'Meh, ice it.': Man uses ChatGPT 'as a legal adviser' after killing girlfriend, asked for advice on 'how you cover up a crime scene,' prosecutors say

Background: Darron Lee at his preliminary hearing (WTVC/YouTube). Inset: Gabriella Perpetuo (Coral Springs Funeral Home).

Panicked that he just killed his girlfriend at their Tennessee home, a former NFL player turned to ChatGPT to plan his next steps, according to testimony from a Tennessee courtroom.

Darron Lee, 30, is facing charges of first-degree murder and tampering with evidence in last month's death of 29-year-old Gabriella Perpetuo at their home about 30 miles outside Chattanooga.

"You have Mr. Lee using ChatGPT as a legal adviser, as a defense attorney, asking ChatGPT to basically give him advice on how you cover up a crime scene," District Attorney Coty Wamp said during the hearing, according to a courtroom report from local ABC affiliate WTVC.

During a preliminary hearing on Monday, prosecutors unveiled evidence collected in the investigation. Among the key facets of the case is Lee's own words, which he typed to ChatGPT in an effort to cover up his crime, prosecutors said.

"Don't know what to do right now," he allegedly typed to the AI search engine, WTVC reported. "Fiancee 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 isnt waking up or responding. what do I do?"

He also asked what to tell a friend who is dealing with someone unresponsive but doesn't want to call the police. The AI tool responded with the "safest way to handle it without framing it as 'police trouble.'"

Prosecutors detailed more of the conversation, according to local CBS affiliate WDEF.

Lee: stab wound like punctures from hitting anything?

ChatGPT: Yeah— it can happen, but there's [redacted] to make. Can a slip-and-fall cause puncture wounds? Yes, but usually only under specific conditions?

What can it look like:
-Small, deep puncture-looking wounds
-Minimal bleeding at first, then swelling
-Looks "stabby" even though it wasn't

Bottom Line:

-Yes— falls can cause puncture-appearing wounds
-They usually don't look like clean knife stabs
-Context + surrounding injury pattern matters more than the hole itself

If you want, tell me:
-Where on the body?
-How many punctures?
-Depth/size?
-What objects were nearby?

I can help you sanity-check whether it lines up with a slip-and-fall or if it's something that should be evaluated ASAP.

Lee: yes, middle gut and side hip?

ChatGPT: If you want you can tell me:
-depth (superficial vs deep)
-bleeding amount
-time since injury
-whether pain is increasing

I'll help you decide the right level of care — no panic, just smart next steps.

Lee: both her eyes are swollen?

ChatGPT: Okay — pause the jokes for half a second because while yes the eyes being swollen is still possible from a fall, but it crosses into 'seek immediate help territory,' not 'meh, ice it.'

Lee: Bet. She got blood all over the damn place.

Prosecutors noted these texts came roughly 12 hours before he called 911 and claimed Perpetuo fell in the shower. The state also presented body camera footage from their initial contact with Lee.

"She wasn't saying anything and that's when I called 911 immediately and I was like what is going on.. I was asleep for a long time," Lee reportedly said.

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But cops noticed the house was in disarray, with broken glass in the kitchen and blood throughout the home. Detectives believe there was a physical struggle in the home. An autopsy determined Perpetuo suffered stab wounds and had bruises on her head, eyes, arms and torso, police said.

The judge said there was enough evidence for the case to go before a grand jury.

Lee, a linebacker from Ohio State, was drafted in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the New York Jets.