Former NFL linebacker Darron Lee has been charged with killing his girlfriend after a deadly incident near Chattanooga, Tennessee, authorities confirmed.
Law enforcement officers were dispatched to a home in Hamilton County on Thursday after receiving a call about an unresponsive woman. When first responders arrived, they attempted life-saving measures, but the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators quickly identified Lee, 31, as the suspect. He was taken into custody and formally charged Friday with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence. Court records show Lee is scheduled to appear before a judge on February 11.
“Preliminary findings indicate the victim’s death was the result of a homicide,” the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. The victim’s name has not yet been released, pending notification of her next of kin.
Lee is best known to football fans as a former first-round draft pick of the New York Jets in 2016. Once viewed as a promising defensive star, his NFL career took a sharp downturn. His rookie contract with the Jets ended early in 2019 following disciplinary issues and declining performance.
He last played in the league during the 2020 season with the Buffalo Bills. That same year, Lee was also on the Kansas City Chiefs roster when the team won the Super Bowl, though he did not appear in the game.
In June 2021, Lee signed with the Las Vegas Raiders, but he was released two months later without taking the field.
The murder charge comes after a troubling prior arrest. In 2023, Lee was taken into custody on assault and domestic violence charges. According to the arrest report, he allegedly pushed a woman against a wall, threw her to the floor, and struck her face and head multiple times with closed fists.
Authorities say the investigation into the Tennessee homicide is ongoing as prosecutors prepare for Lee’s upcoming court appearance.
Hang him High in the town square!
Public execution, hanging or shot, makes no difference.