Darron Lee, a former Ohio State champion and first-round NFL draft pick, was arrested last week and charged with the first-degree murder of his girlfriend. On February 11, he appeared in court, and the judge ruled against him in the bond hearing. Now, prosecutors may push for the maximum punishment under law.

Apart from the homicide charge, Lee is also facing a charge of tampering with evidence. According to the arrest affidavit, first responders went to a home in Chattanooga in Ooltewah, where they found the victim already deceased. The first responders tried some life-saving measures, but to no avail, before finding extensive blood on the scene. Even though Darron informed authorities that his girlfriend had fallen in the shower, the evidence pointed to a different conclusion.

“Mr. Lee was in a home with a female who was, for lack of a better term, beaten to death,” Hamilton County District Attorney Coty Wamp said in court. “And the explanation that he gave doesn’t make any sense whatsoever.” Owing to the prosecutor’s arguments, the judge denied bail to the 31-year-old, and his next hearing is now scheduled for March 9. Prosecutors say that if Lee is guilty, they may push for the death penalty in the case.

The death penalty reportedly stems from the manner in which the victim was found at the crime scene. Brian Lockhart, a detective with Hampton County, described a microwave as “shattered” and shards of glass lying “everywhere.” Bloodstains also “lit up blue throughout the whole hallway,” and drag marks were everywhere. Blood was also found in “every room but one,” as well as on the banister of the stairs.

The victim had several stabbing wounds, and the house was “attempted to be cleaned” in multiple areas. They also found blood inside the couple’s BMW, and a gun was retrieved from the crime scene. What also doesn’t help Lee is that this isn’t his first instance of violent behavior.

Darron Lee has shown a pattern of violent behavior

In April 2023, the former Buckeye linebacker was arrested in Ohio for two separate domestic disputes. According to reports, the incident occurred over six months, and authorities were involved after the second one was reported. In the first incident, Darron Lee was accused of pushing a woman against the wall, throwing her to the floor, and striking her multiple times.

As a result, the 31-year-old was charged with two counts of misdemeanor domestic violence and assault. Thereafter, local police recovered a “white powder” from Lee, which was later revealed to be cocaine. The former Buckeye finally reached a plea deal on the charges and served two days of a 90-day jail sentence. Lee was on probation till 2027, and that’s when the homicide allegations surfaced against him, giving prosecutors another reason to push for the death penalty.

As a multi-sport athlete coming out of high school, Lee was highly sought as a recruit. Rated as the 29th-best safety in the nation, he also received four-star rankings from Scout.com. ESPN also rated him the 28th-best overall player in the state of Ohio. On May 26, Lee committed to Ohio State to play college football.

In his time at Columbus, Lee played linebacker and was a second-team All-American and also won the 2014 national title under Urban Meyer. He subsequently won the Defensive MVP of the 2015 Sugar Bowl game against Alabama after he recorded seven tackles and two sacks. Due to his college football heroics, Lee was selected 20th overall by the Jets in the 2016 NFL draft and played till 2018 with the team.

In 2018, the Chattanooga, Tennessee, native was suspended from the Jets team for four games due to a “substance abuse violation.” Coming back from suspension, Lee struggled to play, and the Jets traded him to the Kansas City Chiefs. There, he spent the sole Super Bowl season in 2019, but didn’t play in the final game. After short stints with the Buffalo Bills and the Las Vegas Raiders, he was out of the league.

Lee’s once-promising career, which began as a first-round NFL draft pick, now hinges on the outcome of his March 9 court date, where he faces the gravest of consequences.