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Hernandez Family Asks For Privacy Ahead Of Monday Funeral

BRISTOL (CBS) - Aaron Hernandez' body arrived in his hometown of Bristol, Connecticut Saturday.

The funeral for the former Patriots NFL star is scheduled for Monday at 1 p.m. at the O'Brien Funeral Home in Bristol. Attendance at the funeral will be by invitation only and the family is asking for privacy in advance of the service.

Laura Soll, Communications Director of the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association says the family asks the public to understand their situation.

"The family of Aaron Hernandez wishes to thank all of you for the thoughtful expressions of condolences.  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," Soll said.

Bristol County Superior Court Judge Thomas McGuire Friday ordered that evidence about Hernandez' suicide be preserved.

Hernandez family attorney George Leontire says he agrees with the court ruling.

"We're very pleased that the court has issued an order that all the evidence be preserved. I think that it's important for the integrity of the system and it's important for transparency. And it's important that the family be afforded the opportunity to examine the evidence of what has taken place," Leontire said.

The Department of Corrections says they were already preserving the evidence.

An autopsy last week ruled that Hernandez death was a suicide.

The family also had an autopsy performed, but they're not releasing the results.

The family of Odin Lloyd, the man who Hernandez was convicted of killing in 2013, is pursuing a wrongful death lawsuit against the Hernandez estate.

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