Emma/89m ??90406 (?04.06 9mm; (2&ch GOVERNOR - . chwfex Emma; Endive! Cig??amwy Ea/aym DANIEL SECRETARY COLONEL RICHARD o. 0f6'06? MCKEON SUPERINTENDENT Thursday, May 04, 2017 TO: Detective Lieutenant Alan D. Hunte #1220, Unit Commander State Police Detective Unit - Worcester County FROM: Trooper James J. Foley, #2739 State Police Detective Unit - Worcester County SUBJECT: Death Investigation of Aaron .1. Hernandez DOB: 11/06/1989 at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Lancaster, MA on April 19, 2017 1. On Wednesday, April 19, 2017 at approximately 0415 hrs, the undersigned was advised by the CHQ Duty Of?ce, that the Massachusetts Department of Corrections was reporting the unattended death of a 27 year old Hispanic male, HERNANDEZ, Aaron, in cell #57 of the general housing unit?G2 at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center. The undersigned was further advised that HERNANDEZ was transported to the UMASS Health Alliance Hospital in Leominster, where HERNANDEZ was pronounced deceased. 2. The undersigned responded along with Lieutenant Danial Wildgrube and Kristin Glanton of to the UMASS Health Alliance Hospital in Leominster. Upon arrival the undersigned spoke with Sergeant Todd Smith of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections Of?ce of Investigative Services. 1 Page Moe of? 89m QM Sergeant Smith advised that at around 0303 a code ?99" was called by Correction Of?cer Gerard Breau reporting HERNANDEZ was hanged in cell# 57. Once other Corrections Officers arrived on scene, the Correction Of?cers discovered the door was ?pegged?; cardboard had been shoved into the door tracks to prevent the door from opening. The Correction Of?cers had to manually open the door to enter the cell. As they entered the cell the Correction Of?cers discovered that HERNANDEZ had placed a large amount of shampoo on the floor, which made it very slippery. The Correction Of?cers were able to cut HERNANDEZ down, who was hanged naked ?'om a bed sheet tied around the window bars. As the Correction Of?cers began CPR, medical staff arrived on scene and attached the AED, which advised ?No Shock?. CPR was continued as HERNANDEZ was transported to UMASS Health Alliance Hospital in Leominster by Woods Ambulance. 3. Upon arrival at UMASS Health Alliance Hospital, HERNANDEZ was treated by Doctor Evan Swayze. HERNANDEZ never re-gained consciousness and was declared deceased at 0407 by Dr. Swayze. 4. As the undersigned entered the treatment room in the emergency room of the UMASS Health Alliance Hospital at approximately 0521 hrs, the undersigned observed Correction Of?cer Hilton and Correction Of?cer Aziz standing by a gurney covered with a sheet. The undersigned removed the sheet and observed HERNANDEZ with a cervical collar brace. Ligature marks were visible on neck and there was some discharge/vomit from his nose and mouth areas. right middle ?nger had a fresh cut and there was some blood on the adjacent ?ngers. There also appeared to be a large circular blood mark on each of feet and ?John 3:16? was written on forehead in ink. There were no other signs of trauma or violence on body. Petechial hemorrhaging was present in both eyes. Lividity was present and rigor mortis was beginning to set in. Tpr. Glanton photographically documented body. 2 Page 5. Representatives of the Of?ce of the Chief Medical Examiner arrived on scene and took custody of body at approximately 0630 hrs. body was transported to the OCME of?ce in Boston. 6. Lieutenant Wildgrube, Glanton and the undersigned responded to Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center on April 19. 2017. Smith advised the undersigned that HERNANDEZ had been locked in his single inmate cell around 1959 hrs. HERNANDEZ remained in the cell until 0303 when HERNANDEZ was discovered hanged. Sergeant Smith and Sergeant Michael Rumery, the Inner Perimeter Security Commander advised the undersigned that there was video surveillance of the 02 cell block from the time HERNANDEZ entered the cell until the time he was transported by Woods Ambulance. According to Rumery no one entered the cell until Correction Of?cer Breau entered to render aid. 7. Lieutenant Wildgrube, Glanton and the undersigned observed the cardboard stuffed into the door tracks prior to entering the cell. On the wall in the cell were several drawings and ?John 3:16? written in a substance consistent with blood. Under the drawings was a Bible open to John 3:16, with the 16th verse marked in blood. Next to the Bible were 3 hand written notes ?The undersigned took custody of the notes. 8. Under the bed was a piece of bed sheet that had been cut and that had been around neck. Tied on the bars on the window was the other piece of the bed sheet. Lieutenant Wildgrube cut the sheet from the window and placed it into evidence. There were no signs of a struggle in the cell. Glanton photographically documented the scene. 3 Page 9. Lieutenant Wildgrube and the undersigned spoke with Correction Of?cer Breau on April 19, 2017. Correction Of?cer Breau advised that he was working the 2300-0700 shift and was assigned to the 02 housing unit. Correction Of?cer Breau last saw HERNANDEZ around 0100 during the 0100 check. According to Correction Of?cer Breau around 0303 hrs, he observed a sheet hanged in front of cell door. Correction Of?cer Breau asked HERNANDEZ to remove the sheet or sound off. As Correction Of?cer Breau poked at a piece of the sheet that was hanging out of the door, the sheet fell and CO Breau observed HERNANDEZ hanged naked from the window. Correction Of?cer Breau immediately called a code 99? and once the door opened, Correction Of?cer Breau and other Correction Of?cers attempted to lift HERNANDEZ up to relieve pressure. As HERNANDEZ was cut down, Correction Of?cer Breau began performing chest compressions and swapped out with other Correction Of?cers until HERNANDEZ was removed from the unit. 10. Rumery and Smith provided the undersigned with cepies of the video surveillance, logs and reports in reference to death. All other items deemed to have no evidentiary value were left in the custody of the Department of Corrections. Over the course of the investigation the undersigned reviewed surveillance video of the G2 housing unit and phone logs and calls of HERNANDEZ on April 18-19, 2017. The surveillance video shows that HERNANDEZ was on the phone just prior to being locked in his cell. HERNANDEZ enters his cell alone at approximately 1959 and the cell door is locked until 0307 when the door is opened for the code 99". The undersigned also listened to last 5 phone calls HERNANDEZ made on April 18, 2017. HERNANDEZ does not make any apparent indication of an intent to harm himself during any of the phone calls. 11. On Wednesday April 19, 2017, Doctor Henry Nields of the OCME performed an autopsy of HERNANDEZ. Dr. Nields determined the cause of death to be by hanging. The manner of death was ruled by Dr. Nields as a suicide. A postmortem toxicology of blood came back negative for all substances tested to include cannabinoids. 4 Page Wetn?mWQMay?m-wy 12. On April 24, 2017 the undersigned responded to the Department of Corrections Office of Investigative Services in Milford, MA. The undersigned took custody of a c0py of a letter found in property, as well as, copies of several known writing samples of HERNANDEZ. 13. On April 24, 2017 at approximately 1400 hrs, the undersigned delivered copies of the letters found in cell and the known writing samples provided by the Department of Corrections to McCann Associates, Inc. in Boston. All copies of letters and writing samples were turned over to Nancy McCann for review. 14. On May 3, 2017 the undersigned received a copy of McCann Associates, Inc. Preliminary Questioned Document Report. The report was prepared by Nancy McCann and determined with a "reasonable degree of certainty" that the letters found in Hernandez's cell and properties were written by HERNANDEZ. 15. Based upon the ?ndings of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the investigation by the undersigned, the undersigned respectfully requests this case be closed unless new information is uncovered that would warrant the case being re-opened. Respectfully Submitted; Trooper James J. Foley, #2739 Massachusetts State Police State Police Detective Unit- Worcester County 5 Page Ww?mwgw?m