When former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez died by suicide in prison in April 2017, it triggered a complex legal and financial shockwave. At the center of the fallout stood his fiancée, Shayanna Jenkins, and a multi-million-dollar battle with the Patriots over unpaid salary and bonuses. The situation exposed rare intersections between criminal law, professional sports contracts, and estate liability.
Public interest centered heavily on whether Hernandez's estate could collect the remaining balance of his massive five-year, $40 million contract extension signed in 2012. This deep-dive breaks down the financial fallout, the legal loopholes, and what actually happened to the money.
The Legal Loophole and the Abatement Doctrine
To understand why a financial dispute arose, you have to look at a centuries-old legal principle known in Massachusetts as abatement ab initio. Under this doctrine, if a defendant dies while their direct criminal appeal is still pending, the conviction is vacated, and the defendant is legally presumed innocent because they never got a final review of their case.
Following Hernandez's death, his defense team moved to vacate his 2015 first-degree murder conviction for the killing of Odin Lloyd. A superior court judge granted the request, wiping out the conviction. Related coverage on this trend has been shared by BBC.
This ruling created an immediate ripple effect for civil contracts. Because the murder conviction was technically erased, Hernandez's estate argued he hadn't officially violated the moral turpitude or conduct clauses of his NFL player contract at the time of his death. Consequently, Jenkins and the estate argued the New England Patriots still owed millions in remaining signing bonuses and base salary.
The Patriots' Financial Exposure and Team Defense
The New England Patriots had released Hernandez immediately after his June 2013 arrest. When the team cut ties, they withheld millions in future guaranteed money, pointing to standard NFL player contract language regarding "conduct detrimental" to the league.
- The Guaranteed Money: Hernandez had signed a lucrative extension that included a $3.25 million signing bonus and future base salaries scaling upward.
- The Grievance: The NFL Players Association (NFLPA) filed a grievance on Hernandez's behalf to recover millions in unpaid bonuses, which the Patriots contested.
- The Settlement: Long before the courts settled the broader abatement debate, the Patriots and the Hernandez estate reached a confidential settlement regarding the grievance, sparing both sides a protracted trial over the exact wording of the team's default clauses.
While the exact payout of that settlement remained private, legal analysts noted it was a fraction of the total claimed amount, heavily offset by mounting legal defense bills from Hernandez's multiple criminal trials.
Impact on Shayanna Jenkins and the Estate
For Shayanna Jenkins, navigating the financial aftermath meant dealing with virtually empty accounts alongside immense public scrutiny. Defense attorneys confirmed during the 2015 trial that Hernandez was effectively broke by the time his legal proceedings concluded, with liquid assets wiped out by expensive criminal defense representation.
The phrase "(YOURE RICH)" scribbled in Hernandez's final prison note to Jenkins sparked widespread speculation. Many assumed he believed the abatement rule would automatically funnel millions from his football contract to his family. However, reality proved starkly different:
- Wrongful Death Claims: Families of victims, including Odin Lloyd's mother, filed civil wrongful death lawsuits against the estate.
- Asset Depletion: Any incoming funds from memorabilia sales, team grievance settlements, or pension adjustments were heavily targeted by civil judgment creditors.
- Trust Management: Funds intended for the couple's daughter faced intense administrative oversight and public legal challenges regarding distribution.
How the Legal Landscape Shifted Afterward
The controversy surrounding Hernandez forced lawmakers and courts to reexamine antiquated laws. In 2019, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court officially abolished the abatement ab initio rule for future cases, calling it outdated and unsuited for modern legal standards. The court reinstated Hernandez's conviction, closing the legal loophole that allowed defendants to erase verdicts through suicide during appeals.
This legislative shift ensured that future high-profile criminal cases would not experience the same bizarre post-mortem contract disputes, protecting sports leagues and corporate entities from similar financial claims tied to vacated verdicts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did the New England Patriots actually pay out millions to Aaron Hernandez's family?
No. While a grievance was filed, the Patriots maintained that Hernandez's actions breached club policies. Any settlement reached was a minor fraction of the total claim, heavily diluted by legal fees and prior debts.
What happened to the abatement law in Massachusetts?
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court abolished abatement ab initio in 2019. The court ruled that dismissing convictions upon a defendant's death during appeals no longer aligned with contemporary justice, restoring Hernandez's conviction retroactively.
Did Shayanna Jenkins inherit a large fortune?
As established by defense counsel during the trials, Hernandez's liquid wealth was largely exhausted by massive legal defense costs. While media reports often sensationalized potential payouts, the estate faced severe liabilities from civil wrongful death lawsuits.
How do standard NFL contracts handle criminal charges?
Standard player contracts include strict moral turpitude and conduct detrimental clauses. Teams retain the right to void remaining guaranteed money, bonuses, and future salaries immediately upon an arrest or serious violation of league policies.
