Update: Former NFL Star Aaron Hernandez Found Dead in Prison Cell by hanging

The 27-year-old former tight end for the New England Patriots hanged himself with a bedsheet attached to a window in his cell at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley, the Massachusetts Department of Correction said. His body was discovered at 3:05 a.m.

“Lifesaving techniques were attempted on Mr. Hernandez, and he was transported to UMass Leominster, where he was pronounced dead at 4:07 a.m.,” the correction department’s statement reads.

Jose Baez vows to investigate Aaron Hernandez suicide

The news that Aaron Hernandez committed suicide invites questions as to whether those charged with his care and supervision could have prevented it. Hernandez’s lawyer has raised a question that could have a much more sinister answer.

“The family and legal team is shocked and surprised at the news of Aaron’s death,” Jose Baez said in a statement, via the Boston Herald. “There were no conversations or correspondence from Aaron to his family or legal team that would have indicated anything like this was possible.  Aaron was looking forward to an opportunity for a second chance to prove his innocence.  Those who love and care about him are heartbroken and determined to find the truth surrounding his untimely death. We request that authorities conduct a transparent and thorough investigation.”

Baez said that he will conduct his own investigation on the situation.

“Absolutely no chance he took his own life,” agent Brian Murphy said on Twitter, per the Herald. “Chico was not a saint, but my family and I loved him and he would never take his own life.”

Source: CNN.com and NBCSSports.com