Aaron Hernandez's suicide brought his victim's sister to tears when she heard the news
Aaron Hernandez has been the central figure of the story since his reported suicide Wednesday morning, but there are others to consider in this American tragedy.
Such as the families affected by the crimes Hernandez was accused of, and in the case of Odin Lloyd, the murder victim for whom Hernandez was found guilty of killing.
Lloyd’s sister, Olivia Thibou, spoke about the news of Hernandez’s death with Bleacher Report, and her words reflect the kind of confusion, anger and sadness you can imagine after hearing the man who killed her brother also was able to die the way he chose — by Hernandez’s own hands.
“I just started crying,” Thibou says. “I’m just … confused. It doesn’t make sense. The timing doesn’t make any sense.”
Indeed, that was the reaction of others hearing the news — after all, Hernandez in theory was a successful appeal of Lloyd’s murder away from walking the streets again after a jury found Hernandez not guilty less than a week ago in the double-murder case involving two other men killed in a drive-by shooting.
Hernandez’s agent was among the people who doubted that the former New England Patriots player took his own life, suggesting it was more likely that he was killed in prison. Prison officials say he did not appear suicidal and that he left no note.
Worse yet, Hernandez’s conviction now could be vacated because of an esoteric Massachusetts law. As if the pain of losing Lloyd wasn’t bad enough for his family and friends. Now this possibility.
“The emotions,” Thibou said, “have been nonstop.”
And a strange, awful, tragic story — one we did not see coming years ago — just took another unexpected turn. One that those closest to Lloyd likely had no way of envisioning before Wednesday morning.
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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!
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