He is also accused of tampering with evidence, and police said that additional charges could be forthcoming as the investigation continues

Darron Lee mugshot

Darron Lee mugshot.Credit : Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office

A former NFL player has been charged in connection with the murder of his girlfriend, according to police.

On Friday, Feb. 6, Tennessee’s Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office announced that 31-year-old Darron Lee was arrested on a charge of first-degree murder, along with a charge of tampering with evidence.

In a statement shared to the department’s Facebook account, authorities said deputies arrived at a residence at the 7500 block of Snow Cone Way on the afternoon Thursday, Feb. 5 following a report of a CPR in progress.

Despite life-saving measures by first responders, the woman was pronounced dead and a preliminary investigation determined that her manner of death was consistent with a homicide.

Linebacker Darron Lee #58 of the New York Jets

Darron Lee, formerly of the New York Jets, at MetLife Stadium on November 25, 2018.Al Pereira/Getty

The victim’s age and identity was not disclosed as authorities worked to notify her next of kin.

Lee, who was identified as the victim’s boyfriend by police, was taken into custody at the scene and charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence. Additional charges may follow.

A spokesperson for the Hamilton County District Attorney’s Office told PEOPLE they were unable to comment on an ongoing investigation.

In the statement, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department noted that additional charges could be forthcoming as the investigation continues.

This is not Lee’s first run-in with the law. In 2023, he was arrested after he allegedly 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 Tennessee’s News Channel 9.

The outlet did not name the victim in that incident.

He is also accused of being involved in a separate incident in which he allegedly threw a cell 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,” per the news station.

The Columbus Dispatch reported that an April 2023 incident involved a female relative, adding that the athlete later accepted a plea deal in which he pleaded guilty in Franklin County Municipal Court to a misdemeanor charge of possessing a counterfeit controlled substance, as well as a misdemeanor charge of attempted assault in February 2025, avoiding a domestic violence conviction.

Lee played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes from 2013 until 2015, per Sports Illustrated.

His college career ended with him being selected by the New York Jets in the first round of the 2016 NFL draft, where he remained until 2018. Before finishing his time in the league, he briefly played with the Kansas City Chiefs.

A rep for Lee could not immediately be reached by PEOPLE. It is not immediately known if he has an attorney.