A Hamilton County, Tennessee, grand jury has formally indicted former NFL linebacker Darron Lee on a first degree murder charge in connection with the death of his girlfriend, Gabriella Carvalho Perpétuo, in one of the most disturbing cases to emerge from a deeply troubling offseason for the league.
The indictment and what it means
The indictment was returned Wednesday, setting the stage for a trial in Hamilton County Criminal Court. Hamilton County District Attorney Coty Wamp confirmed that a separate charge of tampering with evidence against Lee was dismissed so that prosecutors could direct their full attention to the murder case.
The first degree murder charge carries a life sentence, and Wamp has stated the case is eligible for capital punishment. A final decision on whether to seek the death penalty will be made as the case moves forward through the courts. An arraignment date had not yet been scheduled as of Thursday.
Lee, 31, remains held in the Hamilton County Jail without bond, a status that the formal murder indictment will not change.
Who was Gabriella Carvalho Perpétuo
Perpétuo was 29 years old at the time of her death in February 2025. The medical examiner determined her cause of death to be multiple blunt force injuries. The autopsy documented 12 separate injuries, including multiple hematomas, bone fractures, stab wounds on her legs, a broken neck, severe brain trauma, facial bruising and cuts, and bite marks on her shoulder and thigh.
The scope of her injuries painted a picture that stood in stark contrast to the account Lee initially gave to authorities.
What investigators found at the scene
When detectives arrived at the home, they encountered what was described at Lee’s bond hearing as an extremely violent scene. Blood was found on the staircase, walls, floors, handrails, and in nearly every room of the house. Shattered microwave glass and broken glass throughout the home were also documented, along with alcohol bottles in multiple areas.
Upstairs, investigators found cleaning supplies including bleach wipes and a spray bottle, which prosecutors believe were used in an attempt to clean the scene before police arrived.
It was Lee himself who placed the 911 call, telling dispatchers he had found Perpétuo unresponsive and suggesting she may have fallen in the shower.
The ChatGPT detail
Among the most striking elements of the case is evidence presented in court that Lee turned to an artificial intelligence chatbot in the aftermath of Perpétuo’s death. Prosecutors alleged that Lee asked ChatGPT whether a fall could cause bruising around both eyes and what they were described as injuries with a stabbing appearance questions investigators believe were part of an effort to make her death appear accidental.
Lee also allegedly asked the chatbot how to obtain medical assistance without contacting police, according to evidence introduced in court.
Lee’s prior legal history
This was not Lee’s first encounter with the criminal justice system. At the time of his arrest, he was on probation in two separate jurisdictions Franklin County, Ohio, and Alachua County, Florida stemming from three separate alleged assaults involving another man, his mother, and the mother of his child, according to court records.
During his bond hearing, a Tennessee Department of Corrections and Parole officer also testified that Lee had relocated to Tennessee without authorization, placing him in violation of his supervision terms. Lee‘s NFL career, he was the 20th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, selected by the New York Jets out of Ohio State. Over five seasons, he played 58 games across three franchises the Jets, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Buffalo Bills before his last appearance in the league at the conclusion of the 2020 season.
His indictment is one of at least nine cases this offseason involving current or former NFL players who have been arrested, sued, placed on trial, or otherwise alleged to have been involved in domestic abuse incidents. The NFL has declined to comment on the broader pattern of cases.