NFL Star Found Guilty of Murder: New England Patriots Star Aaron Hernandez Convicted of 1st Degree Murder, Gets Life Without Parole

By Ashwin Subramania - 16 Apr '15 09:33AM

Former New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole after being convicted for first degree murder.

The jury made its landmark judgement on Wednesday signifying a new low for the former NFL player who at one point, enjoyed a $40 million contract while playing for one of the country's most esteemed sporting franchises.

Hernandez has been found guilty of killing Odin Lloyd by firing 6 shots at the man not far from the player's home. While being transported to a state prison after the verdict, Hernandez said, "They got it wrong. I didn't do it."

Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn said at a news conference outside the courthouse "Aaron Hernandez may have been a well-known New England Patriots football player. However, in the end, the jury found that he was just a man who committed a brutal murder. The fact that he was a professional athlete meant nothing in the end."

While the government argued the killing was premeditated, the jury wasn't fully convinced.

Juror Jon Carlson said, "I don't think that it indicates there wasn't premeditation, I just think it means we couldn't unanimously conclude that there was evidence of premeditation. However, we all agreed that there was evidence of extreme atrocity or cruelty."

Speaking about the verdict, Lloyd's mother Ursula Ward told the court "Odin was my only son. Odin was the man of the house. Odin was his sisters' keeper. After my daughter Olivia had her daughter, Odin became her keeper too."

"I thank God every second for every day I spent with my son. The day I laid my son Odin to rest, I think my heart stopped beating for a moment. I felt like I wanted to go in that hole with my son Odin."

Hernandez will also stand trial for a separate double murder charge later this year. The player stands accused of shooting and killing Safiro Furtado and Daniel de Abreu in their car following an altercation in a night club in 2012.