Darron Lee murder charge: Alarming details emerge in accusations against former NFL, Ohio State linebacker

Former NFL and Ohio State linebacker Darron Lee was denied bond and ordered to remain in jail during a preliminary hearing Wednesday in Chattanooga, Tenn., according to ABC News Channel 9. Lee is charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence in the brutal death of his girlfriend, Gabriella Caravalho Perpétuo, in early February.

Chattanooga prosecutors, who plan to seek the death penalty, revealed gruesome details of Perpétuo’s death during Wednesday’s hearing. An autopsy revealed the victim suffered severe brain trauma, a broken neck, bruising throughout her body, large bite marks on her shoulder and thigh, multiple stab wounds to her legs and significant facial trauma. The medical examiner determined Perpétuo died of blunt force trauma, according to Channel 9.

Hamilton County (Tenn.) Sheriff’s officers responded to the scene of Perpétuo’s murder on Feb. 5 and discovered the victim lying on her back with the 31-year-old Lee also inside the rented home, which was in total disarray, per Channel 9. According to testimony on Wednesday, Lee initially told officers Perpétuo suffered from narcolepsy and likely fell in the shower, which he suggested caused her injuries. But evidence at the scene suggested otherwise, including blood on the staircase, handrails, walls, floors and nearly every room in the house, according to detectives at the scene. A vehicle in the garage that was registered to both Lee and Perpétuo also tested positive for blood, according to Channel 9.

Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office Detective Brian Lockhart, one of the first investigators on scene, told prosecutors that he discovered the microwave was shattered and glass was scattered throughout the home. The detective also reported he found Perpétuo with pants on but no top, per Channel 9.

Prosecutors also revealed Lee violated conditions of his parole stemming from a previous aggravated assault with a deadly weapon conviction in Florida and had moved to Tennessee without approval. Lee was also previously arrested for assault and domestic violence in Dublin, Ohio, in 2023, but he pled guilty to a lesser charge in 2025, resulting in a 90-day jail sentence, of which 88 were suspended, according to ABC 6 in Ohio.

Lee was the No. 20 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft out of Ohio State and played six years in the NFL with four different teams — the New York Jets (2016-18), the Kansas City Chiefs (2019), the Buffalo Bills (2020) and the Las Vegas Raiders (2021).