Former NFL linebacker Darron Lee remains in custody following his arrest last week in connection with the death of his girlfriend, Gabriella Perpétuo, at a home the couple had recently begun renting in Ooltewah, Tennessee.
According to Hamilton County court records, Judge Tori Smith denied Lee bond on Wednesday. The decision came after authorities responded to a 911 call on February 5 and found Perpétuo, 29, unresponsive. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Lee, 31, is facing serious legal consequences. He’s been charged with first-degree murder and tampering with or fabricating evidence.
Hamilton County District Attorney Coty Wamp has indicated that the death penalty is on the table, though no final decision has been made by the DA’s office. Lee is currently represented by public defender Mike Little, who has declined to comment at this early stage in the proceedings.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 9.
Details from the arrest affidavit paint a disturbing picture. Deputies from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office were called to the residence after a report of someone performing CPR on a woman.
Lee reportedly told officers he had found Perpétuo unconscious on the couch and believed she may have slipped in the shower. But investigators noted the scene told a different story.
Inside the home, officers observed broken glass scattered across the kitchen and blood spattered on walls and flooring in multiple rooms. According to the affidavit, investigators found extensive evidence of a violent struggle, including blood inside Lee’s cellphone case and signs that someone had attempted to clean up various bloodstains. Cleaning supplies were discovered near areas where blood was detected but not visible to the naked eye.
Lee himself was found with injuries “consistent with a violent altercation,” including facial trauma, lacerations on his hands, and wounds on his chest.
The affidavit also details the findings of an autopsy observed by Detective Brian Lockhart of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department. The medical examiner’s report, which has not been made public, reportedly revealed severe injuries to Perpétuo, including brain trauma, a broken neck, bruising across her body, bite marks on her shoulder and thigh, stab wounds on her legs, and facial trauma.
Investigators also recovered alcohol, narcotics, and a firearm at the scene.
Lee, once a promising first-round pick out of Ohio State, was selected 20th overall by the New York Jets in the 2016 NFL Draft. He spent three seasons in New York before being traded to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019.
Though the Chiefs went on to win Super Bowl 54 that year, Lee did not appear in the game. He later had brief stints with the Buffalo Bills and Las Vegas Raiders, but his NFL career effectively ended after the 2021 preseason.
Now, the former linebacker finds himself at the center of a high-profile criminal case, with a legal battle ahead that could carry life-altering consequences.