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PEOPLE & ARTS Monday 22 January 2018
Q&A: James Patterson on Aaron Hernandez’s fall from grace

By WILLIAM J. KOLE chronic traumatic enceph- nandez killed himself if there
Associated Press alopathy, a degenerative was a chance — however
BOSTON (AP) — Eight brain disease tied to head small — of overturning his
months after ex-NFL star blows which can cause de- conviction and winning his
Aaron Hernandez hanged pression and violent mood freedom?
himself in prison, a new swings. Patterson: Most people
book by bestselling author Patterson’s book on the who suffer from brain dam-
James Patterson is reviving case, “All-American Mur- age do not become mur-
unanswered questions. der,” is set to be released derers. My take is if you
Patterson spoke with The Monday by Little, Brown take somebody with a
Associated Press on Friday and Company, and CBS psychopathic personality
about what he calls “the is airing a companion “48 — somebody who enjoyed
most fascinating, compli- Hours “ special Saturday killing people — hit him in
cated and troubling crime night. the head a few thousand
story of our times.” AP: Most of your work tends times and add some PCP
Hernandez, a former stand- to be fiction. What drew and weed, you have a
out tight end for the New you to this real-crime story? nightmare. And there are a In this photo combo, author James Patterson poses for a portrait
in New York on Aug. 30, 2016 and former New England Patriots
England Patriots, was found Patterson: I don’t usually do lot of suicides with CTE. tight end Aaron Hernandez reacts on April 14, 2017, to his double
hanging by a bedsheet in nonfiction, but I was com- AP: What do you make of murder acquittal in Boston.
his cell on April 19, hours pelled to do this story. You the rumors that Hernandez Associated Press
before his ex-teammates can’t take your eyes off this may have been gay or bi- version? He wrote “John erfully?
were due to visit the White guy because of all his gifts: sexual and had a prison 3:16” in ink on his forehead Patterson: This is the most
House to celebrate their his good looks, the smile, lover? and in blood on a cell wall. dramatic and surprising
Super Bowl victory. The the beautiful fiancee, the Patterson: We never talked Patterson: He was clinging murder mystery in the last
27-year-old athlete had baby girl, the $40 million NFL to anybody who said there to this notion, real or imag- 25 years — including O.J.
been serving life without contract. When I was in my was something to that. He ined, that if he believed in (Simpson). The story is just
parole for a 2013 murder. teens, my family moved up was in his cell 22½ hours a Jesus he could be saved. stunning, from his days as
Just days earlier, he had near Boston, and I became day. He had virtually no But he was over the top a well-behaved kid in high
been acquitted of a sepa- a fan of the Patriots and contact with any prisoners. with everything. His thinking school to his time at the Uni-
rate double murder. the other Boston teams. I What could he do? was scrambled big-time. versity of Florida to the NFL.
After his death, Hernan- still am to some extent. AP: Did Hernandez have AP: Why does this case It’s the most amazing fall
dez was diagnosed with AP: Why do you think Her- some kind of jailhouse con- captivate people so pow- from grace imaginable.q