Odin Lloyd's Mother Forgave the People Involved in the Murder of Her Son, Including Aaron Hernandez

In October 2018, Jonathan Hernandez released a book about the troubled life of his younger sibling. Titled "The Truth About Aaron: My Journey to Understand My Brother," it was equal parts biography and therapy session for the older Hernandez who like the rest of the world, watched Aaron Hernandez spin wildly out of control.

"I remember us literally, Hanes T-shirts and tube socks sitting on top of a hill talking to each other about life," he told CBS News the day the book came out. "A lot of the moments that we might have shared, to never have that opportunity; it's tough," he said while on the verge of crying.

Hernandez had the makings of an incredible football player, but he ended his career when he took the life of Odin Lloyd. Here's what we know about his victim.

In April 2015, Hernandez was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole after being found guilty of first-degree murder, reported CNN. As the sentence was read, the 25-year-old shook his head in disbelief while mouthing the word, "no."

As he was being taken out of the courtroom in handcuffs, Hernandez yelled, "They got it wrong. I didn't do it."

Prosecutors never established a motive behind Lloyd's murder though they suspect Hernandez felt he was wronged in some way. He was dating Hernandez's fiancée's sister, but Lloyd was also his marijuana connection. He was last seen June 17, 2013, at around 2:30 a.m., with Hernandez and his two friends: Carlos Ortiz and Ernest Wallace, in a rented silver Nissan Altima.

The following morning a jogger would find Odin's "body riddled with gunshots."

Odin's mother Ursula Ward told the court that her son was loving and protective. Because he was her only son, Ward said Odin was the "man of the house." His death nearly destroyed her. "The day I laid my son Odin to rest, I think my heart stopped beating for a moment," she shared. "I felt like I wanted to go in that hole with my son Odin."

Like Hernandez, Odin played football though he never made it to the NFL. He played semi-professionally for the Boston Bandits while also working for a landscaping firm.

His mother said he would bike to work every day and was the kind of person who wore the same flip flips for over a decade. After Hernandez's conviction, Ursula stood outside the courtroom and said her son was the "most precious gift in my life."

She mourned the loss of a future that involved grandchildren.

Despite her all-encompassing heartbreak, Ward said she forgave the people who hurt her son. In response to this, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn said, "As difficult as it is for people in the end, forgiveness is what it’s about, if people can bring themselves to that point."