Ex-NFL Linebacker Darron Lee Indicted on Murder Charge in Death of Partner

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Former NFL linebacker Darron Lee has been indicted on a murder charge in the death of his partner.

A grand jury in Hamilton County returned an indictment Tuesday. Prosecutors dismissed a tampering with evidence charge to focus solely on the more serious allegation, Hamilton County District Attorney Coty Wamp said.

The state is pursuing a first-degree murder conviction, which carries a life sentence. The decision on whether to pursue the death penalty against Lee will be made in the coming weeks, Wamp said.

Lee is accused of killing Gabriella Perpetuo, 29, in February. A medical examiner listed Perpetuo's cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries, and the autopsy report listed 12 different injuries, including multiple hematomas, bone fractures and stab wounds.

At the time of Lee's arrest, he was on probation in Franklin County, Ohio, and Alachua County, Florida, after he was charged in three separate alleged assaults involving another man, Lee's mother and the mother of his child, court records showed.

Prosecutors accused Lee of asking ChatGPT how to get medical help without calling the police. He asked the artificial intelligence assistant whether a fall could cause bruising to two eyes and "two stabby looking wounds," according to evidence presented in court.

Lee remains in the Hamilton County Jail without bond.

The 31-year-old Lee played 58 games with the Jets, Kansas City and Buffalo between 2016 and 2020. The former Ohio State standout was the 20th pick in the 2016 draft by the Jets.