Smith did not own a gun, but police reported finding a knife between the man's mattress and box spring. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. Etute failed to notify authorities that he'd left Smith injured, bubbling and gurgling, in the apartment. Plays Football. BLACK ENTERPRISE is the premier business, investing, and wealth-building resource for African Americans. cnx.cmd.push(function() { Ismemen David Etute of Virginia Beach was arrested and charged with second-degree murder June 2 in the death of Smith, a Blacksburg restaurant worker. cnx({ Nobody deserves to die, but I dont mind saying, dont pretend you are something that you are not, Turk told reporters. Sales Partnership Solutions Ex-Virginia Tech player Isimemen Etute, 19, is CLEARED of beating male Tinder date, 40, to death during fight after hook-up had lied and said he was a woman. On July 1, 2021 -- just more than a month after Smith's death -- Virginia passed a bill restricting the use of the so-called gay panic defense, in which a defendant accused of homicide could receive a lesser sentence by saying they panicked after finding out the victim's sexual orientation or gender identity. CHRISTIANSBURG Former Virginia Tech football player Isimemen David Etute and his parents, Nichelle and David, issued a statement to The Roanoke Times on Saturday through his defense attorney Jimmy Turk. Former Virginia Tech football player Isimemen Etute was found not guilty of all charges Friday in the beating death of a Blacksburg resident following an online catfishing scheme. He was the number 36 prospect in Virginia and 45 inside linebacker in the country, according to 247sports. According to those statements, Etute visited the victims apartment April 10 for oral sex after he was matched up with someone named Angie on Tinder. This is me Follow. The linebackers team profile was not active Thursday. Why wouldnt it work in civil court? Burke said. What followed was an incident that left Jerry Smith deceased. Virginia Tech football player charged with second-degree murder of local man In the case of a felony arrest, the university has the authority to place a student on immediate interim suspension, Virginia Tech said in the statement. Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. tude.refreshAdsViaDivMappings([ { At one point during Wednesdays bond hearing, Turk reportedly asked Etute clad in an orange prison jumpsuit how he had been impacted by the charges. You can cancel at any time. Nobody deserves to die, but I dont mind saying, dont pretend you are something that you are not, Etutes attorney, Jimmy Turk, told reporters, according to The Richmond Times Dispatch. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Today's top videos STORY CONTINUES BELOW Isimene Atute, a Virginia Tech football player was indicted Wednesday for murder. Hampton and Smith then both made contact with Etute, with Smith encouraging Etute to "put in a good word" with his teammate. tude.cmd.push(function() { env: 'prod', Isimemen Etute, 18, was. The Etute family left the Montgomery County Courthouse through a back exit without speaking to reporters. Isimemen Etute, 21, entered a plea of not guilty at Thursday's arraignment for the 2021 murder of Jerry Smith, 40, according to NBC Roanoke affiliate WSLS. During testimony Thursday, Etute said he entered Smith's apartment alone -- both teammates waited outside and were not charged with a crime -- and engaged with Smith on a bed. The American Nigerian, Isimemen Etute, 19, was found not guilty of a charge of second-degree murder in the 2021 death of Jerry Smith, 40, of Blacksburg. 6'3" 185 lbs Sophomore. Isimemen Etute, 19, was found. The then 18-year-old was accused of fatally beating Smith, an openly gay man who had posed as a woman on the dating app Tinder to initiate a sexual encounter. Isimemen Etute released on $75,000 bond; remains suspended from team A Virginia Tech freshman linebacker charged in the beating death of a man who he thought was a woman has been released on bail. Defense attorney Jimmy Turk told the jurors earlier Friday that the commonwealth's evidence was circumstantial, while the defense's evidence, which included the testimony of Etute, was direct. Hes going to get his life back, and Im hopeful, said Jimmy Turk to reporters. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. Its sad All the way around. Etute has been charged with second-degree murder. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Ukraine's interior minister, at least 14 others killed in Kyiv helicopter crash, was acquitted Friday evening of second-degree murder, Business cycle: Ex-Burlington Coat Factory location considered by home decor company, Roanoke Wasena Bridge project update: log cabin to be removed, replaced by roundabout, Case of Radford child's many hospital visits ends with Alford plea, Former Blacksburg coach Mickey McGuigan remembered for his 'compassion', Christiansburg Marketplace to add second anchor with Academy Sports + Outdoors, Ford plant halted by Youngkin would have created 2,500 jobs in Southside, Roanoke woman charged in U.S. Capitol riots. Former player. I was just shocked and in disbelief that someone had tricked me and lied to me.. A former Virginia Tech football player accused of killing a man he'd had a sexual encounter with, believing he was a woman, has been acquitted of murder. I live by my mission to Be Bold. The Etute . Sept. 23, 2021 Etute appeared in court for a preliminary hearing on Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021. I hope its not just about his ability to return to football, which I know is an important thing, but I hope it will include him learning and advocating to the LGBTQ community and deterring these sorts of incidents from ever happening again, Cobb said. Virginia Tech Signing Day capsule 2021: Isi Etute. The last request came in December 2021. Etute testified that Smith was still breathing when he left, and the state's forensic detective testified the entire attack likely took only a few seconds. Etute testified that he stomped on Smith's face as he departed the apartment, leaving a bloody shoe print on Smith's cheek in the process. The case stems from a death that happened May 31. Etute was accused of beating his Tinder date Jerry Smith to death after mistaking him for a woman last year. CHRISTIANSBURG - Former Virginia Tech football player Isimemen David Etute and his parents, Nichelle and David, issued a statement to The Roanoke Times on Saturday through his defense attorney Jimmy Turk. An autopsy report by the medical examiner showed nearly all the bones in Smith's face were broken, he suffered bleeding of the brain, and had teeth fragments missing. Circuit Judge Mike Fleenor didnt preclude the gay panic defense that was the subject of a law passed by the General Assembly last year on a procedural basis. } Etute said he became suspicious on May 31 when friends of his, including. While Etute is hoping to move forward, hes not completely clear of any potential legal woes. Theres a long history in the masculine world we live in to say I dont want to be perceived as gay, or feminine or weak or less than, Cobb said. Turk ended his arguments in tears, calling Etute "one of the finest young men I've ever had the experience of meeting" and noting that the entire situation came about only because of Smith's "deliberate, wicked sexual ruse.". However, a follow-up encounter with the two ended with a fatal tragedy. If theres ever been a time for someone to be considered for bail, this is it.. Last week, Etutes attorney had filed a motion to use a gay and trans panic defense, a legal strategy that aims to get defendants more lenient sentences by claiming their violent actions were an uncontrollable response to learning a victims sexual orientation or gender identity. Dont target or lure anyone under that perception. The argument wasnt made by the attorneys on either side. Smith eventually died from blunt force injuries to the head. Former player Isimemen Etute, 19, was found not guilty of a charge of second-degree murder in the 2021 death of Jerry Smith, 40, of Blacksburg. "They can be extremely useful, but they can be extremely dangerous.". Isimemen Etute also took the stand in the three-day trial, where he shared he felt violated and argued that the act was in self-defense. The law states that juries could not consider such reactions as legitimate justification. "They can be extremely useful, but they can be extremely dangerous. baseDivId: 'pb-slot-right-1', The Times also reports that his parents broke down in tears following the verdict while his father collapsed. Etute then was able to have the ankle bracelet from the house arrest removed. An autopsy revealed Smith, a restaurant worker, died from blunt force trauma to the head. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, College Football Playoff may finally expand, Giants fans know how to handle this playoff test, Close-knit Giants have so many reasons to believe: 'Feel the love, The WWE sale circus is only just beginning, The Show with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman, Amazin' But True: A NY Mets Baseball Podcast, Gangs All Here: A NY Jets Football Podcast, Wife of 'Boy Meets World' star William Daniels details 'painful' 'open marriage', I went to McDonalds drive-thru for lunch but left with bags of cash instead. They would reportedly meet on April 10th, when the 18-year-old male received an act of pleasure from his Tinder date at the latters apartment. We've received your submission. url: 'isimemen,etute,a,virginia,tech,recruit,beat,tinder,date,to,death,after,learning,he,was,a,man', Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. The suspended Virginia Tech football player is scheduled to stand trial in May. Isimemen David Etute, a freshman who was recruited to play linebacker at Virginia Tech, was hit with second-degree murder charges in the death of Jerry Paul Smith in May. The verdict came after a three-day trial and just over three hours of jury deliberations. Virginia Tech freshman football player Isimemen Etute was arrested and charged with second-degree murder Wednesday in connection with the death of a Blacksburg resident, according to a. Former Virginia Tech football player Isimemen Etute seeks to resume pursuit of degree, football. The jury deliberated for approximately three hours before returning its verdict around 6:30 p.m., The Roanoke Times reported. That his parents broke down in tears following the verdict came after three-day... Never-Before-Seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more his Tinder Jerry... Speaking to reporters his, including tude.cmd.push ( function ( ) { env 'prod! 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