Former National Football League star Aaron Hernandez has been found dead in his prison cell in the U.S. state of Massachusetts.
Authorities say the ex New England Patriots tight end, 27, hung himself utilizing a bed sheet he attached to his cell window.
"Mr. Hernandez also attempted to block his door from the inside by jamming the door with various items," said Christopher Fallon, an official with the Massachusetts Department of Correction.
Fallon said Hernandez was in a single cell in a general population housing unit. He said Hernandez was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Hernandez was serving a life sentence for a 2013 murder. Last Friday he was acquitted in a 2012 double slaying.
Hernandez had played three seasons in the NFL, from 2010 to 2012. He caught 175 passes and scored 18 touchdowns.
