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. cnx.cmd.push(function() { Isimemen Etute was busted after officers responding to a wellness check Monday night found Jerry Smith dead inside a building on Main Street in Blacksburg, Va., according to police. Today, Isimemen David Etute was indicted by a grand jury on one count of Second-Degree murder. Isimemen Etute, 19, was found. Assistant Commonwealths Attorney Jason Morgan argued against bail, and outlined new details about the case based on statements Etute gave to the police. Etute confessed to then punching and kicking Smith, breaking every bone in the victims face, knocking out teeth and causing cranial fractures. 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. Ismemen Etute is seen on a Fox 46 broadcast. Details were also revealed that Jerry Smith harbored a weapon hidden between his mattress and box spring. The school also declined to comment when asked if there were any rules in place that would prevent Etute from reenrolling as a student. } The case stems from a death that happened May 31. According to CBS News, Smiths family promptly exited the room. You can cancel at any time. I was just shocked and in disbelief that someone had tricked me and lied to me.. Isimemen Etute, his legal team, and his family were relieved when the not guilty verdict was revealed, which sent everyone into a happy emotional state. Isimemen Etute, a Virginia Tech student now suspended from the university and its football team, is. 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. On Wednesday, Etute was charged with second-degree murder, according to court documents reviewed by USA TODAY Sports. div_id: 'div-gpt-ad-rightrail-3', Blacksburg police caught the 18-year old linebacker and suspended him from the college and group. Judge Mike Fleenor, however, officially excluded the defense, which was banned in Virginia after Smith died. Isimemen Etute was granted bond Wednesday on the charge of second-degree murder in the Montgomery County General District Court. The charges are a footnote to mistaken-gender killing, of which Isimemen David Etute was acquitted. Isi says this process gives him trust and faith again in life. (Matt Gentry/The Roanoke Times . "They can be extremely useful, but they can be extremely dangerous. Isimemen Etute is 18 years old. 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. Etute, a Virginia Tech freshman linebacker charged with second-degree murder, fatally beat his victim after discovering that . 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. Hes obviously relieved as well.. 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. 21-22 Varsity Football. Cox High School Virginia Beach VA. Etute has three siblings including a younger sister, 15, with Down syndrome. The jury began deliberations after closing arguments ended shortly before 3 p.m. If theres ever been a time for someone to be considered for bail, this is it.. The commonwealths attorney wont get another shot at Etute, but Turk doesnt know the state of the federal governments investigation into the incident as a possible hate crime. Be honest with who you are. Isimemen Etute, 19, was found not . Atutee has been charged and is currently being held in Montgomery County Jail without bond. 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. Relatives of Smith, meanwhile, reportedly declined to comment after the hearing. He was suspended from the squad last week. 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. cat: 'news', A judge also granted Etute a $75,000 bond, which prosecutors originally appealed, but that was dropped Wednesday afternoon. But the college freshman was arrested on Wednesday and charged with second-degree murder for allegedly killing 40-year-old Jerry Smith, USA Today reports. He, too, went to the apartment expecting a sexual encounter with a woman, but decided to leave after feeling uncomfortable. TheNew York Postoffered an account given by Isimemen Etute to authorities through Assistant Commonwealths Attorney Jason Morgan. Etute attended middle school at TS Great Neck Middle School in Virginia Bech. Sept. 23, 2021 Etute was charged with second-degree murder and held in at the Montgomery County Jail, police said. Women of Power TECH, PODCASTS Charges - Arrested A freshman on the Virginia Tech Hokies football team has been charged in a homicide investigation. The medical examiners office had previously revealed that Smith had died from blunt force trauma to the head. 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. At that time Etute discovered Smith was male, commonwealth attorneys told the court, and assaulted Smith. page_type: 'article', Do I? Etute claimed that, after he asked why, Smith reached for his crotch with one hand and down the side of the bed with the other. Police ruled Smiths death a homicide, but did not say how he was killed. {{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. Dont target or lure anyone under that perception. Obviously, the jury did as well.. Etute said he punched Smith five times and kicked him to gain time to escape the apartment. Turk was asked after the verdict came down if Etute should be allowed back at the university. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). }); !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); Virginia Tech football player charged with second-degree murder of local man env: 'prod', 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. ]); Listen ! At his bond hearing on June 9, the judge granted Etute a $75,000 bond, which prosecutors originally appealed, but that was quickly dropped. The story received widespread attention when the news first broke of the incident in 2021. Isimemen Etute, 18, was. Isimemen Etute, 18, was released on $75,000 secured bond per Judge Randal Duncans ruling and placed under house arrest with electronic monitoring, Commonwealths Attorney Mary Pettitt said in a release. The argument wasnt made by the attorneys on either side. } But, a true NYC native. He, too, went to the apartment expecting a sexual encounter with a woman, but decided to leave after feeling uncomfortable. Isimemen Etute, 18, Jerry Paul Smith, 40, (pictured right) Etute had previously been to Smith's residence on April 10 for oral sex under the impression that he was going to meet someone named Angie, attorneys for both the defense and prosecution told Judge Randal Duncan, according to the Roanoke Times. Isimemen David Etute his hugged by his father David Etute at conclusion of the trail in Montgomery County Circuit Court in Christiansburg, Va., Friday, May 27, 2022. Turk was aware of the federal investigation early on. CHRISTIANSBURG A now suspended Virginia Tech football player told police he punched a sexual partner five times in the face and stomped on him after discovering the person he thought was a woman was actually a man, according to arguments presented Wednesday in a Montgomery County courtroom. The linebackers team profile was not active Thursday. I do not know a finer 19 year old that Ive ever come into contact with.. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. While Etute is hoping to move forward, hes not completely clear of any potential legal woes. Murder charge against suspended Hokie player Etute is elevated. playerId: '31d84b62-a3ea-4274-9349-1b7ccedbd1d7' But the defense would still be allowed to argue self-defense, an argument that Burke said was obviously a convincing one given the verdict. } 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. "He could never reach a gun from there," Jensen said. Etute then returned to the apartment on May 31 for another meet-up, at which point he discovered the person he had matched up with this time was male, according to Assistant Commonwealths Attorney Jason Morgan, citing details the now-suspended linebacker told cops. On Wednesday, Etute was charged with second-degree murder, according to court documents reviewed by USA TODAY Sports. 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. Under the agreement, Etute was allowed to be at his parent's house under house arrest and electronic monitoring. Etute returned on May 31 and realized that Smith and Angie were the same person. Sales Partnership Solutions The verdict came after a three-day trial and just over three hours of jury deliberations. Isimemen took to Twitter to simply say, God is good. This was his first tweet in nearly one year. A freshman Virginia Tech linebacker charged with murder told police he fatally beat a man breaking every bone in his face for catfishing him on Tinder, prosecutors said. kw: 'mandc,isimemen-etute', SistersInc. Plays Football. Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. The former football player confessed his feelings of letting people down and said he was truly sorry for his actions. Etute also had no priors at the time compared to Jerry Smiths many previous offenses including including filing a false police report, public intoxication, driving under the influence, and reckless driving among others. About Former Virginia Tech football player Isememen David Etute has been indicted for murdering a man who was acting as a female on the dating app Tinder. 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. Your Money, Your Life, LATEST LISTS "It should be an eye-opener not just for college athletes, but any young people using these social media platforms," Turk said. In closing arguments Friday, the prosecution said Etute's recollection of events did not include a reach toward the area where the knife was hidden until after he'd been charged with murder. 2022 The Associated Press. 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. Video via WSLS 10. The two sides later Wednesday came to an agreement to release Etute on a $75,000 secured bond under house arrest and electronic monitoring, according to a release put out by Commonwealths Attorney Mary Pettitt. 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. 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 .) }); EVENTS Former player. If that is true, that is very different from being surprised during the act and lashing out. Your email address will not be published. aid: '724714', Turk also argued that police didn't ask Etute essential questions about Smith's knife or Etute's fear while in the apartment, two questions whose answers could have shown whether Etute was afraid for his life and acting in self-defense. Etute was acquired Friday evening of second-degree Murder in the Killing of Jerry Paul Smith, 40, a Blacksburg restaurant worker. Required fields are marked *. page_type: 'article', Isimemen David Etute is accused of killing Jerry Paul Smith. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. However, a follow-up encounter with the two ended with a fatal tragedy. CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. -- 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. 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