Finally, on Wednesday, after six weeks of deliberation, jurors convicted former New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez of murder in the first degree.
NFL star Aaron Hernandez was found guilty of shooting Odin Lloyd in 2013, according to Huffington Post. Lloyd, who was dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancée, was found shot six times in a park near the former New England Patriots star's home in North Attenborough.
The jury, which was composed of seven women and five men, cited "extreme atrocity and cruelty" as the reason why Aaron Hernandez was found guilty. The jury in Bristol Superior Court took seven days to deliver its decision regarding the athlete's conviction, Boston Globe reported.
The decision is a huge victory for Bristol County District Attorney's Office, particularly lead prosecutor William McCauley. McCauley convinced jurors that Hernandez murdered Lloyd notwithstanding the absence of a murder weapon or witnesses. However, it was a big disappointment for Hernandez's attorneys - James Sultan, Michael Fee and Charlesa Rankin when the decision of first-degree murder was given to their client.
Furthermore, considering all accounts, the 25-year-old NFL star was raised in a loving and stable environment. His parents were involved in his growing up. He was particularly close to his father who supported his athletic abilities. But when he was 16, his father's sudden death devastated him. Thus, the situation set his path that ended in jail.
"These are things that don't have to happen," Dough Sheff said, the attorney of Lloyd's family.
"Hopefully, we can all learn from this experience and perhaps reduce the likelihood of this happening in the future," Sheff added, USA Today quoted.
Meanwhile, shortly after the verdict was announced, Ursula Ward, Lloyd's mother expressed her thoughts about the verdict.
"Odin was my first, best gift I ever received. I thank God every second and every day of my son's life that I spent with him," she said. "I miss my baby boy Odin so much, but I know I'm going to see him someday again, and that is giving me the strength to go on."
Unfortunately, the trial was not Aaron Hernandez's last ordeal. Later this year, the former NFL player will face another murder trial. He was accused in murdering Daniel de Abreu and Safiron Furtado outside Boston nightclub Cure on July 12, 2012.
Hopefully, Aaron Hernandez's team will attempt to reverse the conviction on appeal.
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