The rise and fall of Aaron Hernandez and the murder of Odin Lloyd are depicted in American sports history. American Sports History: Aaron Hernandez examines one of the Scary true stories off the field from the history of the National Football League. American sports history will be the first dramatized series following the Netflix documentary series to tell the true crime story of Aaron Hernandez and the murder of Odin Lloyd Killer inside. Created by Stuart Zicherman (The Americans) and executive producer is Ryan Murphy, American sports history will consist of 10 episodes. Josh Andrés Rivera leads the cast of American sports history as Aaron Hernandez.

Hernandez grew up in Bristol, Connecticut, where he quickly became a sports star. He later played football at the University of Florida, where he helped the Gators win the BCS National Championship alongside Tim Tebow and head coach Urban Meyer. Hernandez was drafted in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots and played three seasons with the Patriots. Hernandez played in Super Bowl XLVI against the New York Giants alongside NFL legends Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski before being released by the Patriots in 2013 after being arrested and convicted of first-degree murder.

Aaron Hernandez murdered Odin Lloyd on June 17, 2013

Based on Hernandez’s 2015 first-degree murder conviction, the jury found that Hernandez murdered Odin Lloyd on June 17, 2013, just two months before the Patriots offered him a five-year, $40 million contract. Lloyd was the boyfriend of Shaneah Jenkins, the sister of Shayanna Jenkins, the girlfriend of Aaron Hernandez and the mother of his child. Lloyd’s body was found in a remote industrial area in North Attleborough, Massachusettsnot far from a wealthy community where Hernandez had lived in a mansion. Lloyd had been executed and shot six times.

The motive for the crime was not determined during the murder trial and remains unclear to this day. There is speculation that Hernandez killed Lloyd after Lloyd found out Hernandez was gay. Hernandez never publicly commented on his sexuality, but several people close to him, including a male childhood friend and a former teammate, claim to have had sexual relations with Hernandez. Two of Hernandez’s friends, Carlos Ortiz and Ernest Wallace, were with Hernandez and witnessed the murder. They were charged with aiding and abetting Lloyd’s murder and sentenced to 4.5–7 years in prison.

Aaron Hernandez was arrested on June 23, 2013 for first degree murder

It didn’t take long for Hernandez to be charged and arrested for the murder of Odin Lloyd, as there was plenty of circumstantial evidence pointing to his direct involvement and ultimate guilt. First, Hernandez was the only person in the area who knew Lloyd, a very wealthy community where murders and other serious crimes are rare. Hernadez, 23, pleaded not guilty to the murder charge but was not released on bail because the evidence against him was so strong. He was also involved in a double murder that took place in Boston’s theater district, although he was ultimately found not guilty on both counts in a 2017 trial.

The murder trial against Odin Lloyd began on January 29, 2015

Hernandez was held in the Bristol County Jail in North Dartmouth, MA while awaiting trial, which began on January 29, 2015 in Fall River, MA. Prosecutors built a strong case against Hernandez, starting with the fact that his DNA was found at the scene of Odin Lloyd’s murder. They also presented evidence, namely bullet casings found at the crime scene that matched those found in Hernandez’s rental car, which he was driving the night of Lloyd’s murder. Hernandez’s defense attorney surprisingly admitted that his defendant had been at the crime scene, claimed that Aaron was a helpless witness to Lloyd’s murder, and pinned the crime on Ortiz and Wallace.

Aaron Hernandez was convicted on April 15, 2015 and sentenced to life imprisonment

Hernandez was convicted of the murder of Odin Lloyd on April 15, 2015, and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He was transferred from the Bristol County Jail to the maximum security Massachusetts Correctional Institution – Cedar Junction in Walpole, MA before serving the remainder of his life sentence at the maximum security Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center, located adjacent to the medium security Massachusetts Correctional Institution – Shirley in Shirley, MA. Prominent attorney Jose Baez, who famously defended Casey Anthony, successfully defended Hernandez in the 2017 double murder case and was preparing to represent Hernandez’s appeal in the Lloyd murder case.

Aaron Hernandez dies in prison on April 19, 2017

Just five days after a jury found him not guilty in the 2012 double murder of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado, Hernandez was found dead in his prison cell by a corrections officer. Hernandez had hanged himself with bedsheets and was pronounced dead at 4:07 a.m. at UMass Memorial Hospital in Leominster, MA. In the days leading up to his death, he had smoked a large amount of synthetic marijuana called K2. Hernandez did not leave a farewell letter, but wrote “John 3:16” on his forehead in reference to the Bible versethat his former Gators teammate Tim Tebow often wrote black on his eyes at football games. Hernandez became increasingly religious during his time in prison.

Aaron Hernandez’s murder conviction will be overturned on May 9, 2017

Due to an old Massachusetts legal principle known as abatement, Hernandez’s murder conviction was overturned on May 9, 2017, because he died while his case was technically still open due to his appeal. While this law may seem to have little to no impact on Hernandez at first glance, it greatly affects those close to the victims and may prevent them from seeking compensation. In the case of Odin Lloyd the mitigation law overturned all convictions and charges against Hernandezwhich opened the door for Hernandez’s family to seek compensation for Hernandez’s unfulfilled contract with the New England Patriots.

Aaron Hernandez’s murder conviction will be reinstated on March 13, 2019

In 2019, Aaron Hernandez’s conviction for the murder of Odin Lloyd was reinstated by the Massachusetts Supreme Court, ultimately ending the outdated legal rule known as “Reduction from the start” or reduction. The Massachusetts court ruled that the principle “outdated and no longer in keeping with the circumstances of today’s life, if it ever was.” (via CNN).

The Lloyd family released a statement saying: “This decision has helped the family tremendously in coping with the terrible loss of their beloved Odin. He was an inspiration to all who knew him and a devoted member of his family and the entire community..” Hernandez’s trial and more are examined in American sports history.

Source: ESPN, NPR, CNN, Killer Inside