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Unnecessary Roughness: Inside the Trial and Final Days of Aaron Hernandez
The New York Times a revelatory inside story of the trial and final days of New England Patriots superstar Aaron Hernandez, by his attorney and New York Times bestselling author Jose Baez.When renowned defense attorney Jose Baez received a request for representation from Aaron Hernandez, the disgraced Patriots tight-end was already serving a life sentence for murder. Defending him in a second, double-murder trial seemed like a lost cause--but Baez accepted the challenge, and their partnership culminated in a dramatic courtroom victory, a race to contest his first conviction, and ultimately a tragedy, when Aaron took his own life days after his acquittal.This riveting, closely-observed account of Aaron's life and final year is the only book based on countless intimate conversations with Aaron, and told from the perspective of a true insider. Written with the support of Hernandez's fiancée, Unnecessary Roughness takes readers inside the high-profile trial, offering a dramatic retelling of the race to obtain key evidence that would exonerate Hernandez, and later play a critical role in appealing his first conviction.With revelations about Aaron's personal life that weren't shared at trial, and an exploration of the Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy diagnosis revealed by his autopsy, Jose Baez's Unnecessary Roughness is a startling courtroom drama and an unexpected portrait of a fallen father, fiancé, and teammate.
289 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 21, 2018
244 people are currently reading
1372 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews
August 23, 2018
If you’re looking for previously unreleased insights or information about the Aaron Hernandez saga, you won’t be disappointed. Jose Baez shares lots of details, unlike the numerous documentaries that simply rehash the same information.
My only two criticisms (and I’m nitpicking) are:
1.) There’s a handful of duplicate stories/paragraphs are nearly the same, word-for-word. It wouldn’t surprise me if the book was written based on hours and hours of audio interviews with the author, which is a common practice. However, the redundant stories should’ve been caught by an editor.
2.) There are multiple references to Aaron living in Plainview, MA, which should be Plainville, MA. I guess transcribing audio interviews to text isn’t perfect.
Neither of these made the book less enjoyable. I highly recommend the audiobook version because the narrators performance is excellent and it’s a well-written story.
My only two criticisms (and I’m nitpicking) are:
1.) There’s a handful of duplicate stories/paragraphs are nearly the same, word-for-word. It wouldn’t surprise me if the book was written based on hours and hours of audio interviews with the author, which is a common practice. However, the redundant stories should’ve been caught by an editor.
2.) There are multiple references to Aaron living in Plainview, MA, which should be Plainville, MA. I guess transcribing audio interviews to text isn’t perfect.
Neither of these made the book less enjoyable. I highly recommend the audiobook version because the narrators performance is excellent and it’s a well-written story.
August 26, 2018
He was innocent! (At least for the double murder in Boston). Excellent book describing the shoddy police work and interesting witnesses. It's amazing that everyone is willing to ignore CTE just to have something to watch on Sundays (and now Mondays and Thursdays)
February 7, 2020
Naturally, after watching the Netflix special, I had to get this book. I really don’t know how to feel about this case, I find it sad all around. This book makes you understand why Jose Baez is such a damn good lawyer. I’d wake my boyfriend up and start telling him how Aaron couldn’t have been the killer and gave him all the details. Gives you a good look into why he was acquitted on the double homicide case.
January 18, 2019
I have now completed three books about the tragic life of Aaron Hernandez. I started with the James Patterson book - which reminded me of the entire case history. Next was the book by his brother Jonathan (DJ) Hernandez - this book gave insight to his childhood and discussed head injuries as a child that neither of the other books mentioned. I finished with this book, which I think was the best of the three. I’m very glad I read them in the order that I did. Mr Baez’s insight into the legal process, especially in such a high profile case, was fascinating and well told. He retold the story in a conversational manner, as if he was speaking to you as a friend or trusted colleague. I gained a new respect for defense attorneys.
Aaron’s story is tragic and knowing that his CTE was so advanced, it had to have affected his actions. The evidence of CTE in football is real. We will continue to hear about more and more players and former players suffering from this condition. Anyone who allows their child to participate in tackle football needs to know the facts.
I hope that when she is old enough to understand, that Aaron’s daughter will find some comfort in the knowledge that her father loved her and was not a monster. Really such a sad sad story.
Aaron’s story is tragic and knowing that his CTE was so advanced, it had to have affected his actions. The evidence of CTE in football is real. We will continue to hear about more and more players and former players suffering from this condition. Anyone who allows their child to participate in tackle football needs to know the facts.
I hope that when she is old enough to understand, that Aaron’s daughter will find some comfort in the knowledge that her father loved her and was not a monster. Really such a sad sad story.
September 22, 2018
This was penned by Hernandez's defense lawyer, who took over after the former NFLer's first conviction and managed to get him off the hook in his second trial. Thus, it's more than a little one-sided and that can be irritating. I struggled at times to keep an open mind, given what we've been told through the media, which is a point of emphasis throughout: the news often tries a defendant in the court of public opinion long before opening statements. Baez is a bit of a showman, though, which occasionally makes him seem smarmy and boastful. He also skims past statements and observations that contradict his pretty picture of Hernandez as the good kid who ran with the wrong crowd, which doesn't help the cause. Rich with new details, but I don't entirely trust the source.
December 17, 2018
Unnecessary Roughness: Inside the Trial and Final Days of Aaron Hernandez by Jose Baez
I have liked the football player and when he was convicted of a crime I just shock my head no, they got it all wrong.
So glad I was given this book to review. I live nearby the area and learned only things form the news as the trial went on-they had it all wrong. Wish they would've found out the facts before reporting false things.
Story goes back in time to when he was young, going to college and going to NFL camp to get drafted. He was a very smart man and liked to hang out with the guys and also his girlfriend-at the time. Loved seeing the real pictures of his family-so touching and meaningful to me.
His laywer, Jose dug into the reports and found so many inconsistencies and dug for the truth. liked how social media played a part: tattoo, guns, video camera footage, etc.
Was sad when he was acquitted of the murder but didn't get released that night. Love words he lip spoke to his girl and his child at the court room scenes that they televised.
Like how the music helped him and how he found God and the teachings in the Bible. I think that's what kept him going as long as he did. After all had left to go back home as it was Easter to find out the next day what happened.
Wish mother and child well and hope she can recover some if not all his money that is owed him for her education and well being. He never should've been prosecuted there were so many errors in the trial and reports the police had collected.
Wish he had hung around with a different crowd and he was till with us. Treasure his life and what they were able to find after that will help all humankind to better understand. Thank you so much Aaron, for the suffering you had to endure for the good of others.
Love this book as it opened my eyes to what really happened to Aaron. This will be one of my top 10 books out of 600 this year.
Received this review copy from Hachette Books and this is my honest opinion.
I have liked the football player and when he was convicted of a crime I just shock my head no, they got it all wrong.
So glad I was given this book to review. I live nearby the area and learned only things form the news as the trial went on-they had it all wrong. Wish they would've found out the facts before reporting false things.
Story goes back in time to when he was young, going to college and going to NFL camp to get drafted. He was a very smart man and liked to hang out with the guys and also his girlfriend-at the time. Loved seeing the real pictures of his family-so touching and meaningful to me.
His laywer, Jose dug into the reports and found so many inconsistencies and dug for the truth. liked how social media played a part: tattoo, guns, video camera footage, etc.
Was sad when he was acquitted of the murder but didn't get released that night. Love words he lip spoke to his girl and his child at the court room scenes that they televised.
Like how the music helped him and how he found God and the teachings in the Bible. I think that's what kept him going as long as he did. After all had left to go back home as it was Easter to find out the next day what happened.
Wish mother and child well and hope she can recover some if not all his money that is owed him for her education and well being. He never should've been prosecuted there were so many errors in the trial and reports the police had collected.
Wish he had hung around with a different crowd and he was till with us. Treasure his life and what they were able to find after that will help all humankind to better understand. Thank you so much Aaron, for the suffering you had to endure for the good of others.
Love this book as it opened my eyes to what really happened to Aaron. This will be one of my top 10 books out of 600 this year.
Received this review copy from Hachette Books and this is my honest opinion.
August 27, 2018
This is the first (and last) Jose Baez book I read. I was interested in the Aaron Hernandez story and the book gave insight into Aaron's life, but the book was very self serving and had weak writing. I found my self flipping back into the book to make connections between the anecdotal stories Jose threw in. Jose had silly similes and metaphors to make the writing interesting (I guess) but just made me groan. It does bring attention to CTE and I think that will be Aaron's legacy. I hope more studies are done about this.
Told from the point of view of Jose Baez, this book may have been better written if told from a third person point of view.
Told from the point of view of Jose Baez, this book may have been better written if told from a third person point of view.
November 30, 2018
Written by his attorney and totally one-sided
February 22, 2019
complete B.S
October 25, 2020
I don't watch football so I didn't even know who Aaron Hernandez was until he was charged in the Odin Lloyd case. I didn't follow either of his trials so I only knew what the media reported about it. I figured there was a 50/50 chance that Aaron could be guilty given that I don't fully trust the media or justice system. I didn't think anything more about Aaron or his trials until the recent documentary was released.
After watching it I had some doubts about Aaron's guilt in the Lloyd case so I purchased this book. Now I'm 100% convinced that there was reasonable doubt in the Odin Lloyd case and that Aaron got a raw deal.
The book delves much deeper than the Netflix documentary providing a more complete and factual narrative of the events. The facts and evidence concerning the events in question are laid out in painstaking detail. Jose is admittedly biased towards Aaron's innocence, but he allows the facts to shape the story. Inadvertently, he also exposes Boston PD and prosecutors as reckless seekers of justice.
The book is well written and compelling. Mr. Baez does a great job of maintaining a solid balance between covering the facts of the cases and what happened behind the scenes or in Aaron's personal life.
I'm glad that Mr. Baez decided to write this book in defense of Aaron Hernandez. People should be given the opportunity to know the facts from Aaron's side. It's unfortunate that he committed suicide because I firmly believe that his conviction would've been eventually overturned on appeal.
To any doubters - Nothing should be taken at face value. Things aren't always as they appear. Be leery of what the media feeds you. The truth is in the details.... and this book is full of them.
After watching it I had some doubts about Aaron's guilt in the Lloyd case so I purchased this book. Now I'm 100% convinced that there was reasonable doubt in the Odin Lloyd case and that Aaron got a raw deal.
The book delves much deeper than the Netflix documentary providing a more complete and factual narrative of the events. The facts and evidence concerning the events in question are laid out in painstaking detail. Jose is admittedly biased towards Aaron's innocence, but he allows the facts to shape the story. Inadvertently, he also exposes Boston PD and prosecutors as reckless seekers of justice.
The book is well written and compelling. Mr. Baez does a great job of maintaining a solid balance between covering the facts of the cases and what happened behind the scenes or in Aaron's personal life.
I'm glad that Mr. Baez decided to write this book in defense of Aaron Hernandez. People should be given the opportunity to know the facts from Aaron's side. It's unfortunate that he committed suicide because I firmly believe that his conviction would've been eventually overturned on appeal.
To any doubters - Nothing should be taken at face value. Things aren't always as they appear. Be leery of what the media feeds you. The truth is in the details.... and this book is full of them.
September 1, 2018
Thank you Jose for such an insightful and compassionate look at Aaron. I thought all along that he was innocent in those Boston murders. You proved he was just a convenient scapegoat, someone high profile enough with a recent murder conviction, that would close the case with a bang. They weren't expecting you and your incredible team!! Thank you for publishing the truth, unlike the other book, that claimed truth but only spit out what the police and prosecutors told him. Anyone who read that book, ( by a famous author) should read this book and find out what really happened.
February 20, 2020
This book gave insight that no documentary wanted to talk about.
This book brought light to the life of Aaron Hernandez’s conviction that NO ONE wanted to talk about. Reading this book made me understand things in a different perspective that I never would have thought about in a normal setting. Jose done a wonderful job with this book! I wish the Odin Case would have been able to get the appeal and Jose defend Aaron. I never thought he was guilty to begin with but after this book, I am a firm believer he was innocent!
This book brought light to the life of Aaron Hernandez’s conviction that NO ONE wanted to talk about. Reading this book made me understand things in a different perspective that I never would have thought about in a normal setting. Jose done a wonderful job with this book! I wish the Odin Case would have been able to get the appeal and Jose defend Aaron. I never thought he was guilty to begin with but after this book, I am a firm believer he was innocent!
February 23, 2020
What can I tell you, I learned Jose Baez is extremely thorough in his profession. He is one of the best for a good reason. And an engaging story teller. I listened to it twice just to make sure I don’t miss any details. It’s always good to know the other side of the story and Jose delivered getting you to understand it well.
April 16, 2021
I absolutely loved this book. It was one of those books I could not put down. Every detail of the trial and case surrounding these charges was absolutely fasicinating. I would have given it five stars but it was written from his lawyers point of view so I had to take some points away because fact is, there's a bit of bias there but otherwise absolutely outstanding. Would definately recommend
October 1, 2022
great nonfiction story, even if it took me awhile to finish. so glad i picked this book up and i’m glad to have my own copy. it really expresses the dangers of football and the author is not only a great lawyer but a great advocate as well.
February 15, 2019
The book im reading unnecessary roughness the trials of Aaron Hernedez is a biography about Aaron hernendez. The writer of this book is Aarons lawyer Jose Baez. The book is so interesting due to the inside conversations Jose had with Aaron that nobody else had. In the book Jose explains the rise of Aaron's football career. He also tells the story of the “corrupt trial” and the downfall of Aaron.
Aaron Hernendez grew up in Bristol Connecticut all his life. When Aaron was a young boy he lost his father. The book was written after Aaron died and his brother told Jose that his father would physically abuse him and his brother. From a young age Aaron stood out on the football field. At a young age Aaron was influenced by the streets and gangs. Aarons loss influenced him tremendously his mother could not keep him out of the streets. Due to Aaron's football skills he was given the chance to play football at the next level.
Aaron decided to play football at the University of Florida. A new location did not stop him from living the same lifestyle. Aaron was at a bar and had an altercation with a bartender and got in a fight and he punched him in the side of the head making his eardrum burst luckily they did not press charges on Aaron. The Florida coach Urban Meyer told Aaron his Junior year that this is the last year on the team due to his poor behavior which was surprising because Aaron was an All american tight end. After his Junior year he was an NFL prospect and one of the top talents of the draft class. He was a 1st round talent according to many but all the teams knew his use of recreational marajuana Jose said. Aaron got drafted in the 4th round by the New England Patriots near his hometown Bristol. Aaron was a rising star for the patriots singing a 40 million dollar contract
Aaron his rookie year met a guy named Alexander Bradley he was a big gangster Aaron met that he smoked weed with. Aaron hanging around these guys that were around the streets and in the summer of 2013 he was accused of killing his friend and then was accused of a double murder that happened in 2013. Aaron would be convicted of the killing of his friend but not the double murder. Aaron later in 2017 hung himself in his jail cell. His fiancee decided to donate his body to science and found out he had a major case of CTE a head disease.
Aaron had a rough early life. The poor decisions he made later in his life could have been apart of that and his dad dying certainly did not help. Aaron had lots of bad and good characteristics but his bad overshadowed his good. If you asked me if you should read this book I would say yes if you look real life murder cases but there are flaws to the book because it can be a little bit bias becuase his lawyer wrote it. Overall I would recommend it.
Aaron Hernendez grew up in Bristol Connecticut all his life. When Aaron was a young boy he lost his father. The book was written after Aaron died and his brother told Jose that his father would physically abuse him and his brother. From a young age Aaron stood out on the football field. At a young age Aaron was influenced by the streets and gangs. Aarons loss influenced him tremendously his mother could not keep him out of the streets. Due to Aaron's football skills he was given the chance to play football at the next level.
Aaron decided to play football at the University of Florida. A new location did not stop him from living the same lifestyle. Aaron was at a bar and had an altercation with a bartender and got in a fight and he punched him in the side of the head making his eardrum burst luckily they did not press charges on Aaron. The Florida coach Urban Meyer told Aaron his Junior year that this is the last year on the team due to his poor behavior which was surprising because Aaron was an All american tight end. After his Junior year he was an NFL prospect and one of the top talents of the draft class. He was a 1st round talent according to many but all the teams knew his use of recreational marajuana Jose said. Aaron got drafted in the 4th round by the New England Patriots near his hometown Bristol. Aaron was a rising star for the patriots singing a 40 million dollar contract
Aaron his rookie year met a guy named Alexander Bradley he was a big gangster Aaron met that he smoked weed with. Aaron hanging around these guys that were around the streets and in the summer of 2013 he was accused of killing his friend and then was accused of a double murder that happened in 2013. Aaron would be convicted of the killing of his friend but not the double murder. Aaron later in 2017 hung himself in his jail cell. His fiancee decided to donate his body to science and found out he had a major case of CTE a head disease.
Aaron had a rough early life. The poor decisions he made later in his life could have been apart of that and his dad dying certainly did not help. Aaron had lots of bad and good characteristics but his bad overshadowed his good. If you asked me if you should read this book I would say yes if you look real life murder cases but there are flaws to the book because it can be a little bit bias becuase his lawyer wrote it. Overall I would recommend it.
February 13, 2021
I picked up this book because reviews of it mentioned that it delves in to CTE, the brain disease that affects so many professional football players and is becoming recognized as almost an epidemic in some sport circles. Sadly, the information on CTE is confined to the last chapter of this love letter to the sterling character of Aaron Hernandez, a gifted athlete from an extremely sketchy background, who had the misfortune of being in close vicinity to people who ended up dead. Not his fault of course. Just some bad luck, and poor judgment in picking friends. According to the author, his lawyer and “brotha”, Jose Baez, the
guilty parties in the case(s) of people who were murdered while in close proximity to Hernandez include, but are not limited to: the police, the DA, Hernandez’s friends, gangs, and the victims themselves. The only not-guilty party is Hernandez.
Lawyer Baez is fully committed to “clearing the record” of his now deceased “brotha” Hernandez by calling on legal
Precedent to have an earlier murder case overturned; what isn’t said is that if this case is overturned, then the New England Patriots, who had been able to drop Hernandez’s contract because of his murder conviction, would now owe the family of the deceased (and, ostensibly, his “brotha” Baez) millions in backpay. Not a bad payout for a “SJW”lawyer who bashed “the system” for excluding minorities and people of color (aka African Americans), then encouraged one of his defense witnesses to disrespect the Asian prosecutor by calling him a stereotypical cover-all Asian name throughout the proceedings.
I’d gone into this book looking for some inside information into the life and times of aaron Hernandez that might make him a more sympathetic, 3-dimensional character who made some incredibly bad choices, both in his choice of company and in his professional conduct. Instead, I found a slobbering salute to a privileged boy-man, who shamelessly took and dealt drugs, hung with dealers, killers, and gang members, spent time in high class bars and clubs as his fiancé stayed home and cared for their baby, and in his Suicide note (s) paid homage to the rappers and hip hop groups that “got him through,” without saying much to his fiancé and his brother.
A disappointing read if ever there was one.
guilty parties in the case(s) of people who were murdered while in close proximity to Hernandez include, but are not limited to: the police, the DA, Hernandez’s friends, gangs, and the victims themselves. The only not-guilty party is Hernandez.
Lawyer Baez is fully committed to “clearing the record” of his now deceased “brotha” Hernandez by calling on legal
Precedent to have an earlier murder case overturned; what isn’t said is that if this case is overturned, then the New England Patriots, who had been able to drop Hernandez’s contract because of his murder conviction, would now owe the family of the deceased (and, ostensibly, his “brotha” Baez) millions in backpay. Not a bad payout for a “SJW”lawyer who bashed “the system” for excluding minorities and people of color (aka African Americans), then encouraged one of his defense witnesses to disrespect the Asian prosecutor by calling him a stereotypical cover-all Asian name throughout the proceedings.
I’d gone into this book looking for some inside information into the life and times of aaron Hernandez that might make him a more sympathetic, 3-dimensional character who made some incredibly bad choices, both in his choice of company and in his professional conduct. Instead, I found a slobbering salute to a privileged boy-man, who shamelessly took and dealt drugs, hung with dealers, killers, and gang members, spent time in high class bars and clubs as his fiancé stayed home and cared for their baby, and in his Suicide note (s) paid homage to the rappers and hip hop groups that “got him through,” without saying much to his fiancé and his brother.
A disappointing read if ever there was one.
August 12, 2020
This book has been by far one of my favorites to read. I have been drawn into the Aaron Hernandez stories since the beginning. Jose Baez does a wonderful job of explaining the ins and outs of the justice system. The good, the bad and the ugly is revealed of all went on during Aaron’s trial. Aaron couldn’t have asked for a more dedicated defense attorney on his double homicide case. The details given by Jose are shown in great picture by the words in this book. He shed some light on Aaron as a person, friend and family member. Aaron touched Jose, and if he was still alive Jose would be still fighting for his freedom.
May 14, 2020
Read this before you talk about or judge Aaron. Nobody is perfect, we are not the worst thing that happens to us. May he rest now.
October 17, 2024
I remember watching his brief career as he played for my team at the time NE Patriots. There's so much I didn't know or realize about him. 😔
July 3, 2025
Wish there was more about the CTE and less about the boring aspects of the trial
October 30, 2020
Jose Baez is an incredible lawyer, and it was so interesting to read about all that went into his defence of Aaron Hernandez. There was so much more to this case than what was covered in the media.
January 29, 2020
This turned out to be one of those books that everyone should read. I chose it because I felt Baez could sell snow to an Eskimo, and I was curious to understand his craft. I also chose the audio book, which was like having the experience of Baez presenting his case to you. He turned out to be an excellent, natural compelling editor. I'm still not convinced of Aaron Hernandez's guilt, but I have a deeper appreciation for the concept of not guilty as opposed to innocent. Baez is a master at establishing reasonable doubt and poking holes in the prosecution's defense. He's meticulous and systematic -- a bit overdramatic for my liking, but gets the job done. He also reinforces many things I have learned from working with inmates in prisons, including the police penchant for setting up nuisances to get them out of their way and the unreliability of police witnesses. This is a book you might want your teenager to read to understand the pitfalls of hanging around questionable characters. Baez does a great job of explaining the problems poor, star athletes face in trying to propel themselves to an elite world. In short, this is an excellent read.
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July 6, 2023DNF: Page 97
I normally don't find it fair to review books that I DNF but for this particular book I just couldn't help myself.
I was so excited to read this book and had such high hopes.
I have followed the trial of Aaron Hernandez since the day he got arrested because I'm a huge sports fan. I have read and watched numerous accounts of his life and crimes. I picked up this particular book to get a different insight on everything and hopefully learn something new.
I didn't learn a single thing. This is all just the recycled information you can find anywhere else.
It is so poorly written and the amount of grammatical errors throughout the book are surprising. It is nothing more than a biased account of who Hernandez was and why he couldn't have possibly been guilty (Although, I do believe he was innocent of the double homicide in Boston). Baez does nothing but toot his own horn about how amazing of a lawyer he is and how he could have done a much better job with this investigation than authorities did.
If you are thinking about picking up this book. Don't. Do yourself a favor and don't waste your time.
I normally don't find it fair to review books that I DNF but for this particular book I just couldn't help myself.
I was so excited to read this book and had such high hopes.
I have followed the trial of Aaron Hernandez since the day he got arrested because I'm a huge sports fan. I have read and watched numerous accounts of his life and crimes. I picked up this particular book to get a different insight on everything and hopefully learn something new.
I didn't learn a single thing. This is all just the recycled information you can find anywhere else.
It is so poorly written and the amount of grammatical errors throughout the book are surprising. It is nothing more than a biased account of who Hernandez was and why he couldn't have possibly been guilty (Although, I do believe he was innocent of the double homicide in Boston). Baez does nothing but toot his own horn about how amazing of a lawyer he is and how he could have done a much better job with this investigation than authorities did.
If you are thinking about picking up this book. Don't. Do yourself a favor and don't waste your time.
February 20, 2021
Wow. The TRUTH - FINALLY.
What an amazing and heartbreaking book written by an incredibly intelligent talented compassionate man. I fully believe everything Mr. Baez said and was floored by the inndisputable proof he uncovered about Aarons case and the dirty practises and massive lies of SO MANY people. Mr. Baez knew Aaron very very well. They respected and trusted eachother. It's incredibly sad what happened and how things ended up for aaron. It really broke my heart to read it I'm glad I know the truth so many others don't. I wish everyone would read this book. Jose Baez is just such a spectacular attorney and a very genuine human being. God bless him for everything he did for Aaron. it's really disgusting how so many people are so willing and eager to believe the worst things about a human being before knowing the facts. Only fools believe one side of a story. This book is a GIFT to Aaron. He didn't deserve to be judged, shunned and gossiped about. Saying things about someone who cannot defend themself is truly despicable. Aaron NEVER had gay affairs with that LOSER from his highschool or that freak in prison. Those parasites were so desperate for attention and with Aaron not around to dispute their bullshit, they were hoping for some sort of payout and attention because they are such failures in life and Aaron wasnt around to defend himself. Karma will take care of them hopefully sooner than later.God bless Shayanna.....what an amazing woman with a massive heart. Her loyalty and undying love for Aaron is inspirational. It's unheard of.
What an amazing and heartbreaking book written by an incredibly intelligent talented compassionate man. I fully believe everything Mr. Baez said and was floored by the inndisputable proof he uncovered about Aarons case and the dirty practises and massive lies of SO MANY people. Mr. Baez knew Aaron very very well. They respected and trusted eachother. It's incredibly sad what happened and how things ended up for aaron. It really broke my heart to read it I'm glad I know the truth so many others don't. I wish everyone would read this book. Jose Baez is just such a spectacular attorney and a very genuine human being. God bless him for everything he did for Aaron. it's really disgusting how so many people are so willing and eager to believe the worst things about a human being before knowing the facts. Only fools believe one side of a story. This book is a GIFT to Aaron. He didn't deserve to be judged, shunned and gossiped about. Saying things about someone who cannot defend themself is truly despicable. Aaron NEVER had gay affairs with that LOSER from his highschool or that freak in prison. Those parasites were so desperate for attention and with Aaron not around to dispute their bullshit, they were hoping for some sort of payout and attention because they are such failures in life and Aaron wasnt around to defend himself. Karma will take care of them hopefully sooner than later.God bless Shayanna.....what an amazing woman with a massive heart. Her loyalty and undying love for Aaron is inspirational. It's unheard of.
September 2, 2018
Surprisingly, Jose Baez has written a very informative and compassionate book. I'm not a Patriots fan but I surely noticed Gronk/Hernandez as being one heck of a tag team for Tom Brady. As such, I was very familiar with Aaron being a high profile player and was shocked when he was arrested for murder and released by the team. His story is sad...I do believe he was innocent of the murders although I think he sure picked bad friends and I believe he was there when Odin Lloyd died. What I want to emphasize about this book is it shows how Shayanna Jenkins stood by Aaron's side through all of this. A lot of Aaron's behavior was affected by the CTE. A beautiful little girl lost her daddy. The CTE seems to be a significant factor in the suicide. Jose Baez has redeemed himself here by explaining the legal holes he found in Aaron's case while cracking some jokes along the way. After Casey Anthony I was not a Baez fan, how could he get her off?! But with the Aaron Hernandez case it all makes more sense. Jose Baez is pretty smart actually and he obviously cares for his clients. This book was a good read. I feel like everything was thoroughly explained. My heart goes out to Shay and Avielle.
September 20, 2018
Regardless of what you think of Aaron Hernandez or how you think you will feel, I can guarantee that you will probably end up seeing him through eyes that don’t just see black and white by the time you close the book the final time. I don’t mean you will grow to love him and see him as a guiltless hero, but, it’s impossible (or it was for me, anyhow) not to grow to offer him some grace as a human and see him as the brother, son, fiancé, father, teammate and friend that he was while he was here on this earth.
It’s also very difficult not to consider the role that CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) played in his tragic, young life. While I do not have sons, if I did, it would be very, very difficult for me to have the knowledge of CTE that was shared in this book and allow them to put a helmet on and walk out onto a football field. Ever.
It’s also very difficult not to consider the role that CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) played in his tragic, young life. While I do not have sons, if I did, it would be very, very difficult for me to have the knowledge of CTE that was shared in this book and allow them to put a helmet on and walk out onto a football field. Ever.
November 25, 2018
I went into this book feeling curious but doubtful about Jose Baez’s account of Aaron Hernandez’s life. This book, y’all, really shows a different side of Aaron, and gives insight to the lack of evidence, the red flags in the Odin Lloyd case, and led me to believe that Aaron was not at all like he was portrayed in the media. If you’re looking for a book that will shed light on Aaron’s life, trials and death beyond what’s on Wikipedia, this is a must-read.
December 7, 2018
I also read James Patterson's version of events, and as the saying goes I think the truth is somewhere in the middile, and personally I do not believe Aaron Hernandez was a killer. I believe he was young, immature, impulsive, angry and that he didn't have any real groundig presences in his life. His story just makes me sad.
January 28, 2020
This was an excellent book. And I'm not a Jose Baez fan AT ALL. But this book dives right into why you pick it up. It gives you information never heard of before (& I've done my research) & it really makes you think. This book was exactly the POV I was looking for.
Very well written & just enough detail to not bore you. It asks & answers the questions you have. Definitely recommended.
Very well written & just enough detail to not bore you. It asks & answers the questions you have. Definitely recommended.
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