Shayanna Jenkins-Hernandez spoke out regarding the Netflix docuseries and its depiction of her former fiancée, Aaron Hernandez, called Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez. The three-part Netflix production portrays the turbulent life of the former NFL star and convicted murderer as well as the events that lead up to his suicide back in 2017.
Choosing Instagram as her medium, Jenkins-Hernandez revealed that she will be stepping away from social media. However, she said she is still very happy about her fans’ reactions regarding the docuseries:
“I wanted to let all of you sweet sweet souls know I have tried to read every message sent on IG and through email (positive and negative) … The amount of support and positive energy is again unreal! I’m sure you will all understand how imperative it is to take some time away from social media. #StayHumble.”
The Other Side Of The Coin
It is safe to say that not everybody is happy with the way the docuseries tells Hernandez’s stories. Jose Baez, Aaron Hernandez’s defense attorney, is one of those people. Baez, who represented the former New England Patriots player in a number of criminal charges, claims the final product was untruthful even though he was featured in the series. Risking the possibility of sounding unprofessional, he wrote on his social media profile under a pictures of him and Hernandez and members of his family:
“I don’t give a damn about what some lame ass documentary has to say about Aaron, I knew him, they did not and while he was far from perfect, they are not even close to the truth. People have no idea how documentaries are made, the truth is usually found on the cutting room floor. These producers lied directly to my face, so I don’t expect their money making scheme to be much better.” #ripchico #baezlawfirm #aaronhernandez
An Episode Of Criminal Minds
The reality of the matter remains the same. Aaron Hernandez was still convicted for the murder of Odin Lloyd in 2015, as well as five other counts ranging carrying a firearm and a license to possession of ammunition without an FID card. He was acquitted of killing Safiro Furtado and Daniel de Abreu during the drive by shooting outside of a nightclub. He was appealing the Odin Lloyd conviction but still committed suicide in 2017, at the age of 27.
The Breakdown
The docuseries reveals four major details of Hernandez’s life:
The NFL recruited a murder suspect.
- Hernandez was indicted for a double homicide in Boston, Massachusetts, just one month before being drafted by the New England Patriots and acquiring a five year contract.
Probable cause
- After being sentenced of murdering Lloyd back in 2013, the former football player was tried again in the cases of Furtado and de Abreu. Despite evidence that linked him to the murders (a missing car pertaining to the investigation) he was found not guilty.
Abatement?
- If a defendant dies while appealing their conviction, their conviction is vacated. This is known as abatement and it remains part of the law of Massachusetts. It is rumored that this is why he committed suicide: to protect and provide for his daughter and Jenkins. Hernandez even expressed how he missed his child, as opposed to his freedom. Nevertheless, the Supreme Court ruled the law outdated, which cause Hernandez to be labeled as a convicted murderer posthumously.
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy
- My experience with Law and Order: SVU gives me the right to assume that they tried this at court. Boston University’s faculty member and professor of neurology, Doctor Ann McKee, claims that Hernandez’s demise was due to an untreated and undetected CTE. She explains that:
“For an individual who was only 27 when he died, he had a very advanced disease. Not only was it advanced microscopically – especially in the frontal lobes, which are very important for decision making, judgment and cognition – this would be the first case we’ve ever seen of that kind of damage in such a young individual. This is substantial damage that took years to develop… these changes have been evolving for over a decade.”
Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez is currently streaming on Netflix.
