
Killer Inside: Netflix's Three-Part Anatomy of Aaron Hernandez
Director Geno McDermott examines the NFL star's descent from $40 million contract to murder conviction and suicide
Netflix premiered Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez on January 15, 2020, a three-part documentary series totaling 200 minutes. Directed by Geno McDermott, the series originated from a documentary film titled *My Perfect World: The Aaron Hernandez Story*, first shown at the DOC NYC festival before Netflix expanded it into the multi-episode format.
The series examines Aaron Hernandez's conviction for the June 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd, a friend and acquaintance. Born in 1989 in Bristol, Connecticut, Hernandez had appeared destined for NFL stardom. He played college football at the University of Florida before the New England Patriots drafted him at age 20 and signed him to a lucrative five-year contract worth $40 million. His fall from that pinnacle forms the documentary's central narrative arc.
Beyond the Lloyd case, Killer Inside investigates Hernandez's suspected involvement in the double murder of two Boston-area men, crimes for which he was never convicted. The series explores whether his criminal associations and violent behavior extended beyond the one murder charge that ultimately imprisoned him.
The documentary's three episodes break down Hernandez's trajectory chronologically and thematically. Episode 1 focuses on his arrest for Lloyd's murder and traces his early life and key relationships before his rise to professional football prominence. Episode 2 examines red flags that emerged during his college years at Florida, his NFL draft experience, and his documented relationship with criminals. Episode 3 covers the spectacle of his first trial, his second trial featuring celebrity legal representation, and investigates the potential impact of concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) on his behavior and mental state.
McDermott's production includes exclusive courtroom footage, recorded prison and jail phone calls made by Hernandez after his conviction, and interviews with teammates, friends, officials, attorneys, and journalists who covered the case. Notable contributors include crime writers Dan Wetzel and Kevin Armstrong, the latter of whom authored a book about the trial.


