ChatGPT used as evidence in murder trial of ex-NFL player Darron Lee
Prosecutors presented grisly evidence to support the first-degree murder charge against former NFL and Ohio State star linebacker Darron Lee during a preliminary hearing Monday in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
The most shocking injuries were those of victim Gabriella Carvalho Perpétuo, Lee’s girlfriend. According to testimony, she suffered severe head and facial trauma, a broken neck, stab wounds to her legs and circular human bite marks on her shoulder and thigh. The cause of death was ruled as blunt force trauma.
Most surprising was the dialogue between Lee and the advanced OpenAI chatbot ChatGPT on how to create an alibi for Perpétuo’s injuries. The former New York Jets first-round pick reportedly sent frantic messages to the chatbot shortly before Perpétuo was found dead on the floor of a house covered in blood and strewn with alcohol bottles.
Chattanooga television station WCTV reported that prosecutors recited to the jury disturbing questions that Lee directed to the chatbot.
“I don’t know what to do right now. The fiancée 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, I did it to myself). She stabbed herself, cut her eye? I don’t know but she won’t wake up or respond, what should I do?” he asked ChatGPT.
Prosecutors identified two aggravating factors that could make Lee eligible for the death penalty, Hamilton County Prosecutor Coty Wamp told the court.
Lee allegedly told police that Perpétuo suffered from narcolepsy and had fallen in the shower. However, according to testimony from Sheriff’s Detective Brian Lockhart, evidence throughout the house showed that the injuries were not the result of self-inflicted injuries or an accidental fall.
“There was blood coming up the stairs, on the banister there was blood, on the walls there was blood, on the living room floor there was blood,” Lockhart testified. “There was blood in almost every room except one.”
Investigators also found broken glass scattered around the home, a broken microwave, and bleach wipes and spray bottles. This provided enough evidence for prosecutors to add a charge of tampering with evidence.
Perpétuo’s mother, Noemia Monique Carvalho, filed a wrongful death suit against Lee seeking $50 million in compensatory and punitive damages. Lee, the 20th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, has earned approximately $10.2 million during his five-year career, according to Over The Cap.
His best season was 2018, when he threw three interceptions for the Jets. However, he was suspended for the final four games of the season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Lee played for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019 and the Buffalo Bills in 2020.
Lee helped Ohio State win the College Football Playoff’s first national championship following the 2014 season. As a redshirt freshman, he was named Most Valuable Defensive Player in a semifinal victory over Alabama. Ohio State beat Oregon for the title.
