ChatGPT Messages Used as Evidence in First-Degree Murder Charges Against Ex-NFL Player Darron Lee

Artificial intelligence is increasingly part of everyday life, helping people write emails, search for information, and solve problems. Now, it has also entered the courtroom. In a case that has captured international attention, prosecutors say conversations with an AI chatbot are part of the evidence against a former professional athlete.

At the centre of the unfolding ChatGPT murder investigation is ex-NFL player Darron Lee, who faces first-degree murder charges in connection with the death of his girlfriend, Gabriella Carvalho Perpétuo.

The case is drawing widespread scrutiny not only because of Lee's football career, but also because investigators presented ChatGPT messages used as evidence during a recent court hearing in Tennessee.

What Happened in the Darron Lee Murder Case

Authorities say the case began on 5 February 2026, when deputies were called to Lee's home in Ooltewah, Tennessee, a community near Chattanooga.

Inside the residence, officers found Gabriella Carvalho Perpétuo, 29, dead. Lee, a former linebacker who played in the NFL for several teams, including the New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs, told deputies he had discovered his girlfriend unresponsive.

According to investigators, Lee suggested she might have suffered an accidental fall.

However, testimony presented in court suggested the injuries were far more severe than what investigators would expect from a simple accident.

Medical findings discussed during the preliminary hearing indicated Perpétuo had suffered multiple traumatic injuries, including blunt force trauma and other significant wounds.

Those findings quickly turned the case into a homicide investigation.

ChatGPT Messages Used as Evidence in Court

One of the most unusual aspects of the Darron Lee murder case involves digital evidence taken from Lee's phone.

During the preliminary hearing, Hamilton County District Attorney Coty Wamp told the court that Lee had exchanged messages with ChatGPT shortly before calling emergency services.

According to prosecutors, the former NFL player asked the chatbot questions about how to deal with an 'unresponsive person' and whether certain injuries could appear consistent with an accidental fall.

Investigators also examined the timing of the messages.

Prosecutors argued that the questions were asked before Lee contacted authorities, raising concerns about what he was trying to determine in the hours leading up to the emergency call.

Wamp told the court that Lee appeared to use the chatbot almost like an adviser while trying to understand how the situation might be explained.

Legal experts say the case may become an important example of AI chatbot evidence in court, a rapidly evolving area of digital forensics.

Investigators Describe the Crime Scene

During the hearing, Detective Brian Lockhart of the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office described what investigators found inside the home.

Lockhart testified that blood was discovered in several areas of the house, including walls, floors, and stairways.

Those details, combined with the victim's injuries, led investigators to question the explanation that the death resulted from an accidental fall.

The testimony helped prosecutors argue that the physical evidence inside the residence was inconsistent with Lee's account of what happened.

Court Ruling Sends Case to Grand Jury

After hearing testimony and reviewing the evidence, Judge Tori Smith ruled that prosecutors had presented enough information for the case to move forward.

The judge ordered that the case be sent to a grand jury, allowing prosecutors to pursue the first-degree murder charges against Darron Lee.

Lee also faces an additional charge of tampering with evidence.

He remains in custody without bond as the legal process continues.

His attorney, public defender Mike Little, argued during the hearing that the prosecution's case relies heavily on circumstantial evidence and that investigators cannot say exactly what occurred inside the home.

Why the Case Is Getting Attention

While the tragic Darron Lee girlfriend death remains at the centre of the case, the investigation is also raising broader questions about technology.

Digital evidence has long included phone records, internet searches, and text messages. But the appearance of ChatGPT messages used as evidence signals how artificial intelligence tools may become part of future criminal investigations.

As AI systems become more common in daily life, interactions with chatbots may increasingly appear in legal proceedings, much like search histories and social media activity already do.

For now, the ChatGPT murder investigation involving Darron Lee is still unfolding.

A grand jury will determine whether the case proceeds to trial, where prosecutors and defence attorneys will continue debating what the digital evidence, including the chatbot conversations, really reveals about the events leading to Perpétuo's death.