Dozens of family and friends gathered in Bristol Monday afternoon for an invitation-only visitation and funeral for former Patriots player Aaron Hernandez at the O'Brien Funeral Home.
Hernandez, 27, hanged himself with a bed sheet attached to his cell window at the Souza Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley, Massachusetts, where he was serving a life sentence for the 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd.
His death was ruled a suicide. As family members gathered for the funeral, a judge in Massachusetts ordered that the suicide notes Hernandez left behind be released.
Hernandez's fiancee, Shayanna Jenkins Hernandez, and their daughter, Avielle, attended. His mother and his defense attorneys are also among the many attending the services.
Ronald Sullivan, Jr., a spokesperson for the family, read a statement just after the funeral services on Monday.
"The family of Aaron Hernandez wishes to thank the public for its thoughtful expressions of condolences. The family wishes to say goodbye to Aaron in privacy. They thank everyone and the fans for affording them measure of privacy during this difficult time. They love him and they miss him," Sullivan said.
Bristol police had nine officers assigned and people who showed up without an invitation were turned away.
"I asked one of the cops and they said 'It's private,'" Maggie Amaya, of Bristol, said.
Hernandez committed suicide just days after he was acquitted in a double murder and on the same day his former football team, the New England Patriots, visited the White House to celebrate winning the Super Bowl in February.
Saturday morning the family released the following statement:
"The family of Aaron Hernandez wishes to thank all of you for the thoughtful expressions of condolences. We wish to say goodbye to Aaron in a private ceremony and thank everyone in advance for affording us a measure of privacy during this difficult time."
Hernandez's body was held in Watertown, Massachusetts at Faggas Funeral Home and arrived at the O'Brien Funeral Home at 24 Lincoln Ave. in Bristol on Saturday.
As the family said goodbye, a legal fight is already underway.
Local
Lawyers are gearing up for fight over his money and a possible lawsuit over his death.
Hernandez's lawyers said they're launching their own investigation into how he died. His fiancée’s attorneys said they were prepared to sue the state of Massachusetts over what led up to his death, and the seven hours that went by before he was checked on the night of his death.
On top of that, the lawyers representing the family of Odin Lloyd, the man he was convicted of killing, say any money the Patriots owe the Hernandez estate should go to them.
Under Massachusetts law, Hernandez's conviction could be vacated because he never had the chance to appeal before his death, which means the rest of his NFL contract and pension could be released to his estate.
