Former NFL Player Aaron Hernandez Found Guilty of First Degree Murder
Former NFL player for the New England Patriots Aaron Hernandez was found guilty of first degree murder this week and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Hernandez reportedly appeared calm when the verdict was read, and media outlets report that the former NFL player reportedly turned to his mother and fiancé to mouth "it's OK" as he was given life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The 12-person jury found the 25-year-old professional athlete guilty of the first degree murder of friend Odin Lloyd, whose body was reportedly found on June 17, 2013 with bullet holes at an industrial park less than a mile from Hernandez's home in Bristol County, Massachusetts.
During the Hernandez murder trial, Lloyd's mother, Ursula Ward, took the stand to say that she forgave Hernandez for the alleged murder.
"Odin was my only son," Ward reportedly told the court. "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," Ward added.
"I forgive the hands of the people that had a hand in my son's murder, either before or after. And I pray and hope that someday, everyone up there will forgive them also," Ward added.
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