Ex-NFL player Darron Lee indicted on first-degree murder

Darron Lee standing with his public defender in front of Hamilton County Judge Tori Smith on Wednesday at his initial hearing.

HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. — Ex-NFL player Darron Lee has been indicted by a Hamilton County jury on a first-degree murder charge following the death of Gabriella Perpetuo.

This comes following Perpetuo’s death on Snow Cone Way in Ooltewah earlier in February of 2026.

Lee is currently in custody with no bond.

At his preliminary hearing, it was revealed that Perpetuo suffered 12 different blunt force trauma injuries.

A lead investigator said that Lee consulted the AI chatbot Chat GPT after Perpetuo’s death asking how to cover up a murder.

The case will now move to criminal court.

There is a chance District Attorney Coty Wamp may pursue the death penalty in this case if Lee is convicted.