Attorney: Medical Examiner 'Illegally' Holding Aaron Hernandez's Brain

SOON AS WE GET THEM.
(HE)
BREAKING NEWS ALSO IN
THE DEATH OF AARON
HERNANDEZ...
WITHIN JUST THE LAST
HOUR... THE MEDICAL
EXAMINER CONFIRMING
THE FORMER N.F.L. STAR
COMMITTED SUICIDE.
(MM)
THAT NEWS... JUST
HOURS AFTER
HERNANDEZ'S ATTORNEY
HELD A NEWS
CONFERENCE ACCUSING
THE STATE'S CHIEF
MEDICAL EXAMINER OF
"ILLEGALLY" HOLDING
HERNANDEZ'S BRAIN.
LET'S GET RIGHT TO
EYEWITNESS NEWS
REPORTER JARED PLINER
WITH THE VERY LATEST...
HE'S LIVE OUTSIDE
HERNANDEZ'S FORMER
HOME IN NORTH
ATTLEBORO?
The medical examiner
tonightofficially ruling
Hernandez's death a suicide
by hanging by a bed sheet
and agreeing to release his
brain to Boston University.
That -- after Hernandez's
attorney tore into the ME.
Investigators saying there
were no signs of a struggle in
Hernandez's cell and they
found three hand written
notes next to a bible.
Hernandez attorney Jose Baez
calling a news conference
blasting
the medical examiner's office in
Boston...
"It is our position that they
are
holding Aaron Hernandez's brain
illegally. They have released
the
body and withheld Aaron's
brain."
Asked why the skepticism over
state
reports Hernandez hanged
himself...
"Why are you so quick to accept
their word?"
"As it relates to whether it's a
suicide or not, we don't make
that
call -- again -- until
everything is
done."
Baez saying family wants
Hernandez's brain to be studied
at
Boston University for any
traumatic
football-related injury. Though
Baez
-- not saying he believes there
was...
"You don't make a conclusion
without looking. And that's what
we're doing. We're looking."
Holding firm he was only going
to
address the brain issue -- Baez
refused to address anonymously
sourced Boston reports Hernandez
was found in his cell with a
bible
verse scrawled on his forehead.
"I don't know where you're
getting
your factual information from.
If it's a
confidential source, of course
I'm
not going to address something
so
ridiculous as that."
"How do I know? Was I there?"
But no answer to the follow-up
on
whether he sat in on the state
autopsy... And how was Aaron
Hernandez during the pair's last
conversation...
"I'm a lawyer, not a
psychiatrist. So I
can't do that."
The Worcester DA says
Hernandez was locked in his
cell around 8. And then for 7
hours no one entered the cell
until he was found around 3
am. Our Boston affiliate WBZ
reports at least one
correctional office is on leave
now. The dep of Correction
has not responded to our
repeated requests for
confirmation today. jP EWN.
(HE)
FIRST AT SIX --- OUR
COVERAGE CONTINUES
OF THE DEATH OF AARON
HERNANDEZ, WHICH
INVESTIGATORS HAVE
OFFICIALLY RULLED AS A
SUICIDE.
(MM)
THE MOTHER OF ODIN
LLOYD IS PLANNING TO
SPEAK TO REPORTERS
TOMORROW. AS WE
REPORTED YESTERDAY----
HER ATORNEYS ARE
CONTINUING WITH THEIR
CIVIL CASE AGAINST
HERNANDEZ.
(HE)
MEANWHILE,
HERNANDEZ'S ATTORNEY
IS CONTINUING WITH HIS
OWN INVESTIGATION ----
....DESPITE THE RELEASE
FROM THE WORCESTER
COUNTY D-A'S OFFICE THIS
AFTERNOON ---
...WHICH, AMONG OTHER
THINGS -- SAID
HERNANDEZ WAS ALONE
IN HIS CELL FROM 8 P-M
TUESDAY NIGHT...
....UNTIL 3 A-M YESTERDAY
MORNING, WHEN A
CORRECTIONS OFFICER
SPOTTED HIM.
(MM)
EYEWITNESS NEWS
REPORTER JARED PLINER
HAS MORE ON THE D-A'S
REPORT, AND WHAT
HERNANDEZ'S ATTORNEY
HAD TO SAY THIS
AFTERNOON ---
LIVE FROM OUTSIDE
HERNANDEZ'S FORMER
HOME IN NORTH
ATTLEBORO, WITH THE
SOUTHEASTERN
MASSACHUSETTS MOBILE
NEWSROOM.
The medical examiner tonight
ruling Hernandez hanged
himself with a bed sheet and
agreeing to release
Hernandez's brain for study of
any sports injury at BU. That
-- after his attorney accused
the ME of withholding the
brain. Investigators now say
there were no signs of a
struggle in Hernandez's cell
and they found three hand
written notes next to a bible
Hernandez at
Hernandez attorney Jose Baez --
saying he's hired renowned
forensic
pathologist Michael Baden to do
an
independent autopsy.
Jose Baez
Defense Attorney
"Why are you so quick to except
their word?"
"As it relates to whether it's a
suicide or not, we don't make
that
call -- again -- until
everything is
done."
... saying the family also wants
Hernandez's brain studied for
injury
at BU.
Baez -- shrugging off Boston
reports
Hernandez had a bible verse
scrawled on his forehead.
"I don't know where you're
getting
your factual information from.
If it's a
confidential source, of course
I'm
not going to address something
so
ridiculous as that."
Richard Brody is a prominent
Boston attorney and a former
prosecutor.
"Why would he kill himself? I
don't
know. But the fact that his
lawyer
didn't think that he would kill
himself
doesn't necessarily mean that he
wouldn't have killed himself."
Brody knows liability cases. He
says
conviction or acquittal, dead or
alive,
victims families' civil suits
against
Hernandez are different...
"In the criminal case, you have
to be
found guilty beyond a reasonable
doubt. In a civil case, the
burden of
proof is substantially lower:
More
likely than not. Meaning more
than
50 percent sure."
"I don't think it's going to be
hard."
That's to say nothing of what
Hernandez assets exist
beyond this house.
The Worcester DA says
Hernandez was not found for
7 hours after he was locked
in. Our Boston affiliate WBZ
reports at least one
correctional office is on leave
now. The dep of Correction
has not responded to our
repeated requests for
confirmation today. jP EWN.
(HE)
COUNT ON EYEWITNESS
NEWS FOR CONTINUING
COVERAGE OF THE DEATH
OF AARON HERNANDEZ,
ON AIR AND ONLINE.
(MM)
RIGHT NOW ON W-P-R-I-
DOT-COM --- YOU CAN
READ MORE ABOUT
HERNANDEZ'S FORMER
NORTH ATTLEBORO HOME,
AS WELL AS A TIMELINE OF

Attorney: Medical Examiner 'Illegally' Holding Aaron Hernandez's Brain

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