HARTFORD, Conn. — On Friday, Dennis Hernandez, the brother of the deceased New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, received a sentence of 18 months in prison, which he has already served. This sentence stems from threats he made in 2023 to perpetrate a shooting at the University of Connecticut and to kill three individuals, including a judge.
Dennis, who is 38 years old and has previously played as a quarterback and wide receiver for UConn football during the mid-2000s, was experiencing significant mental health challenges at the time of these threats. His public defender, Josh Ewing, reported that Dennis has been undergoing treatment and managing his medication since then.
U.S. District Judge Sarala Nagala, who presided over the case in Hartford, also mandated that Dennis undergo three years of supervised release. Alongside this, he must continue his mental health treatment and substance abuse therapy. As a part of his supervised release conditions, Hernandez is required to allow probation officials to monitor his electronic devices and maintain a distance from UConn and other sites he had threatened, as stated by the U.S. attorney’s office in Connecticut.
During a brief statement in court, Hernandez expressed remorse for his actions, and reports indicated that he was anticipated to be released from custody later that same afternoon. Federal Bureau of Prisons records indicated that he was no longer in custody by Friday evening.
Attempts to reach Hernandez via the phone number listed for him went unanswered.
Additional state criminal charges in Connecticut and Florida concerning other incidents, including an allegation of throwing a brick inscribed with a note against the media at ESPN’s headquarters in Bristol, are likely to be dropped due to the federal case, Ewing noted. He attributed these behaviors to the same mental health crisis affecting Hernandez at the time.
Ewing did not respond to messages sent via phone and email following the sentencing. In court documentation, he described Hernandez as being “horrified” by the fear he instilled in others, filled with remorse, and determined to prioritize his mental well-being.
Hernandez had previously pleaded guilty to a felony charge of transmitting interstate communications containing a threat to inflict injury in December. According to police reports, he had visited both the UConn campus and Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, where he had served as quarterbacks coach, to “map out” potential targets for a shooting in July 2023. Court documents indicated that he faced financial difficulties, felt frustrated about not being hired for coaching positions, and sensed a sense of entitlement from his time at UConn.
During that same month, prosecutors reported that Hernandez posted multiple threats on Facebook aimed at injuring or killing three individuals residing in different states, including a state court judge. At the time of his 2023 arrest in Bristol, his mother, Terri Hernandez, informed the police that he was grappling with severe mental health issues, including bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Authorities reported that he was subdued with a Taser after exiting his sister’s home with his hands raised, yelling for officers to “shoot me” while making threats against them.
Terri Hernandez, along with various relatives and friends, submitted letters to the judge advocating for Dennis Hernandez’s release from custody.
