A former NFL linebacker is accused of asking ChatGPT how to explain his fiancée's severe injuries and what to say before calling 911, hours before she was found dead in their Tennessee home, according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors say Darron Lee, 31, is charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence in the death of 29-year-old Gabriella Perpetuo in Ooltewah, a community near Chattanooga. Deputies discovered Perpetuo's body on February 5, 2026, after Lee reported that she was unresponsive.
An autopsy concluded she died from blunt force trauma and listed a broken neck, serious head injuries, stab wounds to her legs, and human bite marks among her wounds. A judge later described the killing as especially cruel and said evidence showed she suffered significant physical abuse, according to The Guardian.
At a March 9 court hearing, investigators testified that they recovered a series of ChatGPT prompts from Lee's phone, allegedly sent the day before Perpetuo was found. Hamilton County District Attorney Coty Wamp told the court that Lee appeared to use the AI system as a kind of legal adviser while trying to figure out how to handle the situation.
In one prompt read in court, Lee allegedly wrote that his fiancée had "two swollen eyes," claimed she had hurt herself, and said she was not waking up, then asked, "What do I do?" In others, he allegedly asked if a fall could explain puncture-like injuries and how to describe an unresponsive person to a friend or the police without making it sound like he was in trouble, People reported.
Prosecutors argue those messages show Lee focusing on how to explain the injuries rather than immediately seeking medical help. Investigators also testified about blood inside the home, broken items, and cleaning supplies, which they say support the tampering charge.
Lee, a first-round NFL draft pick in 2016, played for the New York Jets and later spent time with the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, and Las Vegas Raiders. He is being held without bond after a judge sent the case to a grand jury, and prosecutors have said they may seek the death penalty if he is convicted, as per NBC News.
