Aaron Hernandez: A Football Tragedy | Homecoming | 2
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A listener note, this episode contains descriptions of graphic material and references to suicide and may not be suitable for a younger audience. It's September 12, 2010, in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Outside Gillette Stadium, the sky is deep blue and the air is crisp. The dogwood trees are beginning to turn a dark shade of red, and there's an almost electric energy in the air as tens of thousands of fans come streaming into the open-air stadium for the New England Patriots' first game of the 2010 NFL season. Among the crowd are DJ Hernandez and his mother, Terry. They're making their way past lines of food and drink vendors, trying to get to their seats before kickoff.

Today, DJ's younger brother, Aaron Hernandez, is about to make his NFL debut playing as tight end for the Patriots. Aaron has long been a football prodigy. He won a national championship while playing at the University of Florida and earned an award as the best tight end in college football. With those sorts of accolades, there should have been no question he was going to make it to the pros. But when he wasn't on the field, Aaron found himself getting into trouble.

Aaron was nearly charged with a felony after striking a bar manager in the side of the head. He failed drug tests, too, and often got high before playing games. He was even accused of firing a gun in an attempted double homicide, an accusation that never led to charges. So when it was time for the NFL draft, professional teams continued to skip over Aaron. They apparently weren't interested in a player who had so many run-ins with the law.

And in the end, despite all his accomplishments, Aaron wasn't selected until the fourth round. It was a personal setback, but Aaron had been given a shot at redemption. He was drafted by his hometown team, the Patriots. They've already won three Super Bowls, and this year they're among the favorites to win again.

But for the Patriots, success isn't just a matter of having the best quarterback or defense. The team is also renowned for its organizational culture, centered around the virtues of hard work and personal integrity. So while Aaron has come to the NFL with a bad reputation and a checkered past, his brother DJ is hopeful he now has a chance at a fresh start with a team that could push him in the right direction.

DJ and Terry make their way through the stands and climb the stairs to their seats. And as he looks out over the field, DJ spots his brother Aaron warming up in the end zone, doing exaggerated high kicks and stretching. It's an incredible image, seeing his baby brother about to play his first professional football game. And DJ can't contain himself. He races down the stands, getting closer to the field. And leaning over the rails, he begins calling out Aaron's name, waving his arms.

Aaron turns his head and spots DJ. And in a playful gesture, he puts a hand up to his face mask and blows a kiss. DJ laughs at his brother's ridiculous sense of humor. He's willing to be a goofball even when standing in front of tens of thousands of people. And there's nothing else to do but go along with the joke. So DJ blows a kiss back and grins ear to ear as he makes his way back up the stands. But when he reaches his mother, he can see she wasn't amused by the exchange.

DJ folds down the seat, and for a moment, he stares out at the field, soaking in the atmosphere. But he can't ignore his mom's sour mood.

All right, Mom, why don't you just tell me what's going on? Are you worried Aaron's going to get hurt or something? It's not the football I'm worried about with your brother. Look, we both know that since he got home, he's gone right back to the same crowd he used to hang out with in high school. All those lowlifes from your cousin Tony's house. DJ bites his tongue, but he has the same worries himself. Being this close to home means Aaron is also close with the drug dealers and other problematic guys he knew in high school.

Still, DJ doesn't want to add to his mom's worries.

This is the first time he's ever had money. That can be a curse for someone like Aaron. Mom, I hear you. But let's try and look on the bright side. Well, I can try. All right, good. We'll talk about this later. But right now, they're about to kick off. We've got to focus on the game. Stealing a quick glance at his mom, DJ can tell the conversation hasn't changed her mood. But at this point, there's no use arguing. So DJ turns his attention back to the game.

Early in the first quarter, Aaron records his first NFL reception, catching a pass from quarterback Tom Brady and taking it down the field for 45 yards. And when the clock runs out in the fourth quarter, the Patriots come away the winners by a margin of two touchdowns.

As he and his mom leave the stadium, DJ can't stop smiling. It was surreal to watch his own brother playing in a professional football game, achieving his dreams after so many years of hard work. And while his mom wasn't wrong to feel worried about Aaron, DJ is going to hold on to a sense of optimism and try his best to believe that Aaron's troubled days are behind him.

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Help Dell make a difference and shop AI-ready PCs powered by Snapdragon X-Series processors at Dell.com slash deals. That's Dell.com slash deals. From Wondery, I'm Lindsey Graham, and this is American Scandal. In Bristol, Connecticut, Aaron Hernandez emerged as a once-in-a-generation high school athlete. He broke multiple state records in football and went on to be recruited by top universities to play in the NCAA.

Hernandez ultimately chose to compete at the University of Florida and was even allowed to graduate high school early so he could get a head start practicing with his new teammates. After arriving in Gainesville, Hernandez quickly proved his value to the team. The Florida Gators won a national championship and Hernandez earned the Mackey Award, given to the best tight end in the country.

Then, Hernandez would soon achieve a lifelong dream when he was drafted to play in the NFL. But despite his on-field success, Hernandez's personal life took an increasingly dark turn. He showed signs of paranoia and violence. To his friends, family, and even his teammates, it appeared he was unraveling and growing increasingly erratic. And soon, Hernandez found himself at the center of a crime that would come to define his life and ultimately cost him his freedom.

This is Episode 2, Homecoming. It's January 14, 2012, in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and Aaron Hernandez is lined up in the backfield waiting for the ball to be snapped. It's early in the fourth quarter, and the crowd at Gillette Stadium is still deafening, even though the Patriots are up by more than 30 against the Denver Broncos. Hernandez isn't surprised to see the fans so energized. This is a playoff game, and the Patriots are showing why they're among the favorites to win the Super Bowl.

But it is strange that Hernandez is still in the game. He's now in his second year with the team, and he's grown into one of the Patriots' most valuable weapons on the field. But with this large of a lead, most teams would rest their starters by now, trying to keep them healthy and free of injuries for the rest of the playoffs. But coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady are diehard competitors, and they relish any chance to crush their opponents.

So with the end zone in sight, the coaches have called a play for Hernandez. Brady is going to hand off the ball and give Hernandez a chance to score the first rushing touchdown of his career. At this point, there's almost no chance they're going to lose the game. But Hernandez isn't going to go soft on this play. He still has a chip on his shoulder after coming into the league with a poor reputation. He wants to prove that the Patriots were right to take a chance on him.

So when the ball is snapped, Hernandez sprints towards Brady. He takes the handoff and immediately is met by a swarm of defenders. But Hernandez only has two more yards before the touchdown, so he drops his shoulders and plows straight forward, using his helmet as a battering ram. Hernandez is inching toward the end zone, but as he pushes forward, one of the defenders gets a little bit lower and drives his shoulder pad into Hernandez's helmet.

Hernandez's head jerks back and he crumples to the ground. And when the play is whistled dead, the ball rolls out of his hands and onto the turf. Hernandez lies on his back for a moment as a high-pitched squeal rings in his ears. He feels dizzy and a bit nauseated. But it's nothing he hasn't felt a dozen times before, and he doesn't want to show any weakness. So he shakes off the cobwebs, jumps back to his feet, and begins jogging toward the sideline.

But as Hernandez steps off the field, he can feel his legs start to wobble. So he slows down to a careful walk until he's met by one of the Patriots' trainers. The trainer takes Hernandez's helmet and sits him down on the bench. When Hernandez looks up, he can see what's coming. He's about to be examined for a concussion. Hernandez can't risk getting that diagnosis. A concussion might rule him out for the next game in the playoffs.

So Hernandez tries to maintain composure as the trainer takes out a clipboard. All right, Aaron, I'm going to ask you a few questions. Don't worry, I'm all good. Just got the wind knockout. Hey, look, I know you want to keep playing, but there's a protocol, all right? We got to go through it. Bear with me. The trainer looks down and begins reading from a laminated sheet. All right, first question. What venue are we at today?

Hernandez has the name on the tip of his tongue, but he's still a bit foggy, so he looks around the stadium to remind himself. It's a home game. This is Foxborough. I mean, Gillette Stadium. Which half is it now? It's the fourth quarter, so second half. Who was the last team to score in this game? That's easy. It was me. I caught a slant from Brady.

But Hernandez can see from the trainer's face that wasn't the right answer. No, no way. The Broncos have 10, so I guess they kicked a field goal. Is that right? Yeah, that's right. Now, Aaron, I'm going to have to ask you a few more questions. Are you okay to keep going? Yeah, I'm fine. Go ahead. Let's get it over with. The trainer continues rattling off questions. But while Hernandez knows he's giving the right answers, he can tell from the tone of the trainer's voice that he's not going back in the game.

Hernandez isn't upset to sit the rest of this one out. And in the end, the Patriots win the game by 35 points. But as Hernandez heads to the locker room, he's also careful not to wobble or show any signs of his growing headache. He's now just one playoff victory from the Super Bowl. So even if he's feeling shaken up, he's not going to let it keep him from competing in the biggest game of his life.

Aaron Hernandez's head injury against the Denver Broncos is diagnosed as a concussion. Over the course of years of playing football, Hernandez has taken a number of hits to the head, but this is only the second time he's received an official diagnosis of a concussion. The first time was back in high school.

And while it doesn't stir a national conversation about head injuries, many have already been discussing the risks of playing football and the dangers of a brain condition known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. By the time of Hernandez's second documented concussion, five former NFL players have already died by suicide and have been diagnosed with CTE post-mortem. Within the next five months, two more NFL players will also die tragically.

It's a controversy that's been building slowly for nearly a decade. More and more researchers have been publishing papers about the link between impact sports and brain disease. One study found that NFL players were 19 times more likely to have dementia than the general public.

And with these results made public, the NFL had been forced to acknowledge the problem and begin to adjust the game's rules in an effort to make the sport safer. The league also instituted a protocol for players suspected of suffering a concussion, the same process Hernandez went through in his playoff game against the Broncos.

But the league's protocol could only be used to diagnose a concussion after the fact. It couldn't prevent the injury itself. And the policy couldn't heal the accumulated head trauma suffered by current and former players. So in the summer of 2011, a group of former NFL players brought a class action lawsuit against the league seeking compensation for the head trauma they'd experienced while competing professionally. The lawsuit quickly grew larger, with over 4,000 eventually signing on as plaintiffs.

But even as former players wait for justice, many continue to suffer the effects of their head injuries. And on May 2nd, 2012, only a few months after Aaron Hernandez's second concussion, tragedy strikes again in the coastal town of Oceanside, California. That day, football fans learn that former San Diego Charger Junior Seau has been found dead in his home.

The news is both devastating and confusing. Se-Yao was only 43 years old. He seemed to be in the prime of his life and was a beloved member of the community. And as news spreads of Se-Yao's death, a group of fans quickly assembles on the sidewalk beside Se-Yao's beachside house.

The property is ringed with yellow tape. There's already a dozen police on the scene. They aren't forthcoming about what's happened. But one of the fans has a handheld radio, and according to the news, Seau's death is being called a suicide. Reports state that Seau's girlfriend found him with a gunshot wound to the chest and a revolver lying nearby.

It's impossible for the fans to wrap their heads around this announcement. Seau always seemed invincible. He played in the league's All-Star Game on 12 occasions and might have been the greatest charger of all time. He was legendary for playing through injuries and was a selfless team leader on the field and in the locker room. He was even named the NFL's Man of the Year and grew into a pillar of the San Diego community, founding a charity to help at-risk youth.

So as more and more learn about his death, the crowd continues to grow. There are now hundreds of people gathered around Se-Yao's house, and the sidewalk is overflowing with flowers, candles, and handwritten signs. Soon, a white van pulls onto the street. It's from the coroner's office, and it's here to take away Se-Yao's body.

Minutes later, another van pulls up, this one for Seau's mother. She's despondent and wailing, and as she makes her way to the van, she screams in confusion and grief as friends and family members hold her by the arms and help her walk, step by step, until she's in the van and driven away from her son's house.

In the following days, Junior Se-Yao's death is officially ruled a suicide. But as Se-Yao's family grapples with their loss, they also try to understand how his life could have come to such a tragic end. In their search for answers, they donate his brain to a lab run by the National Institutes of Health, where researchers look for indications of disease. After conducting an analysis, the researchers publicly reveal their findings. Se-Yao showed multiple signs of CTE.

The announcement makes national headlines, and it marks Seau as the latest player to have died by suicide and then to receive a post-mortem diagnosis of CTE. In the wake of the tragedy, current and former NFL players demand that the league take more concrete steps to protect their health. At the same time, the union representing the league's players calls on Congress to investigate safety issues in the NFL.

But despite these high-profile disputes, the games go on, with the NFL racking up the eight highest-rated TV broadcasts in 2012. But evidence also continues to mount that football poses the threat of brain damage for athletes. It's a risk that in early 2012 becomes more apparent for Aaron Hernandez. Just hours after suffering his second concussion in a playoff game against the Denver Broncos, Hernandez shows signs of bizarre and reckless behavior.

When he leaves the locker room and gets behind the wheel of his SUV, he's joined by a group of passengers, including his brother DJ. And as Hernandez drives away from the stadium, he nearly collides with a police officer directing traffic. The officer jumps into his cruiser to pull Hernandez over, but instead of complying, Hernandez slams on the gas and leads the officer on a high-speed chase. DJ yells at his brother, telling him to pull over and demanding to know what he's doing.

But Hernandez doesn't slow down. As the police cruiser's lights flash in the rearview mirror, Hernandez speeds down a dark, narrow back street, rapidly changing lanes, working to get ahead of other cars. DJ continues to scream at his brother, ordering him to pull over. But Aaron almost seems possessed. And suddenly, he takes a hard right turn and veers over next to a storage unit, stopping abruptly, then killing the engine and lights.

A moment later, the police cruiser races past, unable to see them parked in the shadows. It looks like Aaron has gotten away. And while DJ is shaken up, Aaron seems unfazed about the whole thing. He tells DJ to relax. They're going to be fine. Then he pulls back onto the road and begins driving home, acting calm and easy, as if it was just another night in New England.

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Hire high-quality, certified pros at Angie.com. In early 2012, Aaron Hernandez achieves a lifelong dream of competing in the Super Bowl. The Patriots match up with the New York Giants in a game with the potential to define Hernandez's young career while also setting him up for a lucrative new contract. But the Patriots come away with a loss, and Hernandez is left feeling devastated.

He's only 22 years old, and he reminds himself that this isn't the last shot he'll have at competing in the Super Bowl. Still, in the months that follow, those around him notice that Hernandez seems like he's beginning to unravel. Hernandez's paranoia grows, and he begins stocking up on guns. He spends more of his time with criminals, including Alexander Bradley, his drug dealer, and now Hernandez's personal assistant.

Hernandez and Bradley spend their time playing video games, getting high, and hitting nearby clubs and casinos up to four times a week. Hernandez's family is taken aback by his association with these men, and they worry Hernandez is yet again about to find himself in legal trouble. It's a fear that plays out just five months after Hernandez's loss in the Super Bowl in an incident that will cost two men their lives.

On the evening of Sunday, July 15th, 2012, a 29-year-old man named Daniel De Abreu is standing in line outside Cure Lounge, a nightclub in downtown Boston. De Abreu is a recent immigrant from Africa, and so far, life in the U.S. has not been easy. Back home in Cape Verde, De Abreu had been a police officer, but in Boston, he's been forced to work exhausting and menial jobs just to scratch out a living for his family.

This morning, De Abreu pulled a long shift cleaning a YMCA, and he didn't exactly feel like going out and partying, but it's rare he gets to cut loose and had to accept the invitation. So De Abreu is waiting in line with four of his friends, all of them young men also from Cape Verde. As the line slowly lurches forward, he watches as two other men are led ahead and taken into a special VIP entrance.

De Abreu isn't an avid football fan and doesn't recognize that one of the men is the New England Patriots star tight end Aaron Hernandez, along with his drug dealer and personal assistant, Alexander Bradley, that get ushered into the club. De Abreu and his friends have to wait on the sidewalk, but eventually they're allowed inside the club and they make a beeline across the crowded dance floor, heading to the bar to get some drinks.

Once De Abreu and his friends have their glasses, they toast to a busy week and then head out to the dance floor where the music is pounding. As De Abreu jostles through the crowd, he holds his drink high over his head, trying not to spill on anyone. But people are packed body to body, and without meaning to, De Abreu accidentally bumps into Aaron Hernandez, causing him to spill a few drops of his drink on his own shirt.

Hernandez looks furious, like he's ready to fight, and although de Abreu apologizes and tries to de-escalate the situation, Hernandez won't hear it. But right as it looks like Hernandez is about to throw a punch, his friend Bradley intervenes. He grabs Hernandez by the shirt and pulls him away, saying they should get out of there.

De Abreu breathes a sigh of relief and takes the opportunity to quickly get away from Hernandez. And just a few minutes later, he tries to forget all about the incident and just enjoy himself on the dance floor. At 2 a.m., the club closes and De Abreu steps outside with his friends before hopping behind the wheel of a silver BMW he borrowed from his sister. His friend, Zafiro Furtado, slides in the passenger seat and their three other friends pile in the back, ready to head home.

De Abreu pulls out onto the road and begins driving away. And a few moments later, at a red light, he pulls out his cell phone to read a text from his sister.

But while his face is buried in the foam, he hears a man yell from somewhere to his right. At first, De Abreu doesn't look up, but the man yells out again. And then, when De Abreu does look over, he sees Hernandez in a silver SUV along with his friend from the club. The windows are down and Hernandez is yelling right at him. De Abreu almost can't believe it. This guy is still mad about a spilled drink from two hours ago. But then Hernandez yells, what's up now?

And a moment later, de Abreu finds himself staring down the barrel of a silver handgun. That night, Daniel de Abreu is shot in the chest while waiting at a stoplight in Boston's South End. He dies within minutes. De Abreu's friend, Zafiro Furtado, is shot in the head and killed instantly. And within hours of the attack, the Boston Police Department opens a homicide investigation.

There's no security camera footage of the shooting itself. But when police obtain video from inside the nightclub, they notice Aaron Hernandez entering at about the same time as the victims. Police recognize Hernandez immediately. He's the Patriots' star tight end. But even though Hernandez and his friend match witness descriptions of the shooters, the police write it off as a coincidence. And unable to identify any other suspects, the case soon stalls.

Two weeks after the shooting, Hernandez reports to training camp. The Patriots have no idea he's connected to a double homicide that's now a top story in the local news. But the team does start to notice Hernandez is acting strange and erratic. He's even making crude sexual comments to other players in the locker room.

But despite his strange behavior, when he's on the field, Hernandez performs at the highest level. So the Patriots sign Hernandez to a new contract worth up to $41 million, including a $12.5 million signing bonus, a record for an NFL tight end. Now flush with cash, Hernandez buys a five-bedroom mansion in the Boston suburbs. And he moves in with his fiancée, Shayana Jenkins, who's pregnant with his child.

But as the months pass, the nightclub shooting appears to weigh heavily on Hernandez. He grows even more paranoid, setting up his new home with an extensive system of security cameras and saying he believes he's being followed by police. Hernandez also grows increasingly irritable with his closest confidant, Alexander Bradley, who was with him on the night of the double homicide in Boston.

Bradley still works as Hernandez's personal assistant and drug dealer. And like many others, he's seen Hernandez grow more paranoid. At times, he even sounds delusional. But on February 13th, 2013, Hernandez seems to reach a tipping point.

That night, Bradley and Hernandez are in Miami, partying in the VIP section of a late-night strip club called Tootsies. They travel down to South Florida to let off a little steam after the Patriots lost to the Baltimore Ravens in the conference championship. But they've now been partying for several days straight, with Hernandez constantly drinking and getting high. Bradley has started to worry about his friend's mental health.

Bradley is sitting at a table at the strip club and checks the time. It's now after 5 a.m. Bradley's so tired he can barely keep his eyes open. So he's relieved when he sees Hernandez approaching, looking like he wants to get out of here. Hey man, it's time to bounce.

I was hoping you'd say that. I don't have anything left in me. Yeah, me neither. But hey, before we go, we gotta split this. Hernandez drops the bill down on the table. But when Bradley sees the total, he's in shock. They've rung up about $10,000. Aaron, I don't have 5Gs on me. I'm not the one who's been getting Cristal and lap dances. Ask your other friends that you've been. Bro, I thought you had my back. I do have your back. What I don't have is $5,000. $5,000?

All right, whatever. I'll take care of it. Hernandez fishes out his wallet. Suddenly, he gets a menacing look. So, you and me, we gotta talk about something. You haven't told anyone about what happened in Boston. No, Aaron, come on. What are you talking about? I would never say anything.

I told you a hundred times, you gotta relax. That's why we came down here. Yeah, except all night I've been seeing these two white dudes downstairs. They keep looking at us. You sure you don't know them? Aaron, you're an NFL player. That's why they're staring. Probably just fans. Well, you better hope so. After the bill is finally settled, Bradley, Hernandez, and two other friends pile into an SUV and head back to the hotel. After the long night, Bradley is exhausted, so he leans his head against the window and dozes off.

But a few minutes later, the SUV comes to a stop and Bradley wakes up, confused. They're not moving, but they haven't yet reached the hotel. Bradley peels his face off the window and rubs his eyes. But when he turns to the front seat to see what's going on, Bradley finds Aaron Hernandez staring at him with that same menacing look. Only this time, he's pointing a semi-automatic directly at Bradley's head.

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On the morning of February 13th, 2013, after a long night partying with Aaron Hernandez and his friends, Alexander Bradley is discovered on the ground next to a back gate in South Florida. Bradley is lying in the fetal position, and his face and hands are covered in blood. It appears he was shot between the eyes.

An employee of a nearby business finds Bradley on the ground and realizes that somehow Bradley is still alive. The employee calls 911 and Bradley is rushed into emergency surgery. The doctors are able to save his life, but Bradley comes away from the incident losing one of his eyes and suffering brain damage.

But even though he was nearly murdered, Bradley doesn't want to take part in a police investigation since he has a criminal record himself. So he stonewalls, telling detectives he has no idea who shot him. And soon after, Bradley decides to take matters into his own hands. He calls up Aaron Hernandez and begins demanding payments for his silence. And over the next three months, the two men exchange over 500 text messages.

In them, Bradley demands upwards of a million dollars in compensation for his injuries. He threatens Hernandez, saying if he doesn't pay up, Bradley's going to murder him. Hernandez has already been prone to fits of paranoia. But with Bradley's escalating death threats, Hernandez descends into a full-blown panic. He hires a bodyguard named Ernest Wallace, who's an old friend from Bristol, Connecticut, and who has a lengthy rap sheet himself.

But yet, Hernandez still doesn't feel safe. So on February 24th, 2013, less than two weeks after Alexander Bradley is shot, Hernandez takes a step that he believes is the only way to protect both himself and his family. Hernandez travels to Indianapolis and heads to an upscale hotel where he meets with Bill Belichick, the head coach of the New England Patriots.

Belichick is here for the NFL Combine, an annual event where teams audition prospective players for the upcoming draft. It's unusual for a current player like Hernandez to show up, but he's convinced that he has to get an audience with Belichick before it's too late and something terrible happens. Hernandez takes a seat on a couch as Belichick sits watching game film on the hotel TV. Hey, Coach B, I wanted to thank you for taking the time to talk with me. Sure, Aaron, but...

This is the first time one of my players has come to see me at the combine. I thought you'd be out there enjoying the offseason. What's going on? Well, there's been a lot I've been thinking about. I don't want to waste your time, so I'm just going to say it. I want to get traded. Elitchek lowers the volume on the TV and gives his full attention to Hernandez. Where's this coming from? You're not happy with the team? We're getting you the ball an awful lot. No, it's nothing about the team. I just...

I want to be on the West Coast is all. Well, that's a very specific request. Tell me, what's really going on? Hernandez knows he can't mention what's happening with Alexander Bradley, so he tries to walk a tightrope, letting his coach know he's in serious danger without giving any details. It's just, you know, I'm worried about my safety. I go way back with a lot of guys in Bristol, and some of them, they're not good people. You know what I mean? Now, don't get me wrong. The Patriots have helped me turn my life in the right direction, but these guys, they're

Always trying to pull me back to the streets. I just need to get away from home. Well, a trade is a pretty drastic step, Aaron. You know you have other options. We can have Team Security take a look at this. Those guys are very discreet. Yeah, I appreciate that, but I think it might be past that point. I mean, look, you could trade me to Seattle or San Francisco. Either would work for me. I'd even take a pay cut. But Aaron, this isn't the way it works. With the way your contract is structured, a trade would be exceptionally difficult.

More than that, we need you on the team. This year, we have a real shot at the Super Bowl. I'm not going to give you away for pennies on the dollar. Okay, well, if I don't feel safe going to my house, what am I supposed to do? Look, I'll put you in touch with somebody. We'll see about renting you another place that's not in your name, and we'll wait for this whole thing to blow over. Sound like a good start? This is not what Hernandez was hoping to hear, but Belichick is notoriously stubborn, and when he's made a decision, there's no changing his mind.

None of this alters the fact that Hernandez is afraid for his own safety. And if the Patriots aren't willing to trade him to a team out west, he's going to have to find another way to get far from New England. After meeting with coach Bill Belichick, Aaron Hernandez flies out to Los Angeles to get space from his troubles in New England. His initial plan is to spend the off-season training with Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. But once he's in LA, Hernandez ends up flaking on his obligations and spends his time partying and getting into trouble.

The police are called twice after Hernandez gets into drunken fights with his fiancée. And in one occasion, he punches through a glass window in their rented home in Hermosa Beach, cutting his hand and arm badly. Hernandez also continues stockpiling weapons. He buys guns on the black market, funneling money through his bodyguard, Ernest Wallace, who ships an AR-15 and an AK-47 to Hernandez in California.

People observing Hernandez can see he's not doing well. And it's something his brother DJ witnesses firsthand when he flies out to L.A. to spend some time during the off-season with his younger brother. One day during his visit, DJ goes shopping with Aaron at a nearby mall. It's a pleasant afternoon. And later, after they get home, DJ finds Aaron sitting silently on the roof of his rented townhome. Aaron is staring out at the dark ocean. And at first, it seems like he's just taking in a beautiful view.

But then DJ notices the gun sitting in Aaron's lap. And over on the table is a single bullet. DJ asks Aaron what's wrong. But Aaron doesn't respond. Instead, he raises the gun from his lap and runs the tip of the barrel along his chin and neck. It's a terrifying sight. DJ pleads with Aaron to put the gun away. Eventually, Aaron gives in. When DJ asks again if he's doing okay, Aaron insists he's fine and that it's normal for people to have guns.

This event leaves DJ feeling shaken. He wonders how his brother could have gone from having such a good time at the mall to looking like he was about to harm himself. But as spring turns to summer and Aaron heads back to New England to train for the upcoming season, his brother DJ isn't the only one worried about the way Aaron seems to be growing increasingly unhinged.

One of Hernandez's friends is a man named Odin Lloyd. He's dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancée, Cheyana, and works a day job with a local fertilizer company while playing amateur football on weekends. Unlike Hernandez, Lloyd isn't worth millions of dollars. So as a reward for being a loyal sidekick, Hernandez supplies him with cars, weed, nights on the town, and sometimes even cash.

The two men hit it off. But like others who spend time with Hernandez, Lloyd begins to realize that the Patriots' star tight end has a dark, paranoid side, something that becomes apparent one evening in June of 2013. That night, Lloyd and Hernandez head out to Rumor nightclub in Boston. But Hernandez grows upset to see Lloyd chatting with a group of strangers at the club. And he accuses Lloyd of being disloyal and associating with his enemies.

For Lloyd, the whole episode is confusing. He doesn't know what's wrong. He was just talking with people. And yet Hernandez grows enraged, acting like he's been slighted. Two days later, when Lloyd gets a late-night call from Hernandez, he grows nervous. Hernandez is asking to meet up, but Lloyd doesn't know what it's about or what Hernandez has planned.

Still, Lloyd goes along with it, and just after 2 a.m., he waits on the living room couch of the home he shares with his mother and sisters in Boston. Lloyd is staring out the front window, waiting for Hernandez to arrive. But when Hernandez pulls up in a white Nissan Altima, Lloyd almost stays put. Something about this feels off, but then Lloyd talks himself out of his own fears. After all, Hernandez is one of his good friends. So Lloyd steps out of the house and hops in the backseat of the car.

Hernandez is behind the wheel, and he's joined by his bodyguard, Ernest Wallace, along with another man named Carlos Ortiz, another ex-con Hernandez knows from Bristol. They take off from Lloyd's house and begin driving down the highway. And it's not long before Hernandez starts behaving erratically. He blows through a toll booth on the Massachusetts Turnpike, and then, while still driving, he begins shooting a Glock handgun, firing rounds at road signs out the driver's side window.

Lloyd's heart starts pounding. Hernandez is acting like a madman, and Lloyd wonders if he's ever going to make it home. So Lloyd quietly pulls out his phone and sends a few texts to his sister. He wants to make sure she knows he's with Hernandez in case something bad happens. And then, just before 3.30 a.m., the manic joyride comes to an end as Hernandez pulls the car into an industrial area about a mile from his house.

Lloyd tries to stay calm. He tells himself they're probably just here to get high before crashing at Hernandez's place for the night. But after Hernandez parks the car, he gets out, still gripping the handgun. He walks back toward Lloyd's window, and with a cold, distant look in his eyes, he tells Lloyd to get out of the car. They're going to take a walk, because there's something the two of them need to talk about.

From Wondery, this is Episode 2 of Aaron Hernandez, a football tragedy from American Scandal. In our next episode, police investigate the murder of Odin Lloyd and what they discover sends shockwaves through the NFL. If you'd like to learn more about Aaron Hernandez, we recommend the books The Truth About Aaron by Jonathan Hernandez and All-American Murder by James Patterson, as well as the Boston Globe Series gladiator Aaron Hernandez and Football Inc.,

This episode contains reenactments and dramatized details. And while in most cases we can't know exactly what was said, all our dramatizations are based on historical research.

American Scandal is hosted, edited, and executive produced by me, Lindsey Graham, for Airship. Audio editing by Christian Paraga. Sound design by Molly Bach. Music editing by Katrina Zemrack. Music by Lindsey Graham. This episode is written by Corey Metcalf, edited by Emma Cortland. Our senior producer is Gabe Riven. Executive producers are Stephanie Jens, Jenny Lauer Beckman, and Marshall Louis for Wondery.

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