Lawyer for Lloyd's family calls for Patriots to make wrongful death payments

BOSTON — The lawyer for the mother of semi-professional football player Aaron Hernandez was convicted of killing has issued a "friendly challenge" to the New England Patriots to make a wrongful death payment.

"I lost my best friend, I lost my son," said Ursula Ward, mother of victim Odin Lloyd.

Attorney Douglas Sheff said the has asked the NFL Player's Association to encourage the Patriots to do so.

"I can't speak to what the Patriots will do...they are having their own arbitration proceedings that I am not privy to," said Sheff.

Hernandez was convicted of killing semi-professional football player Odin Lloyd and sentenced to life in prison. He was serving time in Souza-Baranowski when he killed himself Wednesday morning.

Hernandez was in the process of appealing the Lloyd conviction and because of an old legal rule, due to the fact it was in the appeals process, the conviction has technically been vacated upon his death.

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Despite this, Sheff said he's not worried about their legal case.

"It's all about timing. We did the right things at the right time," he said.

Lloyd's mother, Ursula Ward, acknowledged that money would not bring back her son, but said it was about justice for her family. She said that she has forgiven Hernandez.

"I pray that his soul is at peace," said Ward, speaking of Hernandez's death.

There is a question of how much money is left in Hernandez's estate. With two criminal cases and high-powered attorneys, some have speculated that he has no money left.

"We wonder the same thing," said Sheff.

Sheff said his estate could be $6 million, but they haven't finished discovery yet.

Along with helping the family, Ward said she hopes to establish a scholarship in Lloyd's name with the money.

Cox Media Group