Details have emerged in the case of a former NFL player accused of beating his girlfriend to death earlier this month.
The suspect is identified as Darron Lee, a former New York Jets player, who is facing a first-degree murder charge in the death of Gabriella Perpetuo in Ooltewah, Tennessee, Fox News reported Wednesday.
A judge in the Hamilton County Criminal Court ruled this week the suspect would remain jailed without bond, and prosecutors are also weighing the death penalty in the brutal case.
In recalling the scene of the alleged crime, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office Detective Brian Lockhart said there were boxes everywhere inside the residence the pair were renting together.
“A lot of stuff in the living room. The deceased was in the floor lying on her back. 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. On the floor in the hallway and the stairs,” Lockhart explained.
The woman also suffered a stab wound in her abdomen, human bite marks, a large bruise on her head, swollen black eyes, and dried blood on her face and neck, according to officials who carried out a search warrant.
Lockhart also said officials found alcohol bottles all over the home and a shattered microwave. There was blood in nearly every room and also on the handrail going upstairs, he stated, per Local 3.
“Lockhart says Blue Star, a chemical that tests for blood residue, lit up throughout the hallway, with ‘drag marks’ showing through the bathroom and hallway. Clorox wipes and other cleaning supplies were found throughout the house. An affidavit says Lee attempted to clean blood stains from the scene,” the article read.
The medical examiner determined Perpetuo’s death was caused by blunt force trauma and labeled it a homicide. Her neck was also broken, the Local 3 report said.
Lee reportedly claimed at the scene she had fallen in the shower, but he had cuts on his hands, chest, and a facial injury.
Police arrived at the scene after receiving a call about a CPR in progress at the home, per Local 3:
Perpetuo’s parents, Monique and Nilson, remembered her as someone who made friends with everyone and was very loving, according to Local 3. The family has since moved to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the suspect and is seeking $25 million in damages which would draw from the suspect’s pension and other assets.
In 2023, Lee was arrested for allegedly assaulting his mother and the mother of his child, Breitbart News reported.
Video footage shows the suspect in the courtroom when he was accused in the murder case. He has also been charged with tampering with evidence:
According to the Fox article, Hamilton County District Attorney Coty Wamp said, “Lee was on probation in Florida for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in one county and battery in another and on probation in Ohio for attempted battery.”
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