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"I think the school that ends up taking him is going to get probably a lot wiser and a much smarter and an exceptional athlete.". tude.cmd.push(function() { Gay panic refers to claiming, in court, that the reaction to finding out someone elses sexual orientation or gender identity justifies violent acts. Etute was a three-star linebacker recruit from Frank W. Cox High School in Virginia Beach and signed his letter of intent in December before enrolling at Virginia Tech the next month. A freshman on the Virginia Tech Hokies football team has been charged in a homicide investigation. Isimemen Etute is 18 years old. Etute testified that he left the April 10 encounter still believing Smith was a woman, but teammates later began teasing him that his sexual partner could have been a man. Elder testified that he was disturbed by the circumstances of the meeting, in which Smith hid his face and kept his apartment nearly pitch dark. The victim is Blacksburg resident Jerry Smith, 40. However, a follow-up encounter with the two ended with a fatal tragedy. Turk expanded on that point outside the courtroom. 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. url: 'isimemen,etute,a,virginia,tech,recruit,beat,tinder,date,to,death,after,learning,he,was,a,man', Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Former player. In April 2021, Etute matched with who he believed was a woman named "Angie" (whose legal name was Jerry Smith) on the dating app Tinder. Etute, who is charged with second-degree murder, was arrested on June 2. One of the prosecutors said at closing arguments Friday that Etute gave different versions of events to police and the jury, and that the charge may have been enough for him to change his testimony. }); window.tude = window.tude || { cmd: [] }; The former Virginia Tech football player accused of beating a Tinder date to death after mistaking him for a woman was acquitted of second-degree murder Friday. Thats just wrong.. We've received your submission. He, too, went to the apartment expecting a sexual encounter with a woman, but decided to leave after feeling uncomfortable. 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. Turks response to Morgan outlining the circumstances of the case was to emphasize that the victim solicited Etute for sexual activity. He added that Smith had "demanded that it be dark" and had hidden a knife under his mattress "in case there was something awry.". During a police search of the apartment, a knife was found between Smith's mattress and box spring, but Etute testified he never saw the knife, and he did not mention any concerns for his own safety during his initial police interview on June 2, 2021. A bailiff was stationed behind Etute throughout the entire hearing, and Etute was handcuffed with his wrists attached to a chain around his waist. Two of the defendant's friends waited in the hallway of the apartment complex during the violent attack and the three left together. Teams. Today's top videos STORY CONTINUES BELOW I never tricked a man and never will its just wrong and disrespectful TO YOURSELF ASWELL !! subcat: '', Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! About The courtroom was packed as Judge Randal Duncan excluded cameras from the courtroom at the start of the proceeding. } I was just shocked and in disbelief that someone had tricked me and lied to me.. } }); window.tude = window.tude || { cmd: [] }; Im certainly appreciative that the verdict turned out the way that it did, defense attorney Jimmy Turk told Oxygen.com. I felt violated, Etute testified. Etute returned to the apartment May 31 to engage in sexual activity and discovered the person he was matched up with was a man, according to summaries of the evidence made by both Morgan and defense attorney Jimmy Turk. The verdict elicited a mix of reactions from those in the courtrooms gallery, including Etute's father, who collapsed near his sobbing wife. The order prohibits Etute from going back to Montgomery County except for court proceedings or to consult with his attorney. In taking the stand earlier in the week, Etute had testified that he felt "violated" when he discovered that the Tinder match he believed to be a woman was actually a man. Etute and Hampton, along with a third teammate, Jordan Brunson, decided to return to Smith's apartment to determine Smith's gender. Instead, the jury believed a self-defense argument that Etute feared for his life after seeing the victim "make a reach" toward his bed where a knife was later found. 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. Based on court records search, over the last nine years there have been at least three other second-degree murder cases in Montgomery County Court, and one of the defendants, Taylor Stevers, was granted bail as well. Hes going to get his life back, and Im hopeful, said Jimmy Turk to reporters. In Fridays closing arguments, prosecuting attorney Patrick Jensen condemned Etutes claims of self-defense, according to the Times. Plays Football. Cobb said he closely followed the proceedings after he read about the incident last year when it happened. The Blacksburg (Va.) Police Department responded to a welfare check Monday night where officers discovered a deceased male victim, according to the city's website. The charges are a footnote to mistaken-gender killing, of which Isimemen David Etute was acquitted. 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. The two engaged in sexual activity with Etute not aware of Smiths sexual identity. However, this time he would be surprised to discover that Angie Renee was really a 40-year-old man restaurant employee named Jerry Smith. Be proud of who you are. Turk said his client went home with his family and friends following the verdict, where theyre decompressing from the trial., Hes certainly been through a lot, having been on trial for an allegation of second-degree murder, said Turk. Etute has been charged with second-degree murder. Isimemen Etute, 19, was found not guilty of second degree murder by a Montgomery County jury on Friday for the beating death of Jerry Smith, 40, according to the Roanoke Times. He referenced a 2002 case Jawad v. Commonwealth, and a local case involving Mark Ward Faville from 2015. Virginia Tech announced that Isimemen Etute has been suspended from the football team immediately, and the university will aid police as they carry out their investigation into the suspected homicide. Etute was arrested June 2, 2021, and charged with the May 31 murder of Jerry Smith, a local Blacksburg man who had posed as a woman online to meet straight, college-aged men. It has made us stronger and strengthened our faith., We will continue to include the Smith family in our prayers. Hes obviously relieved as well.. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Police said the investigation has revealed Smith and Etute were acquaintances. tag: 'mandc,isimemen-etute', Jensen recalled the testimony of medical examiner Dr. Amy Tharp, who Jensen said testified Smith had been the victim of a "brutal beating.". Etute testified that if he determined Smith was a woman, another sexual encounter might have occurred, but that if he determined Smith was a man, he planned to flee the apartment. divId: 'div-gpt-ad-rightrail-1', Etute testified that he then believed Smith reached for a weapon under his bed, causing Etute to strike Smith with a fist several more times. Details were also revealed that Jerry Smith harbored a weapon hidden between his mattress and box spring. {{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 arrested and charged with second-degree murder June 2, 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. Whether youre a lifelong resident of D.C. or you just moved here, weve got you covered. Stevers was charged with second-degree murder in the death of her estranged husband back in 2017. Jersey #20 Position OLB, WR Overall Region 7-5 6-4 VA Rank 134. The suspended Virginia Tech football player is scheduled to stand trial in May. Do I? Thats a real problem for men in our society. Criminologist Tod Burke, who is a former police officer and retired criminal justice professor, said its not unheard of for the federal government to pursue charges despite a not guilty even in state court. The prosecuting attorney, Montgomery County Chief Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney Patrick Jensen, declined comment and referred questions to his boss, Commonwealth's Attorney Mary Pettitt. Also firmly in Etutes corner were his attorney, Jimmy Turk, and Turks family. cnx({ The law states that juries could not consider such reactions as legitimate justification. This also trickled down into the young football star being suspended from both the Virginia Tech Hokies team and the university. All Rights Reserved. env: 'prod', Etute was granted bond in a hearing Wednesday morning in Montgomery County General District Court, but Chief Deputy Commonwealths Attorney Patrick Jensen filed an expedited appeal that would have kept Etute in jail for up to five more days. Etute did testify one of his reasons for returning to Smiths apartment was that his close friends had been making jokes that the Angie Renee he had a sexual encounter with on April 10, could have been a dude.. Sales Partnership Solutions On Wednesday, Etute was charged with second-degree murder, according to court documents reviewed by USA TODAY Sports. Cobb said he was heartbroken that Fridays verdict left him with a similar empty feeling. cnx.cmd.push(function() { Blacksburg Police have announced the arrest of a Virginia Tech student in connection to the death of a Blacksburg resident early Wednesday morning. Etute and Hampton, along with a third teammate, Jordan Brunson, decided to return to Smith's apartment to determine Smith's gender. Etute, a Virginia Tech freshman linebacker at the time of the incident in May 2021, had been charged with second-degree murder, which carries a sentence of five to 40 years, and the jury could have convicted him on the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter. ferret mucus poop, assassin's creed black flag multiplayer crash on startup, A fatal tragedy attorney, Jimmy Turk, and much more, Jimmy Turk, and much more a... 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