Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez is an explosive three-part docuseries that revisits the Aaron Hernandez case, looking back at his childhood, rise to fame in the NFL, and his troubled double life. While the docuseries made a ton of revelations about Hernandez’s life and career and revealed some potential motivations behind the crimes for which he was convicted, some questions still remain.
Now, almost three years after his death, to what questions do we still need answers?
Does His Mom Think He’s Guilty?
It was clear from the docuseries that there was a lot of friction between Hernandez and his mother. He blamed her for his issues in many phone calls from prison and expressed his inability to open up to her.
We didn’t hear much from his mother in the docuseries, and it’s unclear if she truly believes her son was innocent of any or all of the crimes. Does she think he’s guilty? We don’t really know what she’s thinking. But, whatever the case, the relationship between mother and son was definitely strained.
Will The Sisters Ever Talk Again?
Shayanna Jenkins and her sister Shaneah became estranged after Odin Lloyd was murdered. Lloyd was Shaneah’s boyfriend at the time, and the four were supposedly all friends. In fact, Hernandez and Lloyd seemed to have a lot in common and got along well.
Have the sisters mended fences over the last few years, or is there no coming back from this? It’s clear that Shayanna chose her fiancé over her sister, so it’s sadly possible that these two might remain estranged for good.
What Has His Fiance Told His Daughter About Him?
Just 5 years old when Hernandez was going through his trial and committed suicide, his daughter Avielle was often seen in photos sitting with her mother in the courthouse and crying or clearly upset. Today, she is now seven and has a little sister; Shayanna Jenkins gave birth to a second baby girl (father unknown) in the summer of 2018.
“I couldn’t be a luckier woman to have such a perfect little girl that’s prepared to become the best big sister,” Jenkins posted online when she publicly revealed her pregnancy.
Has The NFL Made Changes Because of The Situation?
Many people wonder why the NFL did some of the things it did during Hernandez’s time with them. Most notably was their agreement to help Hernandez get a second home when he said he was concerned for his family’s safety. Instead of accepting his desire to be traded to get away from this potential danger, they helped him find an apartment as an extra security measure.
Tim SanSoucie, father of Hernandez’s childhood friend Dennis, questioned why the NFL was helping him get this apartment. “Did you think he was going to be painting Bob Ross pictures over there?” he asked sarcastically in the docuseries.
Was He Really Gay?
One of the most puzzling revelations in the docuseries was that Hernandez was secretly gay, or bisexual, and uncomfortable with revealing this publicly. His alleged male friend/lover in high school, Dennis SanSoucie, discussed their alleged sexual relationship in detail in the docuseries. It was also reported that Hernandez may have had a prison boyfriend.
Several sources believe that Hernandez might have been so upset with Odin Lloyd—enough to kill him—because Lloyd discovered the truth and Hernandez feared he would reveal it. Since Hernandez’s death, several NFL players have come out as homosexual, helping to erase the stigma around it within the organization.
Does The Investigative Journalist Who “Outed” Him Feel Guilty?
Just a few days prior to Hernandez’s suicide, investigative journalist Michele McPhee appeared on “The Kirk & Callahan Show,” a Boston sports radio show, where they discussed potential rumors about Hernandez’s sexuality that she had been looking into.
The three went on to use crude NFL metaphors to suggest that Hernandez was homosexual. Was this radio interview the last straw for Hernandez that pushed him over the edge? Did he even hear it or hear about it? Either way, do McPhee and the two radio hosts, Kirk Minihane and Gerry Callahan, feel guilty at all about what they said and how they said it?
Was His Football Contract Still Valid?
The docuseries noted that even if Hernandez’s fiancé wanted to fight for his NFL contract money, and, even if the contract was still valid, she likely would never see it. It would cost far too much in a legal battle to try and get it. And, in the end, she might not win anyway.
Since Hernandez’s contract was severed as soon as he was arrested, and his second conviction was reinstated after an archaic law called abatement ab initio that vacates convictions upon death was changed, he is still technically guilty. While a suit against the NFL regarding Hernandez’s CTE could be possible, the reality is that the New England Patriots will probably never have to pay a dime to his family.
Did His Fiance Help Him To Cover Up The Murders?
Video surveillance was shown during the trial of Jenkins taking a large box outside and disposing of it, which she admits to doing. Many believe this was the hidden gun from the murder that Hernandez asked her to get rid of.
Did she simply do as he asked and not ask questions? Or did she know what transpired and was so fiercely loyal to him that she helped him cover it up? Fans are torn about the woman, with some feeling she deserves credit for standing by her man while others chastise her for picking her fiancé over her own sister and potentially being an accessory to murder.
Will His Fiance Get Any Money?
While many believe that Hernandez’s motivation for suicide was to have his conviction overturned thanks to an archaic law so his fiancé and child would get his NFL contract money, they probably won’t.
Not only did Hernandez’s contract become null and void immediately after his arrest (not his initial conviction), but that old law was changed following his death, and his conviction posthumously reinstated. There are other lawsuits that could be filed, including those relating to Hernandez having chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). But, again, it’s unlikely the family will get anything.
Why Did He Commit Suicide?
There are so many questions remaining about the suicide. Why did he do it? Speculation ranges from his belief that his family would get money and he was worth more to them dead than alive to his discomfort about his sexuality and people finding out about it.
Others believe the suicide was related to drug use and CTE, from which it was discovered he was suffering when they studied his brain. Symptoms of CTE can include behavioral and mood problems as well as issues with thinking clearly. Hernandez is not the first NFL player to take his own life. While he left behind three notes—one for his fiancé, one for his daughter, and one for his prison cellmate and rumored boyfriend—none directly revealed a reason for ending his own life.
