Roanoke City Council member Joe Cobb, who identifies as a member of the regions LGBTQ community, hopes one of the steps Etute takes is advocating on behalf of gender and sexual minorities. According to the Roanoke Times, Fleenor stated it would have been applicable, but this [ruling] is purely procedural.. Graduated in 2021. It isnt about reasonable doubt, I like to say they have to prove their case by 50.1%, Burke said. A jury on Friday acquitted a former Virginia Tech football player who had been accused of fatally beating a man he says he initially believed from a Tinder match to be a woman. He has been required to remain at his parents house in Virginia Beach and is not allowed to leave the state. 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. He further says it has only helped him become much smarter, wiser, and stronger, with a new outlook on life in his journey moving forward.. The linebackers parents and sister attended Wednesdays hearing, as well as a dozen Virginia Tech football players, most of whom were wearing team gear, according to the report. The medical examiners office had previously revealed that Smith had died from blunt force trauma to the head. 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. Hes been acquitted of a crime, Turk said. Isimemen Etute, 19, stands accused of the 2021 murder of Jerry Paul Smith, 40, who Etute met under the name "Angie." (Smith's family has identified the victim as a gay man, according to ABC affiliate WSET, and Smith is not listed on the Human Rights Campaign's compendium of transgender and non-conforming people killed in 2021 .) Please subscribe to keep reading. A Virginia Tech football recruit is in jail facing murder charges for beating his Tinder date to death after learning he was a man and not the woman he met online. 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. Jersey #20 Position OLB, WR Overall Region 7-5 6-4 VA Rank 134. The argument wasnt made by the attorneys on either side. The young athlete went to Smiths home on April 10 and received oral sex, according to the t attorney Jimmy Turk. If you find this was in the heat of passion, you shouldnt find him guilty of second-degree murder; the crime would be voluntary manslaughter," said Jensen. Turk was asked after the verdict came down if Etute should be allowed back at the university. This also trickled down into the young football star being suspended from both the Virginia Tech Hokies team and the university. Former Virginia Tech football player Isimemen David Etute describes an altercation during his murder trial in Montgomery County Circuit Court in Christiansburg, Va., Thursday, May 26 2022. 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. Etute left the apartment without calling police, according to court arguments, and Smith was found unresponsive two days later during a welfare check in the apartment located in the 100 block of North Main Street in Blacksburg. 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. aid: '724714', A Virginia Tech spokesperson says Etute is the only football player who has been suspended from the team. Cops found the badly beaten mans body one day later, the newspaper reported. }); EVENTS The defendant pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder, claiming he acted in self-defense. Former Virginia Tech football player Isimemen Etute seeks to resume pursuit of degree, football. Smiths family was in attendance. page_type: 'article', env: 'prod', Atutee has been charged and is currently being held in Montgomery County Jail without bond. Etute has three siblings including a younger sister, 15, with Down syndrome. Along with teammate Da'Shawn Elder, Etute went to Smith's Blacksburg apartment on April 10 under the assumption that he was meeting a woman. 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. div_id: 'div-gpt-ad-rightrail-3', 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. The order restricts Etute from returning to Montgomery County except to consult with his attorney or to attend court proceedings. The Smith family quickly left the courthouse on Friday, and Montgomery County Chief Deputy Commonwealths Attorney Patrick Jensen declined comment. (Photo by Lee Coleman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Virginia's Blacksburg Police Department announced on Wednesday that Virginia Tech freshman linebacker Isimemen Etute has been arrested. - For people to unapologetically and fearlessly walk in their purpose. env: 'prod', document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()), Who is Mohammed Nuru? "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.". Jensen had maintained that Etute had not acted in self-defense. 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. 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. and had participated in the team's 2021 spring practices. Hes obviously relieved as well.. 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. Isimemen Etute, 18, was. Ismemen David Etute, 18, is charged in the death of Jerry Smith, 40 Smith had posed as a woman named Angie on Tinder and had performed oral sex on Etute when they met in April, Etute's attorney . The three-day trial might not have done much to pique their interest. He has since been suspended from the Virginia Tech football squad, the university said in a Wednesday statement. cnx({ Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. "It should be an eye-opener not just for college athletes, but any young people using these social media platforms," Turk said. page_type: 'article', About "He's going to get his life back, and I'm hopeful," said Jimmy Turk to reporters. Real hard, Etute said. Subscribe to Newsletter tude.refreshAdsViaDivMappings([ { Etute said he punched Smith five times and kicked him to gain time to escape the apartment. The Virginia Beach native, who was out on bond while awaiting trial, was facing a second-degree murder charge that carried a prison sentence of from five to 40 years upon conviction. And that clearly had a play in the decision of the jury. Etute, who will stay with his parents in Virginia Beach, is due back in court on Sept. 23, WJZY reported. 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. 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. Along with teammate Da'Shawn Elder, Etute went to Smith's Blacksburg apartment on April 10 under the assumption that he was meeting a woman. Eighteen-year-old Isimemen Etute was a 2021 recruit on the Virginia Tech Hokies football team. The suspect in the killing faces a prelimary hearing in Montgomery County September 23. The closest Etute came to referencing the charges hes facing is when Turk asked him, how has this affected you? Wiki, Biography, Age, Family, Arrested, Charge, Attempted Robbery. I was just shocked and in disbelief that someone had tricked me and lied to me.. ]); targeting: { I dont mind telling you that Im so fond of that young man, he who has been and who he is. Judge Mike Fleenor, however, officially excluded the defense, which was banned in Virginia after Smith died. Obviously, the jury did as well.. Virginia Tech football player Isi Etute told police he punched victim after meeting for sexual encounter. The student arrested is Isimemen Etute of Virginia Beach, Virginia, a freshman majoring in human development. 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. Prosecutors initially filed an expedited appeal that would have kept the 18-year-old from Virginia Beach in jail for up to five more days, but agreed to his release once the two sides settled on . 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. Former Virginia Tech football player Isimemen Etute has been acquitted of a murder which occurred during a Tinder date. Dont target or lure anyone under that perception. Turk cited two cases in Virginia where defendants facing second-degree murder charges were released on bail. Etute was in court Wednesday morning wearing an orange prison jumpsuit. INFORMATION More than a dozen football players most of them clad in Virginia Tech gear were there in support of Etute. Reaction continued to spread to the murder charge against former Hokie linebacker Isi Etute and to his attorney's saying that the victim was wrong to pose online as a woman. Turk was aware of the federal investigation early on. Security camera footage in the apartment showed all three players leaving quickly, with Etute having spent only three minutes inside Smith's apartment. Once inside, Etute followed "Angie" to the bedroom and initiated another sexual encounter, before grabbing at the victims privates and removing their sweatshirt hood, which is when he found that his sexual partner had mens facial hair. Etutes parents declined to comment after the hearing. It has made us stronger and strengthened our faith., We will continue to include the Smith family in our prayers. One of the next steps they mentioned will be figuring out the best avenue for him to pursue a collegiate degree and resume his football career. Listen ! divId: 'div-gpt-ad-rightrail-1', (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Stand Out. "I think he's earned the right to go back to school and further his academic and sports career," Turk 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.". UPDATE 6:14 p.m.: The Virginia Tech football player facing a second-degree murder charge, Isimemen Etute, will be allowed out on bond under a new agreement. 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. He previously spent time with Angie and engaged in oral sex with them on April 10. While that scenario might prove unlikely, Turk is hopeful there are colleges out there that will give Etute a chance. pos: 'right_rail_3', Im certainly appreciative that the verdict turned out the way that it did, defense attorney Jimmy Turk told Oxygen.com. Isimemen Etute, a Virginia Tech student now suspended from the university and its football team, is. cnx.cmd.push(function() { 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. } tude.refreshAdsViaDivMappings([ { Subscribe On Youtube. Isimemen Etute, 18, was released on $75,000 secured bond per Judge Randal Duncan's ruling and placed under house arrest with electronic monitoring, Commonwealth's Attorney Mary Pettitt said in. At his bond hearing on June 9, the judge granted Etute a $75,000 bond, which prosecutors originally appealed, but that was quickly dropped. url: 'isimemen,etute,a,virginia,tech,recruit,beat,tinder,date,to,death,after,learning,he,was,a,man', tude.refreshAdsViaDivMappings([ { Etute practiced with the Hokies during spring camp after enrolling midyear from Cox High School in Virginia Beach. given the abuse/deception of which Etute was the victim. "He has a tremendous amount riding on this trial," Jensen had said during his closing argument hours earlier Friday, The Roanoke Times reported. Etute, who is charged in the death of 40-year-old Jerry Smith, was set to be released to live with his family. This photo provided by Blacksburg Police Dept., shows Isimemen Etute. On Wednesday, Etute was charged with second-degree murder, according to court documents reviewed by USA TODAY Sports. tude.cmd.push(function() { Family handout Etute, who will stay with his parents in Virginia Beach, is due back in court on Sept. 23, WJZY reported.. CASEY: Does an election denialist now oversee Roanokes elections? But the college freshman was arrested on Wednesday and charged with second-degree murder for. A judge also granted Etute a $75,000 bond, which prosecutors originally appealed, but that was dropped Wednesday afternoon. 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. Theres also the possibility the Smith family could file a civil suit, which Burke said would require their attorneys to prove based on a preponderance of evidence that Etute was liable. Im not saying what happened was acceptable, but this was more than someone just showing up to an apartment and punching someone, Turk told the court. All Rights Reserved. }); window.tude = window.tude || { cmd: [] }; A grand jury returned the . Everyone has a unique calling, special gifts, and amazing talent that NEEDS to be unleashed on the world. Etute was suspended indefinitely from Virginia Tech when he was charged last year and is no longer enrolled at the school. page_type: 'article', The last request came in December 2021. Morgans arguments came after testimony from Etute and his mother Michelle. divId: 'div-gpt-ad-rightrail-3', Under the agreement, Etute was allowed to be at his parent's house under house arrest and electronic monitoring. Etute told the police he punched the victim five times in the face and continued punching the victim when the person hit the ground and stomped on him. Isi Etute. If theres ever been a time for someone to be considered for bail, this is it.. This wasn't a first-time meeting. Etute had been a rookie linebacker for the Virginia Techs Hokies football when he was arrested for Smiths murder, resulting in his suspension from the team. The Etute . playerId: '31d84b62-a3ea-4274-9349-1b7ccedbd1d7' cnx({ Tim Sullivan HokieHaven But thankfully, a not guilty verdict was delivered in Etutes case, making him now a free man. }); !function(n){if(!window.cnx){window.cnx={},window.cnx.cmd=[];var t=n.createElement('iframe');t.display='none',t.onload=function(){var n=t.contentWindow.document,c=n.createElement('script');c.src='//cd.connatix.com/connatix.player.js',c.setAttribute('async','1'),c.setAttribute('type','text/javascript'),n.body.appendChild(c)},n.head.appendChild(t)}}(document); Etute -- a 6-foot-2, 200-pound outside LB -- signed with Va. Tech after committing to the school in July 2020 . Plays Football. Sept. 23, 2021 Jensen recalled the testimony of medical examiner Dr. Amy Tharp, who Jensen said testified Smith had been the victim of a "brutal beating.". But, a true NYC native. Details were also revealed that Jerry Smith harbored a weapon hidden between his mattress and box spring. Blacksburg Police have announced the arrest of a Virginia Tech student in connection to the death of a Blacksburg resident early Wednesday morning. Masthead. Etute attended middle, Rapper Gangsta Boo Laid To Rest, Brother Released From Hospital, 90s R&B Singer Jaguar Wright Taken Into Custody Days After Calling Out Jay-Z, Boosie Badazz Daughter Shows Off Her New Girlfriend, Now The Rapper Is Being Dragged Across Twitter, Malcolm Jamal Warner Reveals He Makes Pennies From Cosby Show Residuals, Cost More To Send Check Out, Jason Lee Drops First Interview On New Show, Reveals He Was Once Smacked By Rihanna. Etute, according to court arguments, reportedly told police he had punched Smith five times in the face and stomped on him after discovering the person he thought was a woman was a man. Both players initially left, but Etute returned to the apartment, and testified that he received oral sex and a $50 gift from Smith. Isimemen Etute is 18 years old. An autopsy revealed Smith, a restaurant worker, died from blunt force trauma to the head. Etute was charged with second-degree murder and held in at the Montgomery County Jail, police said. !function(n){if(!window.cnx){window.cnx={},window.cnx.cmd=[];var t=n.createElement('iframe');t.display='none',t.onload=function(){var n=t.contentWindow.document,c=n.createElement('script');c.src='//cd.connatix.com/connatix.player.js',c.setAttribute('async','1'),c.setAttribute('type','text/javascript'),n.body.appendChild(c)},n.head.appendChild(t)}}(document); Etute is the only football player Isimemen Etute of Virginia Beach, is allowed to leave the.... 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