Back to the New England Patriots Newsfeed

Aaron Hernandez's fiancee allowed to add his surname to hers (The Associated Press)

NORTH PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) -- A judge has approved a request by the fiancee of former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez to add his last name to hers.

A probate judge in Rhode Island says she granted the request by Shayanna Jenkins on Monday to change her last name to Jenkins-Hernandez.

Judge Paula Cuculo (KOO'-kuh-loh) of the North Providence Probate Court says Shayanna wanted the name change so she could have the same last name as the couple's 2-year-old daughter, Avielle.

Hernandez grew up in Bristol, Connecticut. He's serving a life sentence in Massachusetts for the 2013 killing of Odin (OH'-dihn) Lloyd, who was dating the sister of Jenkins-Hernandez.