Hernandez murder conviction vacated

Former NFL star Aaron Hernandez’s conviction in a 2013 murder can be erased because he died before his appeal was heard, a judge ruled Tuesday.

Judge E. Susan Garsh said a legal doctrine that calls for vacating convictions when a defendant dies before an appeal can be heard was binding precedent. She said she was compelled to follow it.

The former Patriots tight end hanged himself in his prison cell last month while serving a life sentence in the killing of semi-professional football player Odin Lloyd.

Prosecutor Patrick Bomberg had argued that Hernandez “should not be able to accomplish in death what he could not accomplish in life.”

Hernandez’s appellate attorney told the judge that the state’s highest court has applied the legal doctrine “without exception,” even in cases of suicide.

In a court filing last week, Bristol District Attorney Thomas Quinn III argued that a defendant’s death while an appeal is pending does not always require what is known as “abatement,” including when “a defendant’s death is a result of his own conscious, deliberate and voluntary act.”

NHL

SENATORS ADVANCE TO EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS » Erik Karlsson had a goal and an assist to help the Senators advance to the Eastern Conference finals with a 4-2 victory over the Rangers in Game 6 of their second-round series Tuesday night.

Mike Hoffman and Mark Stone scored in the first period to power Ottawa to a fast start, and Jean-Gabriel Pageau added an empty-netter. Clarke MacArthur had two assists, and Craig Anderson stopped 37 shots.

The Senators, headed to the conference finals for the first time since their run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2007, will face either Pittsburgh or Washington in the next round. Their series is headed to Game 7 on Wednesday night.

Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider scored for the Rangers, and Henrik Lundqvist had 22 saves.

DEVILS CONTACT KOVALCHUK FOR NHL RETURN

» New Jersey Devils general manager Ray Shero has had preliminary talks with Ilya Kovalchuk’s agent regarding the former No. 1 draft pick’s possible return to the NHL four years after bolting to play in his native Russia.

Shero said he’s keeping all options open regarding Kovalchuk’s future. The Devils still own Kovalchuk’s NHL rights but can’t formally sign him to a contract until July 1.

New Jersey’s options then would be to keep Kovalchuk or to sign and trade him. And there are no rules preventing the Devils or Kovalchuk from contacting other teams to negotiate the framework of a potential sign-and-trade deal.

The 34-year-old Kovalchuk was a nine-time 30goal scorer in 11 NHL seasons. He spent the past four years playing for St. Petersburg SKA of the Kontinental Hockey League.

Cycling

CHRIS FROOME HIT BY CAR » Three-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome says his bike was wrecked by a car when the driver intentionally struck him.

The incident Tuesday morning came less than three weeks after Michele Scarponi, the 2011 Giro d’Italia winner, died in a collision with a van during a training ride.

Fr oo me posted a photo on Twitter of the damaged bike soon after the crash near his home in Monte Carlo.

The British rider wrote: “Just got rammed on purpose by an impatient driver who followed me onto the pavement! Thankfully I’m okay Bike totaled. Driver kept going!”

The tweet was posted from Beausoleil, on the French side of the Monaco border.