If you’ve spent any time falling down the rabbit hole of the Aaron Hernandez saga, you know the name Alexander Bradley. He was the guy who survived a bullet to the face. The guy who lost an eye. The "best friend" who eventually became the star witness that helped paint the picture of a professional athlete’s double life.
But lately, there’s been a lot of confusion swirling around the Alexander Bradley cause of death.
Is he actually dead? Did he die in prison? Was there another shooting?
Let’s set the record straight: Alexander Bradley is alive. As of early 2026, there are no credible reports or official records indicating that Bradley has passed away. The confusion usually stems from a mix of his incredibly violent history, the death of Aaron Hernandez himself, and a series of "death hoaxes" that tend to follow anyone associated with high-profile true crime cases.
Why People Think Alexander Bradley Died
Honestly, it’s not hard to see why people assume the worst. Bradley’s life has been a literal minefield of near-death experiences.
The most famous incident happened in February 2013. According to Bradley's own testimony, Hernandez shot him in the face and left him for dead in an industrial parking lot in Riviera Beach, Florida. The motive? Hernandez was reportedly paranoid that Bradley would talk to the police about a 2012 double homicide in Boston.
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Bradley didn't die. He crawled to help, lost his right eye, and eventually underwent massive reconstructive surgery.
Then, just a year later in 2014, Bradley was shot again. This time, it was a nightclub dispute in Hartford, Connecticut. He was hit three times in the leg. Even after being shot, the guy allegedly went to his car, grabbed a gun, and started firing back at the club.
When you have a track record like that, the internet tends to assume your luck has finally run out.
The Confusion with Other "Bradleys"
Search engines can be a mess. If you look up the Alexander Bradley cause of death, you might see an obituary for an "Anthony Bradley" or a "Bradley Alexander" from a completely different state. In January 2026, an obituary for a 72-year-old Anthony Bradley in Louisiana made the rounds, and because of how algorithms work, it started getting tangled up with the Hernandez witness.
It’s the classic case of "right name, wrong person."
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The Aaron Hernandez Connection
Another reason for the search spike is that Aaron Hernandez’s own death—a suicide in his prison cell in 2017—remains a massive topic of interest. People often search for the "survivors" of the case to see where they are now. Since Bradley was the most prominent survivor, users often type in "cause of death" just to see if he's still around.
Where Is Alexander Bradley Now?
So, if he’s not dead, what’s he doing?
Bradley has spent a significant amount of time behind bars. In 2017, he was sentenced to five years in prison for that 2014 Hartford shooting incident. During his sentencing, he actually told the judge he wasn't the same person anymore and that the "traumatic events" (meaning getting shot in the head by his best friend) had changed him.
He’s mostly stayed out of the headlines since his release. In the world of high-stakes criminal witnesses, "no news" is usually "good news."
- 2013: Shot in the eye by Aaron Hernandez.
- 2014: Shot in the leg at a Connecticut bar.
- 2017: Testified against Hernandez; later sentenced to 5 years for a separate shooting.
- Present: Keeping a low profile.
The Reality of Living as a Target
Living with the "Alexander Bradley" name isn't easy. He carries the physical scar of a missing eye and the psychological weight of being the man who knew too much.
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Experts in criminal psychology often point to Bradley as a "lifestyle survivor." His involvement in the drug trade and his proximity to violent individuals meant his life expectancy was statistically lower than the average person. Yet, he's still here.
There’s also the legal side. Bradley was granted immunity for his testimony in the double murder trial. This means he couldn't be prosecuted for his role in the 2012 Boston shootings as long as he told the truth on the stand. That deal essentially gave him a second chance at a life outside of a cell, provided he could stay out of trouble.
Common Misconceptions
- Myth: He died shortly after the trial.
- Fact: He went to prison for a different crime but survived his sentence.
- Myth: He was killed in retaliation for testifying.
- Fact: While there were many threats, no such event occurred.
- Myth: He died of an overdose.
- Fact: This is a common rumor used to explain the disappearance of figures from the public eye, but there is zero evidence for it in Bradley's case.
What You Should Do Next
If you are looking for updates on the Hernandez case or the people involved, stick to verified news databases like the Boston Globe or the Associated Press. Social media "updates" are often just clickbait designed to exploit the name of a famous witness.
The best way to stay informed about the Alexander Bradley cause of death—should anything actually happen—is to monitor official Connecticut or Florida Department of Corrections records, as he has a history in both systems. For now, treat any "RIP" posts you see on TikTok or X as nothing more than digital noise.
You can also look into the Netflix documentary Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez if you want to see Bradley’s actual testimony and understand the sheer gravity of what he survived. It gives a lot of context as to why he’s such a polarizing, yet resilient, figure in sports crime history.