When prison authorities discovered Aaron Hernandez's body April 19, one of the first things they noticed was that Hernandez left multiple references to one specific biblical passage before committing suicide.
That was just one of the findings revealed in the state police report that was released by Worcester County district attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. this week. The report was put together by authorities in Massachusetts following the death of Heranandez, who killed himself while serving a life sentence at the Souza-Baranowski prison in Lancaster, Massachusetts.
According to the report, Hernandez was placed in his cell at 7:59 p.m. on April 18 and wasn't seen again until an officer discovered his hanged body at 3:03 a.m. on April 19.
At first the officer wasn't able to enter Hernandez's cell because the former NFL tight end had put pieces of cardboard in the door tracks to prevent anyone from getting in. When the officer finally entered the room, he found Hernandez, who was naked, hanging from a bed sheet that was attached to the window bars in his call.
The report also noted that Hernandez had covered the floor in shampoo to make it more slippery. After his body was discovered, Hernandez was rushed to the hospital, but he never regained consciousness, and he was pronounced dead at 4:07 a.m.
In their report, authorities noted that Hernandez made multiple references to the "John 3:16" biblical passage before committing suicide.
Not only was "John 3:16" written in red marker on Hernandez's forehead, as was previously reported, but "John 3:16" was also written on the wall in his cell, with one difference: On the wall, the words were written in blood.
Hernandez also left several "drawings" on the wall that police didn't describe in detail. Underneath the drawings, police found a bible that was open to "John 3:16." Authorities noted that the verse 16 was marked in blood.
If you've never read the popular Bible verse, it reads as follows:
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
When Hernandez was found, he also had a "large, circular" blood spot on each of his feet.
The report also noted that Hernandez made at least five phone calls the day before he died. Authorities listened to each phone call and noted that Hernandez didn't sound like he was going to harm himself.
The police report also included Hernandez's toxicology results, which came back negative. The former Patriots tight end didn't have any drugs in his system at the time of his death, including no synthetic marijuana.
One thing that still remains a mystery is the matter of the suicide notes that Hernandez left. The report states that Hernandez left three notes, but all the information pertaining to the notes has been redacted, which means there are no new details about what Hernandez might have written.
Although the district attorney's office has already said the first two notes were intended for Hernandez's fiancée and his 4-year-old daughter, the contents of the third letter remain a mystery.
Despite the fact that the police investigation is now closed, that doesn't mean we've heard the end of the Hernandez story. Hernandez's lawyer, Jose Baez, said he isn't convinced his client committed suicide and he has said that he'll continue to investigate the issue.
"The unprofessional behavior of those entrusted to impartially and professionally conduct an investigation into Aaron's death has caused grave concern as to the validity and thoroughness of the investigation," Baez said in a statement. "Accordingly, we intend to fully, completely and impartially review all of the evidence in this matter. We will not speculate as to the conclusions of our investigation. We can only promise the best investigators and forensic experts available will conduct a thorough analysis."
Hernandez was buried in his hometown of Bristol, Connecticut, on April 24.
You can see the entire five page report below (via MassLive.com).
