(WSYX) — Former Ohio State star and NFL linebacker Darron Lee remained in jail Wednesday after a judge denied him bail in a Tennessee courtroom following graphic testimony about the death of his girlfriend, Gabriella Carvalho Perpétuo.
Lee is charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence in Perpétuo’s death.
Brian Lockhart, a detective with the Hampton County, Tennessee, Sheriff’s Office, testified Wednesday about what he saw the day Perpétuo was found dead Thursday, describing damage and debris inside the home.
Former Ohio State star and NFL linebacker Darron Lee remained in jail Wednesday after a judge denied him bail in a Tennessee courtroom following graphic testimony about the death of his girlfriend, Gabriella Carvalho Perpétuo.
“The microwave was shattered,” he said. “There was glass everywhere. There was alcoholic bottles everywhere in the house.”
Lockhart said Lee told detectives Perpétuo had narcolepsy and may have fallen in the shower. A prosecutor asked, “Did Mr. Lee give any explanation as to if she fell in the shower, how she ended up in the living room floor?”
“He did not,” Lockhart answered.
Lockhart also testified that Lee said “he had not spoken to her, except for the day before, at 5 p.m.”
Lockhart said the couple had moved into the home just 10 days earlier. He described what he called a widespread blood scene throughout the house.
“There was blood going up the staircase on the hand rail,” Lockhart said. “There was blood on the walls. There was blood on the floor in the living room. There was blood in the hallway upstairs. There was blood in just about every room.”
The detective said he believes there was an attempt to clean up the crime scene, and described what investigators saw when they used a special light.
“It lit up blue throughout the whole hallway,” Lockhart said. “You could see drag marks. You could see drag marks into the bathroom that was glowing blue.”
Investigators also found blood inside the couple’s BMW, according to the testimony.
With bail denied, Lee remains behind bars. Prosecutors have indicated they will seek the death penalty.
Lee was arrested for assault and domestic violence in Dublin, Ohio, back in 2023. He pleaded guilty to a lesser offense in 2025, resulting in a 90-day jail sentence, with 88 days suspended. He was placed on probation through February 2027.
