Aaron Hernandez Found to Have "Severe" CTE, Brain Scans Released
By Kyle Koster
Researchers at Boston Unversity studying Aaron Hernandez’s brain found the deceased football player had Stage 3 CTE, an attorney for his family and estate announced today.
The university also released a scan of Hernandez’s brain, donated after he hung himself in his jail cell in April. He was serving a life sentence with no possibility of parole for the 2015 murder of Odin Lloyd. The former New England Patriots tight end was found not guilty of a 2012 double murder shortly before his death. Via the Boston Globe:
"Everyone, including and especially his family, is deeply troubled by this whole thing,” said attorney Jose Baez. Baez said Hernandez suffered from advanced Stage 3 CTE and experts at Boston University who had examined his brain said it was the most severe case of CTE they had ever seen in a person his age. Baez said he wished “we may have been able to be a bit more educated on this topic,” saying it could have meant “our client may have been able to understand what was actually happening to him.”"
Baez said he is filing a lawsuit on behalf of Hernandez’ fiancee against the National Football League and New England Patriots for lack of consortium.