“In the interests of justice, the court has no choice but to vacate Hernandez’s conviction and dismissing the charges against him,” Garsh said.
“In our book, he’s guilty and he’s going to always be guilty,” Ursula Ward, the mother of Odin Lloyd, told reporters after the hearing.
Hernandez was convicted of first-degree murder in 2015 in the death two years prior of Odin Lloyd, a semi-pro football player who had dated the sister of Hernandez’s fiancee.
The former New England Patriots tight end was found hanged in his prison cell last month.
Judge Susan Garsh, a justice of the Superior Court in Bristol County, in her ruling cited longstanding precedent when it came to vacating the convictions of defendants who have pending appeals. Garsh’s ruling could impact Hernandez’s estate and the wrongful death lawsuit Lloyd’s family is pursuing.
Judge explains ruling to vacate Aaron Hernandez’s murder conviction: