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 on 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 the 31-year-old will be made in the coming weeks, Wamp said.
Lee is accused of killing Gabriella Perpetuo in February. A medical examiner listed the 29-year-old’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 AI 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.
Lee was one of the best college players in the country during his time at Ohio State, and the Jets selected him with the 20th overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft. The Jets signed him to a four-year contract that included $7.9m guaranteed but he left the team in 2019 after disciplinary problems and poor play.
Lee was a part of the Kansas City Chiefs roster that won the Super Bowl in February 2020, although he did not play in the game itself. His final NFL appearance came in November 2020 for the Buffalo Bills.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/jun/11/darron-lee-indicted-murder-charge-nfl
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