HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. — UPDATE:
An affidavit reveals gruesome new details in the murder of a former NFL player’s girlfriend, who was found dead with signs of severe trauma inside her Ooltewah home on Thursday.
WARNING: Some of the details in this story are disturbing. Viewer discretion advised.
The affidavit says Hamilton County deputies were called to the home on Snow Cone Way around 1:34 p.m.
When deputies and Tri-Com Volunteer Fire Department arrived, they discovered a woman’s body.
The affidavit says deputies identified the woman’s boyfriend, Darron Lee, at the scene. Lee is a former NFL linebacker who played for Ohio State and the New York Jets.
Lee told deputies he found the woman unconscious on the couch and believed she may have fallen in the shower, according to the affidavit.
Investigators said the condition of the home raised concerns.
The affidavit says there were no signs of forced entry, but deputies found broken glass in the kitchen and blood evidence in several areas of the house.
Investigators said the amount and location of the blood did not match Lee’s explanation. Cleaning supplies were also found in unusual places.
The affidavit says Lee was detained while deputies secured the home and obtained a search warrant. Investigators said Lee refused to answer questions.
Detectives reported Lee had injuries consistent with a physical struggle, including injuries to his face, hands, and chest.
The affidavit says blood was also found inside the case of his cell phone.
His phone and clothing were seized as evidence, and Lee was later taken to the Hamilton County Jail.
During a search of the home, the affidavit says investigators documented multiple injuries to the victim, including a suspected stab wound to the abdomen, severe bruising to her head and eyes, bruises on her arms and torso, and what appeared to be a human bite mark on her shoulder.
She was taken to the Forensic Center for an autopsy.
The affidavit says forensic testing showed blood had been cleaned from several areas of the home, suggesting an attempt to conceal evidence.
Alcohol, narcotics, and a firearm were also found inside the residence, according to the affidavit.
Based on the evidence, investigators charged Darron Lee with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence.
EARLIER:
A former NFL linebacker has been charged in his girlfriend’s murder after her body was found in a home near Ooltewah Elementary School Thursday, according to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.
On the afternoon of February 5th, HCSO says deputies were dispatched to a residence on Snow Cone Way to a report of CPR in progress.
Image: NewsChannel 9 SkyView
Upon arrival, first responders located a female victim and attempted life-saving measures. HCSO says she died from her injuries.
HCSO Criminal Investigative Services Detectives responded. Preliminary findings indicate the victim’s death was the result of a homicide.
The victim’s boyfriend, Darron Lee, was identified as the suspect and taken into custody at the scene.
The date of birth for Lee in the booking system matches the ESPN profile of a former NFL linebacker of the same name.
The date of birth for Lee in the booking system matches the ESPN profile of a former NFL linebacker of the same name.
Lee went to Ohio State and was a first-round pick in the 2016 draft to the New York Jets.
He played for several other teams up until 2021.
FILE:{ }Ohio State’s Darron Lee poses for photos after being selected by the New York Jets as the 20th pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL football draft, Thursday, April 28, 2016, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
HCSO says Lee is charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence.
Additional charges could be pending following the outcome of the investigation, according to HCSO.
Lee was also arrested for assault and domestic violence in Ohio back in 2023.
Photo from Darron Lee’s arrest in 2014. File image from WSYX.
Lee pushed a woman “against the wall, throwing her to the floor and striking her face and head 8 to 9 times with his closed fists,” according to a 2023 arrest report.
In an arrest report for a separate incident, Lee allegedly threw a phone at a different woman “which struck her head, causing her ear to bleed, grabbing her neck while punching the pillow beside her head, causing red marks to her neck.”