Artificial intelligence is increasingly part of everyday life, helping people write emails, search for information, and solve problems. Now, it has also entered the courtroom. In a case that has captured international attention, prosecutors say conversations with an AI chatbot are part of the evidence against a former professional athlete.
At the centre of the unfoldingChatGPT murder investigationis ex-NFL player Darron Lee, who faces first-degree murder charges in connection with the death of his girlfriend, Gabriella Carvalho Perpétuo.
The case is drawing widespread scrutiny not only because of Lee's football career, but also because investigators presentedChatGPT messages used as evidenceduring a recent court hearing in Tennessee.
Authorities say the case began on 5 February 2026, when deputies were called to Lee's home in Ooltewah, Tennessee, a community near Chattanooga.
Inside the residence, officers foundGabriella Carvalho Perpétuo, 29, dead. Lee, a former linebacker who played in the NFL for several teams, including the New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs, told deputies he had discovered his girlfriend unresponsive.
According to investigators, Lee suggested she might have suffered an accidental fall.
However, testimony presented in court suggested the injuries were far more severe than what investigators would expect from a simple accident.
Medical findings discussed during the preliminary hearing indicated Perpétuo had suffered multiple traumatic injuries, including blunt force trauma and other significant wounds.
Those findings quickly turned the case into a homicide investigation.
One of the most unusual aspects of the Darron Lee murder case involves digital evidence taken from Lee's phone.
Source: International Business Times UK
