Killer inside: the mind of Aaron Hernandez

Background

Aaron Hernandez came into the

world to complete the family made
up of his father, Dennis, his mother,
Terri Valentine-Hernandez, and his
older brother, Dennis Junior. Under
the strict personal and sporting
training of his father, who had played
football in college and then became a
coach, Aaron from an early age
showed the great talent he had with
the ovoid. Aaron's life passed
relatively normally until he reached
the age of 16, when his father died from complications following a hernia
operation. After his painful and sudden loss, Aaron concentrated his energy on
football and during his first year of high school caught the attention of a famous
University of Florida coach, who recruited the young man for his team and saw
him become champion on multiple occasions. During his college years Aaron was
also recognized by the All-American and stood out as one of America’s most
outstanding college tight end. In 2010 Hernandez participated in the NFL Draft,
being selected by the New England Patriots in the fourth round. From that
moment Aaron made his dream of becoming a professional football player come
true.

In the midst of the 2013 preseason he was arrested by police. The accusation of
the murder of her sister-in-law's boyfriend amassed hard evidence incriminating
him. Two years later, in April 2015, a jury found him guilty. During the process,
there was speculation that fame could protect him, that it could be a new case
like O.J. Simpson's. The jury's verdict was delayed, which increased doubts.
However, the verdict was damning. And Aaron was expecting a life in prison.
Although he did not seem to understand it, it indicated the carefree conversations
he had from prison with his relatives.

But while this judicial process was taking place, several serious accusations were
amassed against the athlete. The murder of two young immigrants from Cape
Verde on the way out of a bowling alley brought him back to a jury. Another
crime with no apparent motive, an excess of anger because someone spilled drink
on his shirt. That stain warranted a car-to-car run while they waited for the light
to change from a traffic light. While accompanying him with the flash of success,
Aaron found indulgence, complicity and cover-up for the vast majority of his
crimes and excesses. It was only at that time that when he was already an in so
who had a detained life waiting for him, that his background was considered.
Abuse as a child, violence at home, repeated incidents of aggression from high
school, problematic drug use, erratic behaviors, lack of education, self-
discomfort regarding their sexual identity. Five days after being found innocent
of the double crime, Aaron committed suicide in his cell. He hung himself with
the sheets on his bed. In the previous hours he had consumed marijuana.
Analysis and diagnosis

Hernandez's lawyer and family had noticed strange behavior in Aaron and were
suspicious that something was wrong with Aaron's brain, so after his death they
gave permission to extract his brain, even though the prosecutor in charge,
Patrick Haggan, thought the operation was a "advertising trick," then he realized
he was wrong when Hernandez's family's suspicions were confirmed. The elite
athlete's brain, in effect, had symptoms of a serious illness: chronic traumatic
encephalopathy (ETC), a degenerative condition induced by repeated blows to
the head.

One of the most shocking moments of the documentary is precisely when the
press conference held in 2017 was shown in which the medical finding was
presented that confirmed that Hernandez suffered ETC, the degenerative disease
to the brain that causes behavioral disorders. Aggressiveness, depression and lack
of emotional control, in addition to cognitive problems such as memory loss and
dementia, are related to this condition. In the Netflix series, Ann McKee, a
neurology expert at Boston University, claims that the athlete had an unusually
extensive deterioration in the frontal lobes, which are key to judgment and
decision-making. According to the scientist, they had never seen a case with that
level of harm in a person as young as Hernandez, being similar to that of a 60-
year-old. On a scale of one to four, the athlete's condition was in category three.

In the Boston University hospital lab, Hernandez's brain was cut into 1.3-
centimeter pieces. Researchers - led by Ann McKee - found several clues from
ETC. First, noted that there were species of "caves" of unusual size in the center
of the organ, which expanded as brain tissue decreased. In addition, the hairy
septo membrane that divides the two sides of the brain was perforated.

But the main factor that eventually confirmed the existence of the disease was the
excessive accumulation of tau protein in his brain, which kills nerve cells.
Although it is normal for this protein to be found in the brain, in some
degenerative diseases it presents with its modified structure which generates
neuronal death. Thus, certain functions - such as emotions or memory - can stop
working normally. In Hernandez's case, tau protein appeared throughout the
frontal cortex, the part of the brain that controls decision-making, impulses, and
inhibition. It had also expanded into the amygdala, which regulates emotions
such as fear or anxiety, and other parts of the brain such as the hippocampus,
which is mainly associated with memory and a part of the limbic system which is
responsible for social behavior.

For the same reason, football has been in the public spotlight given the high risk
of its players developing this disease. ETC is associated with repeated blows to
the head and has been found in professional athletes, war veterans, boxers and
even people who injure themselves by hitting walls or other surfaces with their
heads. A concussion, which is the most common injury suffered by these
individuals, usually occurs when the head accelerates rapidly and suddenly stops .

However, the early progression of Hernandez's illness has not been proven to be
the cause of the actions starring the star of the New England Patriots. But it may
be one of the pieces of the puzzle that could explain how this star of the sport
ended up being a convicted killer who committed suicide in prison.

Solution

As described, this case had a great impact, not only for Hernandez's family, but
also for the sport itself. This documentary about his life has great importance and
a good message, because it encourages us to take preventive measures in certain
situations. Personally, a good recommendation for the practitioners of this sport,
likewise, like other sports that can be as aggressive as this one, would be that
each member of the team regularly undergo clinical tests to monitor their health,
because in cases like this, such as We have already seen, physical health is not
the only important thing. On the other hand, we also find it useful that they
reinforce the internal protection of the helmets that are used in this game, so that
they cushion the blows a little more and do not cause so much damage.