Ex-NFL LB could face death penalty in murder case, prosecutors say

Former NFL linebacker Darron Lee is facing charges of first-degree murder and tampering with evidence in Hamilton County, Tennessee. On Wednesday, prosecutors said the case involving the death of Lee’s girlfriend could qualify him for the death penalty.

Detective Brian Lockhart testified that Lee was in the rented home when Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived and said that his girlfriend likely fell in the shower due to her narcolepsy. Investigators said the evidence did not match Lee’s description.

Lockhart later stated that the microwave oven in the home was broken with glass scattered around the home. He testified that an autopsy showed Lee’s girlfriend suffered “severe injuries, including severe brain trauma, a broken neck, bruising across her body, a large bite mark on her shoulder and thigh, stab wounds to her legs, and significant facial trauma.”

Hamilton County District Attorney Coty Wamp said that the prosecution hasn’t decided yet whether or not to pursue the death penalty but there are two factors that could qualify Lee for it.

“You walked in the door, there were boxes,’ Lockhart said, per NewsChannel9. ‘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, in the floor on the hallway and the stairs.’

Lee is charged with tampering with evidence because detectives found cleaning supplies upstairs in the Ooltewah residence. Those supplies included bleach wipes and a spray bottle.

Lee spent six years in the NFL after the New York Jets selected him No. 20 overall in the 2016 NFL Draft out of Ohio State. He spent three seasons with the Jets before playing for the Kansas City Chiefs (2019), Buffalo Bills (2020) and Las Vegas Raiders (practice squad member in 2021).

He will remain in custody as the case continues.