Former NFL linebacker Darron Lee’s own digital footprint may be his biggest obstacle in court.
A former professional football player is facing first-degree murder charges after his girlfriend was found dead inside their Tennessee home — and prosecutors say his own ChatGPT conversations could be among the most damaging evidence against him.
Who Is Darron Lee?
Darron Lee, 31, is a former NFL linebacker who was selected as a first-round draft pick by the New York Jets in 2016. He went on to play five seasons in the league and was part of a Super Bowl-winning roster. After his playing career ended, Lee settled in Ooltewah, Tennessee, a suburb approximately 20 miles outside of Chattanooga, where he lived with his girlfriend, 29-year-old Gabriella Carvalho Perpétuo.
What Happened on February 5?
On the afternoon of February 5, 2026, Hamilton County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a residence on Snow Cone Way following a CPR-in-progress call. Upon arrival, they found Perpétuo dead inside the home.
Lee told responding officers that he had discovered his girlfriend unresponsive on the couch and called 911 immediately. However, what investigators found inside the home told a very different story. Deputies observed broken glass scattered across the kitchen floor, blood spatter on walls and flooring throughout the house, and cleaning materials placed in what they described as abnormal locations. A medical examiner at the scene noted that Perpétuo had sustained a one-inch stab wound to the abdomen, a significant head injury, severe bruising and swelling around both eyes, bruising on her arms, and a bite mark on her thigh. The judge overseeing the case later described her death as especially heinous and said it allegedly involved physical abuse beyond what was necessary to cause death.
The ChatGPT Messages
The most striking evidence presented at Lee’s preliminary hearing on March 9 was a series of messages recovered from a forensic download of his phone. Prosecutors say Lee had dozens of conversations with ChatGPT over a two-day period — beginning the day before Perpétuo’s body was found.
In one message, writing under the account name “Xander Lee” and addressing the chatbot as “Allie,” Lee wrote that he did not know what to do, describing his fiancée as having two swollen eyes, claiming they were self-inflicted, and asking what he should do because she was not waking up or responding.
In another message, he asked the chatbot what a friend should tell someone to do when dealing with an unresponsive person but did not want to involve the police.
The chatbot reportedly responded with guidance on how to handle the situation without framing it as a matter involving law enforcement.
Hamilton County District Attorney Coty Wamp addressed the court directly on the significance of these exchanges, stating that Lee had been using ChatGPT as a legal advisor and a defense attorney, and essentially asking the AI how to cover up a crime scene.
In His Own Words
Body camera footage played during the hearing showed Lee speaking with a deputy outside the home on February 5. In the video, he described finding Perpétuo unresponsive and said he called 911 right away, adding that he had been asleep for a long time before waking to find her that way.
His defence attorney, Mike Little, has stated it is too early to comment on the allegations at this stage of the proceedings.
The Charges and Family Response
Lee has been charged with first-degree murder and tampering with or fabricating evidence. He is being held in custody without bond.
Perpétuo’s family has described her death as a brutal murder. Her stepfather issued a public statement on behalf of the family, confirming her identity and indicating that a fuller statement would follow. The family has also filed a civil wrongful death lawsuit seeking $50 million in damages.
A New Kind of Digital Evidence
Legal experts say this case highlights a growing trend in criminal investigations — the use of AI conversation logs as court evidence. Unlike deleted text messages or wiped browser histories, AI chat logs stored on a device or in the cloud can be retrieved through forensic downloads and presented directly to jurors. Prosecutors in this case are expected to lean heavily on those exchanges as they build their case.
What’s Next
Lee’s case will now proceed through the Hamilton County court system. The charges against him have not been proven in court, and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
