It's been more than seven years since former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was convicted of murder in Massachusetts and committed suicide. as new series As the case gains renewed attention, forensic psychologists believe his traumatic childhood and severe brain injury may have been factors in his fall from sporting stardom.
“I think people look at this and think, 'This guy had everything to live for.' He did. in the NFL. …How could he do this? But what people don't understand is that psychologically, when a person experiences an encounter early in life, it affects how they feel about themselves, their anger, emotions, and even impulse control. “It could potentially give you a lot of pain,” forensic psychologist Helen Smith told Fox News Digital.
In 2015, Hernandez was convicted of first-degree murder in addition to five firearms charges in the death of 27-year-old Odin Lloyd and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Hernandez was charged in a separate double murder case in 2014, but was acquitted in 2017. He is accused of killing Daniel de Abreu, 29, and Safiro Furtado, 28, in a drive-by shooting outside a Boston nightclub in July 2012. .
A few days after his acquittal, Hernandez was found hanging in his cell, and the death was ruled a suicide.
The former NFL superstar's downfall is reexamined in Hulu FX's latest series, “American Sports Story.” According to the streaming service's description, the show “explores various elements of his identity, family, career, suicide, and their legacy in sports and American culture.”
Hernandez was posthumously diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
Ann McKee, a professor of neurology and pathology who was studying Hernandez's brain at the time, said Hernandez had the most severe form of CTE of anyone his age.
“It's an essential element of football,” she said. “Every time there's a tackle or a collision, there's going to be rapid forces impacting the brain. … That's one of the challenges of keeping football safe.”
CTE is a disease found in athletes and others who have suffered repeated concussions or other brain trauma that is associated with dementia, mood changes, and aggression.
“Brain injuries usually result from concussions or multiple hits to the head. And those injuries can damage the frontal lobes, which can make you more susceptible to depression and aggression. '' said Smith.
“But so far, there is no significant or clear connection between anyone's specific actions, such as murder. So far, we have no idea that perhaps this was part of the Aaron Hernandez case. But at the end of the day, were these murders the only thing that brought him down? Probably not. I'd say it was a combination of all the factors.
Hernandez's younger brother, Jonathan Hernandez, writes about these factors and his younger brother's childhood and secrets in his book, The Truth About Aaron: My Journey to Understanding My Brother.
Jonathan revealed in his book that Aaron was sexually abused by an older boy as a child.
“I've done therapy with men who've had that experience, and it's very traumatic. And in every case that I can think of, the men who have had something like this happen to , at least the men I met, certainly had violent or angry tendencies that they were dealing with,” Smith said.
“For Aaron Hernandez, his early experiences with older teenage children, perhaps experiencing physical and violent abuse, may have definitely set the stage.”
She believes Hernandez's youth was a key factor in the lasting effects of such abuse.
“This boy abused himself. I think for a six-year-old boy to be abused by someone of the same sex at that point has a very serious impact on him,” Smith explained. “Six-year-olds are not able to process that type of information and are at a stage where things seem black and white and may even become stagnant at that stage.”
Hernandez's brother revealed in his book that he was physically abused by his father as a boy.
“He looks to his father as his protector, but not only does his father not protect him, he abuses and beats him,” Smith said. “The fact that he had a father who couldn't control himself means he learned, and it could even be genetic.”
Smith believes domestic violence and his father's early death were factors in Hernandez's later actions.
“When he was 16 years old, his father tragically passed away…and that's probably what set him on the path. Should I blame him?'' I thought. she said. “He had this anger inside him, all these things that happened to him, and his father was gone, and that anger manifested itself in his life. , can be directed at male figures or men who disrespect him or say negative things about him.”
Jonathan also revealed in the book that Aaron came out to his mother that he was gay while he was in prison.
According to Jonathan's book, Aaron said, “I hated living in secret, and I hated lying.But I felt like I had to do it because people wouldn't accept me.'' “I was there,” he said. “There was no way I could come out as an NFL player.”
“He was trying to hide the part of himself that was abused by his father, just like he was trying to hide from the world. And at the same time, he's angry because he wants to be who he is.” Smith said. “He wasn't able to protect himself when he was younger…and now, as a grown man, he may have reached a stage where he can say, 'Look, I'm going to protect myself no matter what.' 'But he's gone too far. ”
If you live in New York City and are struggling with suicidal thoughts or experiencing a mental health crisis, call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. You can. If you live outside the five boroughs, dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 988 or visit SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
