Toxicology Tests Show Aaron Hernandez Was Not on Drugs at Time of Death

Toxicology tests conducted during Aaron Hernandez's autopsy revealed the former tight end hadn't used drugs at the time of his death.

April 29, 2017

A new report on Aaron Hernandez's death says drugs were not a factor at the time of his death, refuting previous reports about the circumstances surrounding his suicide.

WCVB in Boston reports toxicology test results conducted during Hernandez's autopsy show no trace of any illegal drugs in Hernandez's system. That includes "K2," a synthetic marijuana substitute previously in question as a potential factor in the suicide.

This development in the Hernandez case runs counter to claims made by the lawyer for Kyle Kennedy, a close friend of Hernandez's in prison. Kennedy's lawyer said previously that his client believed K2 may have been a factor in Hernandez's sudden death.

“One of the things he said to me is, I wouldn’t be surprised if that had something to do with this because that stuff is bad news. That synthetic marijuana, it’s bad news,” said the attorney, Larry Army Jr. "When something’s out of character of somebody then you have to look toward other reasons potentially."

A lockdown of Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center was in place following Hernandez's death, and a search of the facility turned up homemade weapons and K2, according to WCVB.

Though the clean test rules out drugs, the broader investigation into Hernandez's death continues to produce twists and turns. Hernandez was found with various messages drawn in his cell using his own blood, including the word "ILLUMINATI" and a suggestion he was moving on into a "timeless realm." The former tight end's sexuality is also now being considered as a potential motive in the murder of Odin Lloyd, though his lawyers have since denied that one of the letters left in his cell was for a prison lover.