Prosecutors presented grisly evidence to support the first-degree murder charge against former NFL and Ohio State star linebacker Darron Lee during a preliminary hearing Monday in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Most shocking were the injuries to the body of victim Gabriella Carvalho Perpétuo, Lee’s girlfriend. According to testimony, she suffered severe brain and facial trauma, a broken neck, stab wounds to her legs, and circular human bite marks on her shoulder and thigh. The cause of death was ruled blunt force trauma.
Most surprising was the dialogue between Lee and the advanced OpenAI chatbot ChatGPT about how to create an alibi for Perpétuo’s injuries. The former New York Jets first-round draft pick allegedly sent frantic messages to the chatbot shortly before Perpétuo was found dead on the floor of a home covered in blood and littered with bottles of alcohol.
Chattanooga television station WCTV reported that prosecutors recited to the jury disturbing queries Lee made to the chatbot.
“Don’t know what to do right now. Fiancee did her crazy thing again, and now she’s messed up, I wake up and she has two swollen eyes (i didn’t do anything, self inflicted). She stabbed herself, slit her eye? Idk but she isn’t waking up or responding, what do I do?” he asked ChatGPT.
Prosecutors have identified two aggravating factors that could make Lee eligible for the death penalty, Hamilton County District Attorney Coty Wamp told the court.
Lee allegedly told officers that Perpétuo suffered from narcolepsy and had fallen in the shower. According to testimony from sheriff’s detective Brian Lockhart, however, evidence throughout the home made it obvious the injuries were not the result of self-inflicted wounds or an accidental fall.
“There was blood going up the staircase, on the hand railing there was blood, on the walls there was blood, on the floor in the living room there was blood,” Lockhart testified. “There was blood in just about every room except one.”
Investigators also found broken glass scattered through the home, a shattered microwave, and bleach wipes and spray bottles. Those items provided enough evidence for prosecutors to add a charge of tampering with evidence.
Perpétuo’s mother, Noemia Monique Carvalho, has filed a wrongful death suit against Lee seeking $50 million compensatory and punitive damages. Lee, the 20th overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft, earned approximately $10.2 million during his five-year career, according to Over The Cap.
His best season was 2018 when he had three interceptions for the Jets. However, he was suspended for the last four games that season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Lee played for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019 and the Buffalo Bills in 2020.
Lee helped Ohio State to the first College Football Playoff national championship after the 2014 season. As a redshirt freshman, he was named defensive most valuable player in a semifinal victory against Alabama. Ohio State defeated Oregon for the title.
