--- description: The brain of ex-NFL star Aaron Hernandez will be released to researchers from Boston University's Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center title: Aaron Hernandez's Brain to be Donated to CTE Researchers image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt915123fd03212f96/6988c386bc6cfc40063e0f64/aaron-hernandez.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [U.S.](/section/us/) ## U.S. Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Ex-NFL Player Aaron Hernandez's Brain to Be Donated to CTE Researchers by [Kate Samuelson](/author/kate-samuelson/) ## Kate Samuelson Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 21, 2017 3:31 PM CUT  Aaron Hernandez sits in the courtroom of the Attleboro District Court during his hearing on Aug. 22, 2013 in North Attleboro, MA. Aaron Hernandez sits in the courtroom of the Attleboro District Court during his hearing on Aug. 22, 2013 in North Attleboro, MA.Jared Wickerham—Getty Images by [Kate Samuelson](/author/kate-samuelson/) ## Kate Samuelson Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 21, 2017 3:31 PM CUT The brain of ex-NFL star [Aaron Hernandez](http://time.com/4741012/aaron-hernandez-not-guilty-double-murder/ "undefined"), who was found hanged in his prison cell days after he was acquitted in a double murder trial, will be released to researchers from Boston University’s Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center for a study about possible brain trauma. This move to donate the [former New England Patriots player](http://time.com/3608254/aaron-hernandez-double-murder-trial-delayed/ "undefined")‘s brain to science comes after his family accused officials of [refusing to release it](http://time.com/4749289/aaron-hernandez-donate-brain-science/ "undefined"), despite turning over the rest of his body to a funeral home on Thursday. “Now that the cause and manner of death have been determined, the brain will be released to Boston University’s Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center as Mr. Hernandez’s family wishes,” said District Attorney Joseph D. Early, Jr. in a [statement](https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/04/20/hernandez-defense-attorney-hold-news-conference/weoB3xQuFHY9D6Pl77VxBP/story.html "undefined"). Hernandez’s attorney Jose Baez told the [Associated Press](http://time.com/4749289/aaron-hernandez-donate-brain-science/ "undefined") that the family will be seeking an independent autopsy but declined to say whether he or the family believed brain damage from his playing days led the 27-year-old to kill himself. Hernandez was serving a life sentence at the Souza Baranowski Correctional Center in Massachusetts for the 2013 killing of Odin Lloyd, a semi-professional football player who was dating his fiancee’s sister. He was discovered hanging in his cell by correction officers earlyWednesday morning. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4750321/aaron-hernandez-brain-cte-research/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4750321/aaron-hernandez-brain-cte-research/"},"headline":"Ex-NFL Player Aaron Hernandez's Brain to Be Donated to CTE Researchers","datePublished":"2017-04-21T15:31:50.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-31T10:54:58.983Z","description":"His family had accused officials of refusing to release it","url":"https://time.com/4750321/aaron-hernandez-brain-cte-research/","keywords":["Crime","Science topic","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt915123fd03212f96/6988c386bc6cfc40063e0f64/aaron-hernandez.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Kate Samuelson","jobTitle":"","url":"https://time.com/author/kate-samuelson/"}],"articleSection":"U.S.","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt915123fd03212f96/6988c386bc6cfc40063e0f64/aaron-hernandez.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Aaron Hernandez Court Appearance","caption":"Aaron Hernandez Court Appearance","creditText":"Jared Wickerham—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/us/","name":"U.S."}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4750321/aaron-hernandez-brain-cte-research/","name":"Ex-NFL Player Aaron Hernandez's Brain to Be Donated to CTE Researchers"}}]}] ```