BRISTOL, Conn. -- Aaron Hernandez's family is planning a private funeral for the former NFL star in his Connecticut hometown of Bristol, where Hernandez was a standout football and basketball player in high school.
A spokeswoman for the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association said Saturday that the service is set for Monday in Bristol at the O'Brien Funeral Home, where the body arrived Saturday afternoon.
The former New England Patriots tight end was found hanged in his cell at a maximum-security prison in Massachusetts early Wednesday. He was serving a life sentence for a 2013 murder and had just been acquitted of a 2012 double murder. His death was ruled a suicide.
In a statement released Saturday, Hernandez's family asked for privacy as they mourn and thanked people for offering condolences.
"The family of Aaron Hernandez wishes to thank all of you for the thoughtful expressions of condolences," the statement said. "We wish to say goodbye to Aaron in a private ceremony and thank everyone in advance for affording us a measure of privacy during this difficult time."
Scientists at Boston University are studying Hernandez's brain for any signs of repeated trauma suffered during his years of playing football.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
