Aaron Hernadez‘s murder conviction was upheld nearly two years after the former NFL tight end committed suicide inside his jail cell.
According to reports, the Massachusetts Supreme Court ignored the legal principle, which dissolves a person’s conviction once they’re deceased prior to an appeal stating it’s “outdated and no longer consonant with the circumstances of contemporary life.”
In 2015, Hernandez was found guilty of killing semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd. Two years later on April 9, 2017, the 27-year-old was found dead in his cell.
A judge previously threw out the conviction citing a defendant convicted during a trial but who has died prior to an appeal, shouldn’t be considered guilty anymore. The conviction, however, was reinstated unanimously by Massachusetts’ Supreme Judicial Court.
“We are pleased justice is served in this case, the antiquated practice of vacating a valid conviction is being eliminated and the victim’s family can get the closure they deserve,” Thomas M. Quinn III of Bristol County tweeted.
The record will, however, reflect Hernandez’s time of death in relation to the appeal. Hernandez was a former New England Patriot and fourth-round draft pick. He played for a brief three seasons.