This week for the True Crime Wednesday feature, I am recapping and breaking down the first episode of the Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez series on Netflix. I will recap all the episode information first, followed by my opinion and impressions. Due to how disjointed the narrative is of this series, I am going to group the information by topics instead of in the order as information is obtained in the episode.
Episode 1
Incident Date: June 17, 2013
- Location: North Attleboro, Massachusetts
- Victim: Odin Lloyd
- Suspect(s)/Defendant(s): Aaron Hernandez, Carlos Ortiz, Ernest Wallace, Shayanna Jenkins, Tanya Singleton
- Charges: first-degree murder, carrying a firearm without a license, possessing a large-capacity firearm, possessing a firearm without a firearm identification card, accessory to murder, perjury
Incident Date: July 16, 2012
- Location: Boston, Massachusetts
- Victims: Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado
- Suspect: Aaron Hernandez, Shayanna Jenkins, Tanya Singleton
- Charges: first-degree murder, armed assault with intent to murder, assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm, perjury, criminal contempt of court, intimidation of a witness
Childhood & Family Life
Some may have this perception that Aaron Hernandez grew up in a tough place with street gangs and drugs everywhere. However, that could not be further from the truth. Aaron attended Bristol High School, a typical American high school, where kids then head off to some of the best colleges in America. Aaron is described by childhood friends as kind, funny, and enjoyed making fun of himself for a chuckle. Aaron’s father Dennis was strict and pushed his children to work hard at both school and athletics. The family was known as a sports family as well as one not to mess with. Dennis had issues with alcohol, as well as a violent temper. Tanya Singleton was one of the closest people to Aaron. They were cousins, who grew up together and had a complicated relationship.
One of Aaron’s childhood friends that he also played football with claims to have had an on-and-off relationship with Aaron from 7th grade to 11th grade. This friend also claimed that he was one of many people that Aaron had been sexually involved with. Aaron was terrified of his father finding out. There had been a time when Aaron wanted to be a cheerleader like his female cousins and Dennis put a stop to that quickly. Aaron had made comments to friends that he had to be on another level of good behavior around his father.
When Aaron was 16 years old, his father died during a routine hernia surgery. Friends and members of the community were shocked when they heard about Dennis’ death. It was at this point that Aaron changed. His childhood friends believe that he never really moved passed his father dying. After Dennis died, Aaron learned that his mother had been having an affair with his cousin Tanya’s husband. Aaron began to spend his time at Tanya’s house, eventually moving in with her when her ex-husband moved in with Aaron’s mom. It was at Tanya’s house that Aaron would meet the unsavory characters he would seek out for years following Dennis’ death.
Football
People could see early on that it did not matter what sport Aaron chose, he was going to shine at it. Dennis was a star athlete, playing college football at UConn. Aaron was a talented football player, winning state player of the year. The kids had learned early on not to come off the field, and play hurt. At one game Aaron was knocked out cold and had to be carried off by EMTs. Aaron was offered a scholarship to UConn at the age of 14. Aaron’s older brother, DJ, was a quarterback at the school already. Aaron was drafted in 2010 to the New England Patriots. The year before his arrest Aaron had signed a 5-year, $40 million contract extension with the team.
After Aaron was arrested the New England Patriots dismissed him from the team. There were questions about whether they had seen it coming. Bill Belichick, Head Coach of the Patriots, even made a statement during a press conference discussing what they look at when considering a draft prospect. The media pressed other Patriot players with questions which they did their best to politely answer while making it known they were asked not to speak on an ongoing investigation. As pictures of Aaron being led out of his house in cuffs circulated, people were posing that way while taking pictures at Gillette Stadium in the following days. It was a pop culture phenomenon known as “Hernandezing.”
Crimes
On June 17, 2013, a jogger came across a body in an industrial park less than a mile from Aaron’s home. Police were able to identify the man as Odin Lloyd, and quickly determined they were investigating a homicide. The investigation led to the police questioning Aaron about a car that had been rented in his name. As the investigation continued an arrest warrant was issued for Aaron, he was 23 years old when they were arrested at his home for the murder of Odin Lloyd. While in custody awaiting trial, evidence was uncovered that would lead to another indictment, this time for double homicide. The Odin Lloyd murder trial began on January 29, 2015. The prosecution presented the evidence they believed proved that Aaron had committed the murder.
Aaron had texted Odin at 9:05 p.m. on June 16, saying that he was coming to pick him up. Prosecutors believe that Aaron conspired with his two friends Carlos Ortiz and Ernest Wallace to kill Odin Lloyd. Security camera footage from around Odin’s house showed him getting into a silver vehicle that had 3 individuals in it at 2:30 a.m. on the 17th. Odin must have sensed that something wasn’t right, since he texted his sister three times between 3:07 a.m. and 3:23 a.m. His messages were as follows: “Do you know who I’m with?”, “NFL”, “Just so you know”. There is security footage that shows the silver vehicle traveling from Odin’s house to North Attleboro. The only people Odin knew in North Attleboro were Aaron and his fiancée, Shayanna Jenkins. Security cameras catch the silver driving back to the secluded spot in the industrial park then leaving it for four minutes. Prosecutors say in those four minutes Aaron shot Odin six times.
Aaron’s own security camera footage was used to show that in the exact time it would take to drive from the industrial park to his home, he arrived back at his house. It also showed him walking around inside his house with an object that looked like a handgun. Prosecutors believe that Carlos and Ernest went directly to Tanya’s house in Bristol. When police were investigating Odin’s murder and what they believe happened immediately after, they searched Tanya’s house. That is where police found a silver SUV that Boston police had been looking for in connection to the double murder of Daniel Abreu and Safrio Furtado. The SUV was covered in cobwebs and had not been moved in a year. They loaded up on a flatbed to take in to be inspected for potential gunshot residue.
Jail
Aaron was not the typical inmate at the Bristol County House of Corrections. When he was brought in, he was informed that he wasn’t going to be treated any differently than the other inmates. Aaron had gone from a 7100 sqft to a 7-by-10ft cell, adjusting rather quickly to his new situation. Aaron was allowed out of his cell twice a day. Once in the morning for showers and phone and once in the afternoon for an hour of rec time. For his rec time, he spent it in an 8-vy-12ft cage and would often comment that he was not in jail, he was in training camp. He would compartmentalize to deal with the situation. In the special management unit that Aaron was in only one inmate was allowed out at a time. And while his jailers went out of their way to make sure he was safe from others they never thought they would have to protect others from him. However, there were incidents where Aaron would get aggressive and violent with other inmates.
Odin Lloyd
Odin Lloyd was 27 years old when he was murdered. He had been born in the US Virgin Islands and had moved to Boston with his family at the age of 3. He was living in the Dorchester section of Boston with his mother and two sisters. Odin was close with his sister Olivia, who described him as a protector, and a provider. His friends used the word brother to describe him. In the Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan areas view Odin as their celebrity because of his skills on the semi-pro team. Odin is described by his then-girlfriend, Shaneah Jenkins, as a gentleman.
Shayanna Jenkins
Shayanna Jenkins is the sister of Shaneah. They had grown up in a single-parent household in Boston. However, they became estranged when Aaron was arrested for Odin’s murder. Shayanna had an undying loyalty to Aaron that members of the press observed during the trial. You would see Shayanna sitting on the left side of the courtroom with Aaron’s family and Shaneah was on the right with Odin’s family. During the trial, the prosecution showed security footage from Aaron’s house showing Shayanna taking a garbage bag out of the house with what looked like a rigid gun safe in it. When questioned about where she disposed of the garbage bag, her vague answers led people to question if she really forgot or if she was doing it on purpose. Press members did not find her to be credible when testifying.
People Interviewed
These are all the people interviewed, who had a sound bite credited to them, or an image credited in this episode. They are listed in order of their credited appearance:
- Shayanna Jenkins, Aaron’s fiancée
- Kevin Armstrong, Journalist
- Maria Cramer, Report – Boston Globe
- Dan Wetzel, Author/Sportwriter – Yahoo Sports
- Thomas Hodgson, Sheriff of Bristol County
- Terri Hernandez, Aaron’s mother
- William Camara, Bristol County Jail Guard
- Bill Belichick, Head Coach – New England Patriots
- Stephen Ziogas, Lifelong friend of Aaron Hernandez
- Kristen St. John, Childhood friend/neighbor
- Dennis Sansoucie, Aaron’s High School Quarterback
- Dennis Hernandez, Father of Aaron Hernandez
- Tim Sansoucie, Father of Dennis Sansoucie
- Jonathan “DJ” Hernandez, Aaron’s Brother
- Tanya Singleton, Aaron’s cousin
- Tom Brady, Quarterback/Team Captain – New England Patriot
- Tim Tebow, New England Patriots (former player credited as they were in the episode)
- Dante Patterson, Friend of Odin Lloyd
- Leigh Bodden, Former Teammate – New England Patriots
- Susan Candiotti, Former CNN Investigative Reporter
- Patrick Bomberg, Bristol County Assistant District Attorney
- Mike Massey, Friend & Teammate of Odin Lloyd
- Olivia Thibou, Odin Lloyd’s sister
- Shaneah Jenkins, Girlfriend of Odin Lloyd
- Ryan O’Callaghan, Former Offensive Tackle – New England Patriots
- Jennifer “Gina” Mercado, sister of Tanya Singleton
- Patrick Haggan, Suffolk County Assistant District Attorney
I have a lot of mixed emotions about this episode. I was uncomfortable with people discussing a person’s sexual orientation without them being able to respond to other’s comments. However, I understand that he grew up in a very homophobic environment and that leads to a lot of stigma and emotional pain. Something I did not address above was Ryan O’Callaghan’s comments on football, sexual orientation, and masculinity. Ryan addressed the fact that he played football as a cover because somehow there is this notion that gay men cannot or will not play football. That is a toxic trope that needs to go away. A person’s sexual orientation has nothing to do with their ability to play and compete in sports. It has no bearing on their ability to perform any task for a matter of fact. Let me be clear about my feelings here. A person’s sexual orientation, race, gender, gender identity, and other such things have no bearing on a person’s ability to do anything. We need to stop this toxic thinking; it is the only way for us as a society to move forward.
Tomorrow for the Writing Thursday feature, I am presenting an original scene. Next week for the Missing Person Wednesday feature, I am highlighting the Doe Network profile of Terry Bernard Smith. Until then keep sleuthing the cases; Nerd out!
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