Former New England Patriots football player Aaron Hernandez (right) stands after he is sentenced to life in prison at his murder trial at the Bristol County Superior Court in Fall River, Massachusetts yesterday. Hernandez was found guilty of first-degree murder in the shooting death of Odin Lloyd in June 2013. - AP

FALL RIVER, AP:

Former New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez was found guilty yesterday of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison, sealing the downfall of an athlete who once had a $40 million contract and a standout career ahead of him.

Hernandez, 25, looked to his right, pursed his lips and sat down, as the jury forewoman announced him guilty in the slaying of Odin Lloyd, a 27-year-old landscaper and amateur weekend football player who was dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancee.

The first-degree murder conviction carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole and automatically triggered an appeal to Massachusetts' highest court.

Hernandez's mother, Terri, and his fiancee, Shayanna Jenkins, cried and gasped when they heard the verdict. Shayanna Jenkins wept on his mother's shoulder. Hernandez, his eyes red, later mouthed to them: "Be strong. Be strong."

The former football pro was also found guilty on firearm and ammunition charges. The jury deliberated over seven days before rendering its verdict.

For reasons that were never made clear to the jury, Lloyd was shot six times in the middle of the night on June 17, 2013, in a deserted industrial park near Hernandez's home.

Police almost immediately zeroed in on Hernandez because they found in Lloyd's pocket the key to a car the NFL player had rented. Within hours of Hernandez's arrest, the Patriots cut the former Pro Bowl athlete, who was considered one of the top flight ends in the game.