Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against former NFL linebacker Darron Lee after he was accused of murdering his girlfriend.
Lee, a first-round draft pick for the New York Jets in 2016, was denied bond at a court hearing Wednesday as he faces charges of first-degree murder and tampering with evidence, according to WTVC.
It has now emerged that Lee could face the death penalty as fresh disturbing details of how he allegedly killed his girlfriend, Gabriella Carvalho Perpétuo, have come to light.
Prosecutors said that there was ‘blood in just about every room’ – including even in a car in the garage – inside the Tennessee home where Perpétuo was discovered dead.
‘The scene was in disarray,’ Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office Detective Brian Lockhart, one of the first investigators on scene, said.
‘You walked in the door, there were boxes. A lot of stuff in the living room. The deceased was in the floor lying on her back.’
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against former NFL linebacker Darron Lee
The linebacker was arrested and accused of murdering his girlfriend last week
Gabriella Carvalho Perpétuo was discovered dead at a home in Tennessee
Lockhart said that Lee, who was in the home when investigators arrived at the scene, claimed that Perpétuo suffered from narcolepsy and likely fell in the shower, resulting in her injuries.
However, investigators disputed that claim, saying that the evidence did not match the explanation as they detailed the horrific extent of Perpétuo’s injuries.
‘There was blood going up the staircase, on the hand railing there was blood, on the walls there was blood, on the floor in the living room there was blood, in the floor on the hallway and the stairs.. there was blood in just about every room except one,’ Lockhart told the court.
Perpétuo was discovered topless and had suffered severe injuries, including severe brain trauma, a broken neck, bruising across her body and a large bite mark on her shoulder and thigh.
She also had stab wounds to her legs, according to the autopsy, which determined that she died from blunt force trauma.
The microwave is said to have been shattered, while glass and alcohol bottles were scattered throughout the home. Detectives discovered cleaning supplies upstairs, including bleach wipes and a spray bottle.
Lee was reportedly the one to call 911 from the home outside of Chattanooga, which is located around two-and-a-half hours outside of Nashville.
He was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence.
Investigators detailed the extent of the horrific injuries to Perpétuo (pictured right)
After winning the national championship with Ohio State, Lee was drafted by the New York Jets
There were no jurors present at Wednesday’s bond hearing. Instead, testimony was given to determine whether Lee would remain behind bars as the case moves forward.
His defense team pushed for bond but District Attorney Coty Wamp successfully argued Lee posed a significant risk.
Hamilton County Criminal Court Judge Tori Smith ultimately denied bond and ruled Lee will remain in custody until his next court date on March 9.
A GoFundMe page has been set up by Perpétuo’s cousin to support the family though their challenging time.
The page is attempting to raise funds for traveling and funeral expenses as well as attorney fees to ‘help take some weight off their shoulders.’
The relative explained that Perpétuo’s parents, Monique and Nilson, have traveled from Florida to Tennessee to bring her body home as soon as possible in order for friends and family to say their family goodbyes.
After winning the national championship with Ohio State in 2014, Lee was drafted by the Jets with the 20th overall pick in 2016 before spending three years in New York.
He registered 241 tackles, 17 for a loss and four sacks for the team before he was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to support the family though their challenging time
The victim’s body was found at a home near near Ooltewah Elementary School on Thursday
In one season with the Chiefs Lee produced 31 tackles in 16 games, but did not do enough to earn a new deal.
He then played two games for the Buffalo Bills and spent brief time with the Las Vegas Raiders before being released in 2021.
Lee has been in trouble with the law in the past, with the ex-Jets and Chiefs star booked for assault and domestic violence in Ohio back in 2023.
According to a 2023 arrest report, via FOX17 News, he was accused of pushing a woman ‘against the wall, throwing her to the floor and striking her face and head 8 to 9 times with his closed fists’.
Lee eventually pleaded guilty as part of a plea deal.
At the time of last week’s horrific incident, Lee was on probation for an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon conviction in Florida, and moved to Tennessee without approval from his probation officer.
