Aaron Hernandez’s murder conviction was formally vacated on Tuesday by a judge in Massachusetts, because he died before his appeal was heard.
Mr. Hernandez, the former tight end with the New England Patriots, was convicted in 2015 of the killing of Odin L. Lloyd, who was dating the sister of his fiancée. Mr. Hernandez hanged himself in prison last month.
His death meant that his murder conviction was vacated under a centuries-old legal doctrine.
Judge E. Susan Garsh, who presided over his murder trial, made the ruling. “The court has no choice,” she said.