NFL star Aaron Hernandez's third suicide letter was not meant for his alleged jailhouse lover

Former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez committed suicide in prison on 19 April, days after being acquitted of murdering two men in Boston in 2012. Authorities found three suicide letters in his cell at the Souza Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley, Massachusetts. Rumours suggested that while the first two were for his fiancée Shayanna Jenkins and their daughter, the third letter was addressed to his jailhouse lover.

TMZ has now reported that a source familiar with the investigation confirmed that the note was intended for the late sportsman's attorney, Jose Baez, and not a gay partner he allegedly had inside prison. Baez, however, did not confirm the note was meant for him, when questioned by People magazine.

"Our team is doing serious legal work, we don't have the time to stop our efforts and respond to every convicted felon that has something to say about Aaron Hernandez," he told the entertainment website. "Quite frankly, I'm surprised more inmates have not come forward to try and make money off the tabloids."

He had previously told TMZ Sports that rumours of letters to a gay lover were false. "These are malicious leaks used to tarnish somebody who is dead," Baez said.

Various reports previously claimed that 22-year-old Kyle Kennedy was Hernandez's boyfriend but on 26 April, Kennedy's lawyer Larry Army Jr clarified that the two were only "close friends".

"I miss my friend," Kennedy said in a statement made available through Army. "I would like to send my condolences to his fiancée, his mother and his daughter."