Netflix just released the three-episode documentary series Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez and it's getting a lot of reactions out there -- including from Aaron Hernandez's "celebrity lawyer," Jose Baez, as well as Hernandez's fiancée, Shayanna Jenkins.
New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez died in April 2017 at age 27, and his death in prison was ruled a suicide. At the time, as shown in the Netflix docuseries, he was already convicted of killing Odin Lloyd. Attorney Jose Baez represented Hernandez on separate double murder charges, and was also working with him on his appeal for the murder of Odin Lloyd.
Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez noted that Jose Baez famously represented Casey Anthony -- who was accused of killing her daughter -- and she was acquitted. So, many thought he could get Aaron Hernandez a not guilty verdict too. In April 2017, a jury did rule Aaron Hernandez not guilty of the 2012 double murders. However, Hernandez was already serving a life sentence without parole for the Odin Lloyd murder. Five days after he was acquitted for the double murders, Hernandez was found dead by hanging in his prison cell.
Without specifying exactly what he disliked about Killer Inside, Aaron Hernandez's former layer Jose Baez posted this note on the "lame ass documentary":
Jose Baez also screenshot part of a Yahoo Entertainment story, which speculated that Baez could not have gotten Aaron Hernandez off in the appeal of the Odin Lloyd murder. The writer, Dan Wetzel, was also an executive producer of the new Netflix documentary series.
Dan Wetzel wrote that some will say Aaron Hernandez was excited about Jose Baez winning an appeal in the case and getting a retrial, but -- in his own opinion -- Hernandez knew that he would never get that far or win the case. Wetzel argued there was so much evidence from the home security video, the cell phone pinning his location, the gun shells in the rental car, and testimony from Patriots owner Robert Kraft. "He was guilty, 100 percent guilty."
Jose Baez disagreed with that, and still believes he could've gotten Aaron Hernandez off in a retrial:
Jose Baez added hashtags for #unnecessaryroughness and #aaronhernandezuncovered , referencing his own book, Unnecessary Roughness: Inside the Trial and Final Days of Aaron Hernandez, which was published in 2018; and the two-part documentary series Aaron Hernandez Uncovered, which also came out in 2018.
At the time of his death, Aaron Hernandez was still engaged to Shayanna Jenkins and they had a daughter together. After Netflix's Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez came out, Jenkins took to Instagram to ask for strength and then thank supporters:
The new Netflix docuseries -- which just came out January 15, 2020 -- tried to delve into the reasons for why Aaron Hernandez did what he did. Killer Inside explored his sexuality, including his alleged sexual relationship with another young man. They also discussed the pressure on him as a young professional football player. After his death, Aaron Hernandez's brain was said to show severe signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, per the AP. CTE can be caused by repeated head trauma like concussions and has been linked to violent mood swings, depression, and other cognitive difficulties.
Jose Baez's book Unnecessary Roughness: Inside the Trial and Final Days of Aaron Hernandez included a forward by Shayanna Jenkins-Hernandez. Here's part of what she wrote (via the Boston Herald):
There has been much speculation about Aaron’s sexuality since his death. I can say this: Aaron was very much a man to me. I saw no indication that he was gay or homosexual. ... I wish I had known how he felt, just so we could have talked about it. I wouldn’t have disowned him. I would have been supportive. I can’t fault him if he was feeling that way. When you love someone so much you just want to be there to support them. The fact that he felt he couldn’t come out to me or he couldn’t tell me these things hurts, because we had that bond. I’ve accepted that he may have been the way he was said to be, or that it may not be true. Regardless, I won’t know.
Watch Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez here on Netflix. Netflix is known for powerful and sometimes controversial documentary series and documentary films. This genre is becoming the streamer's niche. Keep up with all of Netflix's 2020 premiere and return dates with our handy schedule.
