Acquitted, Convicted, And Diagnosed: The Shocking Truth Behind Aaron Hernandez And The 2012 Double Homicide

Jan 10, 2026 • minute read

Contents

The legacy of former NFL star Aaron Hernandez remains one of the most complex and tragic stories in modern sports history, a narrative defined by athletic promise, brutal violence, and a devastating posthumous diagnosis. As of today, December 19, 2025, the central question surrounding the 2012 deaths of two men—Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado—has a definitive, though often misunderstood, legal answer.

Contrary to the sensationalism that often surrounds his name, Aaron Hernandez was ultimately acquitted of the first-degree murder charges related to the 2012 drive-by shooting that killed de Abreu and Furtado. This acquittal, delivered in 2017, came while he was already serving a life sentence for a separate crime, adding another layer of confusion and complexity to his already infamous legal record.

Aaron Hernandez: A Full Biography and Timeline of Crime

Aaron Josef Hernandez was born on November 6, 1989, in Bristol, Connecticut. He quickly rose to prominence as a football prodigy, first at Bristol Central High School and later as an All-American tight end at the University of Florida under coach Urban Meyer.

His professional career with the New England Patriots began in 2010. He signed a massive $40 million contract extension in 2012, cementing his status as one of the NFL's rising stars alongside fellow tight end Rob Gronkowski.

However, a dark secret life of violence ran parallel to his success, culminating in a series of arrests and murder charges that shocked the sports world.

Key Biographical and Legal Profile

Full Name: Aaron Josef Hernandez
Born: November 6, 1989 (Bristol, Connecticut)
Died: April 19, 2017 (at age 27, in Shirley, Massachusetts)
College: University of Florida (2007–2009)
NFL Career: New England Patriots (2010–2013)
Fiancée: Shayanna Jenkins (Mother of his daughter, Avielle Janelle Hernandez)
The 2012 Double Homicide Victims: Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado
The 2013 Murder Victim: Odin Lloyd (Convicted)
Cause of Death: Suicide by hanging in his prison cell at Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center.

The Timeline of Violence and Legal Proceedings

July 16, 2012: Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado are killed in a drive-by shooting in Boston's South End following an altercation at a nightclub. Hernandez was later charged with these murders.
June 17, 2013: Odin Lloyd, a semi-professional football player and the boyfriend of Hernandez's fiancée's sister, is found dead near Hernandez's North Attleborough home.
June 26, 2013: Hernandez is arrested and charged with the murder of Odin Lloyd. The New England Patriots release him immediately.
May 2014: Hernandez is indicted on double murder charges for the 2012 homicides of de Abreu and Furtado.
April 15, 2015: Hernandez is convicted of first-degree murder for the killing of Odin Lloyd and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
April 14, 2017: Hernandez is acquitted of the murders of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado.
April 19, 2017: Five days after his acquittal, Aaron Hernandez commits suicide in his cell at the Bristol County Jail.

The Definitive Legal Status of the Double Homicide Case

The most crucial fact for anyone researching the keyword "aaron hernandez killed 2 people" is the outcome of the 2017 trial. The prosecution argued that Hernandez was the gunman in the 2012 drive-by shooting, which they claimed was motivated by a spilled drink and a perceived slight at a Boston nightclub.

Despite the high-profile nature of the case and the defendant's existing murder conviction, the jury ultimately found Hernandez not guilty on all counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado.

The acquittal was a stunning development, even with the defense team, which included prominent attorney Jose Baez, arguing that Hernandez's former friend, Alexander Bradley, was the actual shooter. While Hernandez was acquitted of murder, he was convicted of an illegal possession of a firearm charge related to the incident.

The Posthumous Legal Battle and the CTE Revelation

Hernandez's suicide in 2017 triggered a complex legal aftermath that generated new headlines and dramatically shifted the public perception of his crimes. This is where the most recent legal updates and the concept of "topical authority" come into play.

The Abatement Ab Initio Reversal

Following his death, a Massachusetts judge initially vacated Hernandez's conviction for the murder of Odin Lloyd. This was done under the state's long-standing legal doctrine of *abatement ab initio*, which held that if a defendant dies before their direct appeal is heard, their conviction is voided "from the beginning."

However, the Odin Lloyd family and the prosecution appealed this ruling. In a landmark decision, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court later reinstated the first-degree murder conviction. The court ruled that the archaic *abatement ab initio* doctrine no longer served a public purpose and abandoned it in the Commonwealth. This means that, legally, Aaron Hernandez remains a convicted murderer of Odin Lloyd.

The Devastating CTE Diagnosis

Perhaps the most significant and lasting piece of information to emerge after his death was the diagnosis of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). Hernandez's brain was donated for study to Dr. Ann McKee at Boston University’s CTE Center.

The findings were shocking: Hernandez had Stage 3 out of 4 of the disease, which is typically only seen in much older former players. Furthermore, the CTE was concentrated in the brain's frontal lobe, the area responsible for judgment, impulse control, and decision-making.

The severity of the diagnosis led his family to file a lawsuit against the NFL and helmet manufacturer Riddell, arguing that they failed to adequately warn players about the risks of concussions and repeated head trauma.

While the CTE diagnosis does not legally excuse the violence against Odin Lloyd, Daniel de Abreu, or Safiro Furtado, it offered a powerful, albeit tragic, medical explanation for the dramatic and sudden decline of a young man who had everything to lose.

Conclusion: The Final Verdict on Aaron Hernandez

The final, definitive answer to the question "Did Aaron Hernandez kill two people?" is a legal paradox: He was acquitted of the 2012 double homicide of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado, but his conviction for the 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd was legally reinstated.

His story is now studied as a chilling case study at the intersection of professional sports, criminal justice, and neurobiology. The combination of his restored murder conviction, his double homicide acquittal, and the severe Stage 3 CTE diagnosis ensures that the tragic, complex life of the former New England Patriots star will continue to be debated and analyzed for years to come.

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