The Massachusetts Department of Corrections said state police will investigate what it called the apparent suicide of former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez, but others are promising to take a closer look into what happened.
The question of why Hernandez would end his own life might go unanswered.
It was just after 3 a.m. Wednesday when corrections officers found Hernandez hanging from a bed sheet.
No suicide note was left, but sources told Fox25Boston that "John 3:16" was written on his forehead and the wall of his prison cell.
The Bible passage reads:
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."
State police spent the day gathering evidence from the cell, reviewing surveillance video and speaking with prison staff.
>> Related: Aaron Hernandez's lawyer, agent dispute suicide claims, want full investigation
Officials said Wednesday that there was no indication that Hernandez was suicidal.
“It’s possible it might not be a suicide, but there are people committing suicide in this facility,” State Sen. Jamie Eldridge said. “(There are) five, six, seven people every few years.”
According to the Boston Globe, Hernandez is the 27th suicide in Massachusetts state prisons since 2010, and the second so far this year.
Another person promising to investigate Hernandez’s apparent suicide is his high-profile attorney, Jose Baez. He recently won an acquittal for Hernandez in his double murder trial.
In a statement, Baez writes:
"We are heartbroken and we are determined to find the truth. We are looking into the process and will conduct a transparent investigation into his untimely death."
The Globe reports that an official told it that corrections officers conduct nighttime bed checks once an hour and on a staggered schedule to increase the chance of locating an inmate who may have an issue.
“I really hope Gov. (Charlie) Baker and the Legislature take a hard look at improving conditions for prisoners and corrections officers,” Eldridge said.
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