s handwritten suicide note to argue against vacating his murder conviction after his death.
They contend that vacating the conviction would effectively “reward the defendant’s conscious, deliberate and voluntary act,” as stated in a court filing.
The note itself is primarily a personal letter expressing love for his fiancée, Shayanna Jenkins-Hernandez, and includes a reference to the Savage Garden song “I Knew I Loved You.”
Despite the letter’s affectionate tone, prosecutors argue that its existence supports their case to maintain the conviction, emphasizing that Hernandez’s actions should not result in the legal erasure of his crime.
“Tell my story fully but never think anything besides how much I love you,” Hernandez wrote in the note. “This was the Supremes, the Almightys plan, not mine!”
The attorney for the Hernandez family issued a statement Friday calling the release of the note “unnecessary.”
The statement from Jose Baez said,
“Instead of protecting victims, they are punishing and torturing the Hernandez family who need to grieve.”
The court filing also includes details from interviews with fellow inmates of Aaron Hernandez. One of these inmates mentioned that Hernandez had recently spoken about a “rumor.”
While the filing does not specify the nature of this rumor, it adds another layer to the circumstances surrounding Hernandez’s death and his state of mind in the days leading up to it.
These interviews, along with the content of his suicide notes, form part of the evidence that prosecutors are using to argue against vacating his murder conviction.
“This rumor was that if an inmate has an open appeal on his case and dies in prison, he is acquitted of his charge and will be deemed not guilty,” the interview report states.
Abatement
Massachusetts is among the states that recognize the legal principle of “abatement ab initio,” a rule that nullifies a defendant’s conviction if they die before their appeal is heard.
Under this doctrine, the conviction is essentially erased, as if it never happened.
This principle is based on the idea that a defendant should have the right to a complete review of their conviction, and if they die before the process is completed, the conviction is abated.
In Aaron Hernandez’s case, his legal team initially sought to have his murder conviction vacated under this rule after his death.
Aaron Hernandez was serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole for the June 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd when he died by suicide on April 19, 2017. At the time of his death, a trial date for his appeal had not yet been set.
Hernandez’s attorneys requested the Bristol County Superior Court to vacate his conviction under the legal doctrine of “abatement ab initio,” which is generally granted automatically when a defendant dies before their appeal is heard, according to legal experts.
If the conviction were vacated, it could complicate the civil lawsuit filed by Odin Lloyd’s family against Hernandez’s estate, as a vacated conviction might impact their ability to claim damages.
However, state prosecutors filed a motion opposing this abatement. They argued that the principle of abatement lacks any substantial historical or legal foundation.
Additionally, they asserted that Hernandez’s death effectively fulfilled his life sentence, thus negating the need for vacating the conviction.
This argument highlights the legal complexities and potential consequences of applying abatement in such cases.
“A defendant, who can cut off his own criminal appeal by suicide and stall civil litigation by a stay of proceedings and then prevent application of collateral estoppel, has the reins of the entire justice system in his own hands,” prosecutors wrote.
Conversations With Inmates
The filing includes interviews with fellow inmates who shared their reactions to Aaron Hernandez’s suicide.
According to the report, inmates who claimed to be “close” to Hernandez noted a noticeable change in his demeanor in the days following his acquittal on double murder charges.
They described him as being “positive and even happily emotional,” a mood that was not typical for him.
This unusual behaviour contrasts with the tragic outcome that followed, raising questions about his mental state leading up to his death and providing a broader context for the legal arguments against vacating his murder conviction.
Inmates who described themselves as being “tight” or “real close” with Aaron Hernandez observed that he had become more spiritual during his time in prison.
According to the report, these inmates felt that his suicide might have been intended as some sort of religious message.
The report also notes that one inmate recalled Hernandez visiting his door before lock-in and saying, “remember when you die your soul gets reincarnated.”
This statement suggests that Hernandez may have been contemplating spiritual or philosophical beliefs about life, death, and the afterlife, which might have influenced his decision to take his own life.
These insights are part of the broader context presented in the legal filings as prosecutors argue against vacating his murder conviction.
“He was a very spiritual guy who was always quoting the Bible,” one source who claimed to be one of Hernandez’s closest friends said. “Since Friday’s verdict he had been talking about the NFL and going back to play even if it wasn’t with the Pats.”
