Cause of death released for convicted killer Michael Hernandez

Hernandez was serving life sentence for fatal stabbing of Jaime Gough at Southwood Middle School

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – The District IV Medical Examiner’s Office in Jacksonville confirmed Monday that convicted killer Michael Hernandez died earlier this year from “cardiac dysrhythmia attributed to morbid obesity.”

Hernandez was 31 when he died on April 29 at the Columbia Correctional Institution near Jacksonville.

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Hernandez had been serving a life sentence for the 2004 fatal stabbing of his classmate, Jaime Gough, at Southwood Middle School in Palmetto Bay. Both were just 14 years old at the time.

Police said Hernandez stabbed Gough more than 40 times and slit his throat after luring him into a bathroom.

Jaime Gough was stabbed 42 times in the bathroom of Southwood Middle School in 2004.

Hernandez told police that he stashed the knife in a hidden compartment of his backpack and proceeded to class.

He was found guilty of first-degree murder in 2008 and sentenced to life behind bars.

After Hernandez’s death, the Goughs said the news of his passing was unexpected, but it did not bring them peace.

“That was very shocking for us,” Jaime’s father, Jorge Gough, said. “We were not expecting that at all. We’ve been hurt. We don’t want to see anyone die or hurt like that. Even though we went through what we went through, we were not happy to hear that Michael Hernandez was dead in jail.”


About the Author:

Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com.