Aaron Hernandez Suicide: Former NFL star, serving life sentence, dies

Former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was found unresponsive in his Shirley, Massachusetts, prison cell Wednesday morning, the Boston Globe reported. Hernandez was pronounced dead at the hospital shortly after. The Department of Correction reportedly said his death was a suicide. 

Earlier this month, 27-year-old Hernandez was acquitted of charges that he murdered two men in Boston in 2012. The former Patriots star was already serving a life sentence without parole for the 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd.

"Mr. Hernandez was in a single cell in a general population unit," the Department of Correction said in a statement, according to the Globe. According to the statement, Hernandez "attempted to block his door from the inside by jamming the door with various items." 

The Globe reported that Hernandez was discovered in his cell around 3 a.m. Wednesday morning. He was taken to a nearby medical center and pronounced dead at 4:07 a.m. Wednesday. State police are reportedly investigating his death.

April 19, 2017, 5:10 p.m.: This story has been updated.