Did Aaron Hernandez Kill To Cover Up Secret HIV Diagnosis?
Nov. 6 2019, Updated 5:52 p.m. ET
Did Aaron Hernandez commit murder to cover up an HIV diagnosis he wanted to keep hidden from the world? A new bombshell investigation brings to light a possible dark secret the late NFL player was struggling with before his death.
The former New England Patriots tight end was convicted of first-degree murder in the 2013 killing of football player Odin Lloyd before hanging himself in his prison cell in 2017. He was also a suspect in a 2012 double homicide.
Investigative journalist Dylan Howard conducted interviews for his latest book, Aaron Hernandez’s Killing Fields, with several eyewitnesses who claimed to have overheard the Patriots player growing paranoid about his health records becoming public.
The book includes a startling revelation from a male stripper named Chad, who was invited to Hernandez’s house to perform for a bevy of “beefy” men snorting cocaine and downing booze. Chad claimed Hernandez appeared agitated when he began discussing Lloyd’s knowledge of medications he was taking.
“I overhear them arguing and stuff. And they were talking about, ‘Oh, this guy, Odin, he stole my medication. I can’t be having that get out. I can’t even send anyone to go get my meds anymore. He knows. He knows,’” Chad claimed Hernandez said.
The stripper alleged he remained silent while Hernandez grew even more furious during a phone call.
Chad claimed he overheard Hernandez saying, “Yo, this is bad, man. There’s a mole. I’m f**ked. I can’t have this getting out there. Odin knows about the meds. We’ve got to take care of it! We’ve got to make sure that this dude is just silent, this s**t disappears.”
At one point, Chad claimed the former pro athlete said he’d rather go to jail “for f**king murder than have that s**t get out.”
As RadarOnline.com readers know, multiple men came forward after Hernandez’s death claiming to having had sexual relations with the football star. His alleged prison boyfriend, Kyle Kennedy, was reportedly placed on suicide watch after Hernandez was found hanged in his cell.
In an exclusive interview for the book, Assistant District Attorney Jarrett J. Ferentino – who reviewed Hernandez’s medical record requests during his trial – concluded that the athlete’s motivations to kill could have been due to him concealing an STD diagnosis.
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“I’ve reviewed documentation from Aaron Hernandez’s attorneys. They requested medical information from the New England Patriots,” Ferentino explained. “There was no request for any HIV or STD testing or diagnostic record.”
Ferentino said this could mean that Hernandez may not have had HIV or any STD, or “they did not want to request that information because checking that box would create the inference that that information exists and he may or may not have that disease.”
The third theory Ferentino concluded was that Hernandez “was aware that there was a record and didn’t want it to come out.”
The startling book also includes an interview with a male drug dealer named Q. He corroborated Chad’s story after taking a terrifying car ride with Hernandez, who was allegedly “strapped” with guns.
In the vehicle, Hernandez once again discussed Lloyd’s knowledge of his meds.
“Somebody had stolen pills from him, or something like that. Like if he knew that information had gotten out, you know, he was in a state of mind where he wasn’t about to let that happen. Like no matter how he had to do it, he was going to take care of this,” Q claimed to the author.
Respected clinical and forensic psychologist Dr. Jeff Gardere noted in the book that while there should “no stigma” attached to medications for chronic sexually transmitted illnesses, Hernandez’s profession may have played a role in his paranoia.
“And even though we know that being gay is normal, there are a lot of people who will still view it as something that needs to be put away – closeted away – especially in professional sports,” said Gardere. “Many different people are HIV-positive. But, of course, in the public’s mind, they will tie that much quicker to someone who is gay, because of how we have shown this in the media; our attitudes about it, which are very, very negative. And whether you are gay or straight or bisexual, let’s be real, a lot of people tend to think that being HIV makes you ‘less than.’”
Aaron Hernandez’s Killing Fields is now available for purchase.