An investigation triggered by the death of Aaron J. Hernandez now involves a search for contraband inside the prison where he hanged himself, officials said Tuesday, while his family took steps to overturn his 2015 murder conviction and beat back media reports and rumors about the New England Patriots star’s life behind bars.
Nearly a week after Hernandez was found dead in his cell, the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley remained on lockdown, with prisoners kept in their cells 24 hours a day and no visiting hours, a Department of Correction spokesman said in an e-mail.
A state public safety spokesman did not specify what materials the investigation is focusing on, and did not disclose what, if any, contraband had been found inside Hernandez’s cell to spawn the prison-wide search.