Former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez is dead. He was discovered hanging from a bed sheet in his cell at the Souza Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley, Massachusetts shortly after 3 a.m. on Wednesday morning.

According to a statement from the Massachusetts Department of Corrections, lifesaving techniques were performed and Hernandez was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Hernandez was in a single cell in general population housing and was found hanging by a bed sheet from the cell window. He had blocked entrance into the cell by jamming various items in front of his door.

Although he was recently acquitted of killing two men in Boston back in 2012, Hernandez was serving a life sentence for the murder of Odin Lloyd in 2013. Massachusetts State Police officials are still on the scene investigating and more details will be released as soon at they become available.

Hernandez was drafted to the New England Patriots in 2010 in the fourth round where he played 3 seasons at the tight end position before being released by the team following his arrest in June of 2013. Hernandez spent his college career playing for the Florida Gators.

Hernandez was 27-years-old.

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