NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — Following the death of Aaron Hernandez, Ursula Ward, mother of Odin Lloyd, and her wrongful death case legal team, addressed issues relating to the continued prosecution of the civil action against Hernandez’s estate at a press conference Friday.
Ward said she’s not just speaking out for just for her son, but for all families of murdered loved ones seeking justice.
Attorneys for Lloyd’s mother have placed an attachment on Hernandez’s 5,800-square-foot, five-bedroom, seven-bathroom house he bought near Gillette Stadium for $1.3 million as part of their civil lawsuit against Hernandez.
A lawyer for the family issued a “friendly challenge” to the New England Patriots to voluntarily pay out money to the family.
One of Aaron Hernandez’s lawyers said he’ll ask a court to have the ex-NFL star’s murder conviction erased now that Hernandez killed himself in prison.
John Thompson said Friday he’ll file the necessary paperwork in Bristol County. That’s the Massachusetts jurisdiction where Hernandez was tried and convicted in the 2013 slaying of Lloyd.
Thompson didn’t say when he’ll file the request. The district attorney will be able to challenge it.
Courts in Massachusetts and a number of other states customarily vacate the convictions of defendants who die before their appeals are heard.
All first-degree murder convictions in Massachusetts trigger an automatic appeal. Hernandez’s appeal was still in its early stages and hadn’t yet been heard when he hanged himself early Wednesday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
