Former NFL linebacker Darron Lee has been indicted on a charge of first-degree murder in connection with the death of his girlfriend, Gabriela Carvalho Perpetuo. A Hamilton County, Tennessee grand jury handed down the indictment on Tuesday, according to multiple reports. Lee, 31, had already been in custody since his arrest earlier this year.
The case stems from the February 2025 death of Perpetuo, 29, whose body was discovered at a residence near Ooltewah, Tennessee. Investigators allegedly determined her death was the result of a homicide after first responders attempted life-saving measures at the scene. Lee was taken into custody that day and has remained in jail since.
Tampering Charge Dropped to Focus on Murder
Hamilton County District Attorney Coty Wamp confirmed that prosecutors have dropped the evidence-tampering charge that had been filed against Lee alongside the murder count. Wamp told local outlet WTVC that the decision allows the case to focus solely on the murder charge against Lee. The dismissal does not affect the severity of the case, as the first-degree murder charge alone carries the possibility of a life sentence.
Wamp also revealed that prosecutors have not ruled out seeking the death penalty against Lee. According to Wamp, a final decision on whether to pursue capital punishment is expected within the coming weeks. An arraignment date on the new indictment had not been scheduled as of this week, and Lee is set to be tried in Hamilton County Criminal Court.
The grand jury’s decision to indict Lee on first-degree murder follows months of preliminary proceedings in the case. Those hearings allegedly produced some of the most disturbing evidence presented so far, including digital records investigators say Lee created in the hours surrounding Perpetuo’s death.
ChatGPT Logs Allegedly Reveal Disturbing Searches
At a preliminary hearing held in March, prosecutors presented chat logs allegedly retrieved from Lee’s ChatGPT account. According to testimony, the logs allegedly showed Lee asking the AI chatbot how to respond to an unresponsive person. The logs also allegedly included questions about what kinds of injuries would be consistent with a person falling in the shower.
Investigators have pointed to those searches as evidence that allegedly contradicts the account Lee gave police after Perpetuo’s body was found. Lee reportedly told investigators that Perpetuo had narcolepsy and likely lost consciousness and fell while showering. Prosecutors have suggested the timing of the chatbot searches raises questions about that explanation, though Lee has not been convicted, and the allegations remain unproven in court.
An autopsy report cited in coverage of the preliminary hearing listed Perpetuo’s cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries. The report allegedly documented twelve separate injuries, including hematomas, bone fractures, and stab wounds. Those findings have become central to the prosecution’s case as it moves toward trial.
Detective Describes Scene Inside the Home
A detective identified in reports as Lockhart testified during the preliminary hearing about the condition of the home where Perpetuo was found. According to that testimony, blood was allegedly visible throughout much of the residence. The detective described blood on the staircase, the handrail, the walls, the living room floor, and the hallway leading to the stairs.
Lockhart reportedly told the court that blood was present in nearly every room of the house except one. That description stands in contrast to the account Lee allegedly gave police, in which he attributed Perpetuo’s injuries to a fall. Prosecutors have used the detective’s testimony to argue that the scene was inconsistent with a single accidental fall in the shower.
The extent of the alleged crime scene, combined with the autopsy findings and the chatbot search history, formed the basis of the evidence presented to the grand jury this week. That evidence ultimately led to the first-degree murder indictment, with the tampering charge folded into the broader case.
A History of Prior Legal Trouble
This is not the first time Lee has faced serious legal issues. In 2023, he was charged in connection with three separate assault allegations involving his mother, the mother of his child, and another man. Those cases ran for roughly two years before reaching a resolution.
Later in 2023, Lee was also charged with felony drug possession after he allegedly failed to appear for a court date tied to the earlier assault cases. In 2025, he pleaded guilty to two lesser counts stemming from those charges. The plea closed out that chapter of his legal history just months before his arrest in the Perpetuo case.
Lee’s football career once appeared far removed from the courtroom drama now defining his post-NFL life. A standout linebacker at Ohio State, he was part of the program’s 2014 national championship team and was named defensive MVP of the 2015 Sugar Bowl. The New York Jets selected him 20th overall in the 2016 NFL Draft, and he went on to play for the Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, and Buffalo Bills before his final NFL season in 2020.
With the indictment now formalized, attention turns to Hamilton County Criminal Court, where Lee is expected to be arraigned in the coming weeks. The decision on whether prosecutors will seek the death penalty is expected to follow shortly after. Until then, Lee remains in custody as the case heads toward what could become one of the most closely watched trials involving a former NFL player in recent memory.
