​Former Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Darron Lee, who was a first-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, has retained a criminal attorney to represent him after being charged with first-degree murder in Hamilton County, Tennessee, according to a report by Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. Florio cites WDEF, which reported that former Hamilton County District Attorney Neil Pinkston will handle the case. Lee has not entered a plea on his own behalf, which is effectively a not-guilty plea.
The case contains several remarkable elements, including alleged evidence that Lee sought advice from ChatGPT when dealing with an unresponsive person. Lee could potentially face the death penalty, though prosecutors have not indicated whether they will pursue such a punishment.
Lee was selected by the New York Jets in the 2016 draft in the first round and was later acquired by the Chiefs in 2019 for a sixth-round pick. The murder charge marks a stark and troubling shift in Lee’s life after football. Florio’s report also references a piece by Madison Sims of Local3News.com, which notes that Gabriella Perpétuo’s family plans to hold ChatGPT accountable for facilitating Lee’s actions by pursuing a $50 million wrongful death lawsuit against him.
“The defendant in this case engaged ChatGPT to cover up a crime,” attorney C. Mark Warren told Sims. “We believe it’s crucial that AI platforms have guardrails in place to mitigate harm, but they must also be enforceable when misuse occurs.”
Florio, who is a practicing attorney, used his coverage to comment on the volatility and legal implications of AI technologies in criminal cases. He described the technology as having a “ready-fire-aim” quality, with “millions of users effectively serving as beta testers.” He also touched on the potential liability for AI providers like OpenAI when serious issues arise, given their real-world data and experiences used to refine the systems.
In Lee’s case, Florio suggested that if Perpétuo was unresponsive but still alive, Lee’s decision to seek ChatGPT’s guidance on how to proceed—and ChatGPT’s willingness to comply with the prompt—may have squandered a crucial opportunity to rescue her, particularly if the AI response did not simply instruct to call 911 immediately. As the trial looms, the inclusion of AI considerations is likely to generate significant national attention, with ongoing headlines each time ChatGPT or related AI tools are mentioned in connection with the courtroom proceedings.