In a shocking turn of events, former New York Jets first-round draft pick Darron Lee is accused of seeking guidance from ChatGPT after allegedly murdering his girlfriend, according to prosecutors.

Lee, who played in the NFL from 2016 to 2020, is facing serious charges, including first-degree murder and tampering with evidence, following the tragic death of Gabriella Carvalho Perpétuo. Her body was discovered on February 5 in a residence located in Hamilton County, Tennessee.

During a preliminary hearing on March 9, prosecutors presented evidence that highlighted a string of ChatGPT messages found on Lee’s phone. These messages were reportedly sent the day before Perpétuo’s body was discovered, as covered by WDEF.

One message allegedly sent by Lee read, “Don’t know what to do right now. Fiancee [sic] did her crazy thing again and now she’s messed up, I wake up and she has two swollen eyes (I didn’t do anything, self-inflicted) she stabbed herself, slit her eye? Idk but she isn’t waking up or responding, what do I do?”

Prosecutors claim Lee requested advice on how to assist a “friend” in managing someone who was unresponsive.

ChatGPT’s response reportedly included guidance on handling the situation without implicating law enforcement, though specific details were redacted.

The AI bot offered more advice saying it was possible that “puncture wounds” could be caused by falls, although it noted “they usually don’t look like clean knife stabs” and reported that the context and injury itself was more important than the hole of the wound, according to the news outlet. 

“I can help you sanity-check whether it lines up with a slip-and-fall,” ChatGPT continued, “or if it’s something that should be evaluated ASAP.”

When Lee responded that “both her eyes are swollen?” the bot replied, per WDEF, “while yes the eyes being swollen is still possible from a fall, but it crosses into ‘seek immediate help territory’ not ‘meh, ice it.’” 

Hamilton County District Attorney Coty Wamp argued during the hearing, according to the outlet, that Lee had been using the AI tool to act “as a legal advisor, as a defense attorney, asking ChatGPT to give him advice on how to cover up a crime scene.”

Gabriella Carvalho Perpétuo Found Unresponsive

Deputies were called to the home around 1:34 p.m. on Feb. 5 for what was reported as a “CPR in progress call,” according to an affidavit of complaint obtained by Oxygen. When they arrived, they found Perpétuo dead. Lee told deputies that he’d found his girlfriend “unconscious on the couch,” per the affidavit, but officers noticed broken glass scattered across the kitchen and “extensive blood evidence” throughout the house. 

In addition to blood spatter on the walls and flooring, deputies also found cleaning materials in “abnormal places.”

The medical examiner at the scene noticed Perpétuo had what appeared to be a one-inch stab wound to the stomach, a large bruise to her head, black eyes with heavy swelling, bruising on her arms and torso and what looked like a large bite mark on her shoulder, per the affidavit.

Detectives also observed that Lee had a facial injury, cuts to his hands and wounds to his chest, “consistent with a violent altercation,” per the report.

Body Cam Footage of Darron Lee Played in Court

In court March 9, prosecutors played body camera footage that showed Lee telling the officers he believed his girlfriend may have slipped and fallen in the shower. 

“I came down and she was laying on the couch on her side and then I was like, hey baby, what do you want to eat, and she wouldn’t say anything,” he told Deputy Cory Mullins, per Local News 3. “That’s when I called 911 immediately, because I’m like what is going on, because when I get up I’m like what the hell happened, I was sleeping a long time.”

Lead detective Brian Lockhart also testified that investigators used the blood reagent Blustar and detected large amounts of blood in the master bedroom on the mattress, pillow and floor in addition to the master bathroom’s shower and toilet. Evidence of blood was also found on the carpet and walls of other rooms and the kitchen sink, according to the testimony.

Broken glass from the microwave was also found scattered in the kitchen, along with alcohol bottles, according to the testimony.

After hearing the evidence presented by prosecutors, Judge Tori Smith bound the case over to a grand jury. 

When questioned about the allegations laid out in court by Oxygen, Lee’s attorney Mike Little said, “It is too early in the case to make any additional comments.”