DARRON LEE MURDER TRIAL DATE SET FOR SEPTEMBER 2027

Former NFL linebacker Darron Lee is facing a first-degree murder charge in Tennessee over the death of his girlfriend, Gabriella Perpetuo. A Tennessee court has set the trial date for 20 September 2027, according to a local news report. Lee appeared in court in handcuffs and a prison jumpsuit. He entered no plea to the charge, which under Tennessee law is treated as a not-guilty plea. Perpetuo's family has filed a separate civil lawsuit over her death.

The New York Jets selected Lee as a first-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. He went on to play five seasons in the league, appearing for the Jets, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills. He made 58 regular-season appearances in total, including 38 starts. Lee was part of the Chiefs squad that won Super Bowl LIV.

According to one report, Perpetuo's family has been pursuing a potential claim against OpenAI, the company behind the ChatGPT chatbot, citing evidence that Lee used the tool for guidance on how to deal with a person who was "unresponsive". OpenAI has not been confirmed as a defendant in either the criminal case or the civil lawsuit. The first-degree murder trial against Lee is scheduled to begin on 20 September 2027. The civil lawsuit filed by Perpetuo's family is proceeding separately from the criminal case.