FALL RIVER, Mass. -- Once among the most promising young players in the NFL, former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was convicted by a jury Wednesday of first-degree murder in the 2013 killing of a man who was dating his fiancee's sister.
Hernandez, 25, appeared upbeat for most of his trial, but his demeanor changed as the jury announced its verdict. The guilty verdict should quash any hopes the Bristol, Conn. native may have had to return to the football field, where his speed and power earned him millions. He was sentenced to life without parole, the mandatory sentence, after family members made statements to the court.