Make A Statement. Hampton and Smith then both made contact with Etute, with Smith encouraging Etute to "put in a good word" with his teammate. Turk was asked after the verdict came down if Etute should be allowed back at the university. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()), Who is Mohammed Nuru? 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. After the verdict, Etute's lawyer, James Turk, said his client deserved a second chance at a football career following the jury's decision. Let this be a lesson, wrote one fan on Instagram. The story received widespread attention when the news first broke of the incident in 2021. tag: 'mandc,isimemen-etute', Today's top videos STORY CONTINUES BELOW Sept. 23, 2021 Etute appeared in court for a preliminary hearing on Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021. Prosecutors say the suspended Virginia Tech football linebacker beat Smith with his bare hands - breaking every bone in Smith's face - after learning the victim, who he'd met on . The Roanoke Times reports a jury acquitted Isimemen Etute on a second-degree murder charge for the death of 40-year-old Jerry Paul Smith.The jury reportedly deliberated for about three hours following the trial that lasted . 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. cnx({ He, too, went to the apartment expecting a sexual encounter with a woman, but decided to leave after feeling uncomfortable. Etute apparently told police he matched with a person named Angie on the dating app Tinder on April 10, and met for oral sex. 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. Im truly sorry for my actions.. 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. A judge also granted Etute a $75,000 bond, which prosecutors originally appealed, but that was dropped Wednesday afternoon. Etute collapsed in tears as the verdict was read, with cheers erupting from a contingent of about 30 family members, supporters and former teammates. 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. Etute was charged with second-degree murder and held in at the Montgomery County Jail, police said. The Commonwealth initially appealed the judges ruling, but Etute was granted bond later on Wednesday. It will take time to decompress and feel relief from this gut-wrenching, frightening experience in life. While Cobb understands there were a lot of variables to this case, he still believes that discrimination was at the heart of the issue, whether Etute knew it or not. Im certainly appreciative that the verdict turned out the way that it did, defense attorney Jimmy Turk told Oxygen.com. 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. At that time Etute discovered Smith was male, commonwealth attorneys told the court, and assaulted Smith. Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. "He's going to get his life back, and I'm hopeful," said Jimmy Turk to reporters. Real hard, Etute said. 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. 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. Turk cited two cases in Virginia where defendants facing second-degree murder charges were released on bail. 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. Isimemen Etute was later charged for the incident. url: 'isimemen,etute,a,virginia,tech,recruit,beat,tinder,date,to,death,after,learning,he,was,a,man', Thats just wrong.. Police said the investigation has revealed Smith and Etute were acquaintances. A Virginia Tech football player has been arrested and charged with the murder of a Blacksburg resident, according to the Blacksburg Police Department and the university. "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.". Please subscribe to keep reading. cnx.cmd.push(function() { }).render('3811c1c9bba941ecb6c4a456cf0ac0f7'); 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. Blacksburg police caught the 18-year old linebacker and suspended him from the college and group. Tim Sullivan HokieHaven 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. Entrepreneurs Summit Etute told investigators he punched Smith five times in the face and stomped on him, but didnt call police despite hearing bubbling and gurgling from the victim as he left the apartment. Etute admitted that Smith did not fight back and he heard a bubbly and gurgling noise while leaving the home. "I think he's earned the right to go back to school and further his academic and sports career," Turk said. pos: 'right_rail_2', His body was discovered in an unrecognizable state the next day, reports the Post. Turk, Etute's lawyer, made arguments that Etute could not be convicted of second-degree murder because there was no malice in his actions and that he should be found not guilty by reason of self-defense, based on his fear that Smith had hidden a weapon. targeting: { 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.. He previously spent time with Angie and engaged in oral sex with them on April 10. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Isimemen took to Twitter to simply say, God is good. This was his first tweet in nearly one year. According to testimony, Etute first connected with Smith in April 2021 on the dating app Tinder, with Smith posing as a woman going by the name "Angie Renee." 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. The jury began deliberations after closing arguments ended shortly before 3 p.m. B.E. 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. In 2021, 18-year-old Isimemen Etute thought he met a 21-year-old woman named Angie Renee, posing as an emergency room physician, according toThe Roanoake Times. Etute and Hampton, along with a third teammate, Jordan Brunson, decided to return to Smith's apartment to determine Smith's gender. At Etutes bond hearing in 2021, Turk expressed that while nobody deserves to die, nobody should lead someone into believing that they are something they are not. Turk also emotionally pleaded for Etute to be released on bail. Following the gruesome information that was revealed in the trial through witness statements and documentation, it was time for the jurys decision. page_type: 'article', baseDivId: 'pb-slot-right-1', Isimemen Etute faces traffic charges in Radford from the same day that he is accused of killing Jerry Paul Smith in Blacksburg. Security camera footage in the apartment showed all three players leaving quickly, with Etute having spent only three minutes inside Smith's apartment. Someone is waiting for you. 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. Varsity Football (2021) Varsity Football (2018) Varsity Football . Murder charge against suspended Hokie player Etute is elevated. The order prohibits Etute from going back to Montgomery County except for court proceedings or to consult with his attorney. In Fridays closing arguments, prosecuting attorney Patrick Jensen condemned Etutes claims of self-defense, according to the Times. Everyone has a unique calling, special gifts, and amazing talent that NEEDS to be unleashed on the world. A freshman on the Virginia Tech Hokies football team has been charged in a homicide investigation. Etute said he "felt around" and used his cell phone's flashlight to determine Smith was not a woman. }); EVENTS On Wednesday, Etute was charged with second-degree murder, according to court documents reviewed by USA TODAY Sports. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. Etute did not speak to reporters after the trial ended, but Turk said he hoped this case would provide a lesson for people using social media apps in the future. Etute has been charged with second-degree murder. 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. LA-based Host/Writer. Dont target or lure anyone under that perception. 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 . He was the number 36 prospect in Virginia and 45 inside linebacker in the country, according to 247sports. That investigation became public in March thanks to unsealed search warrants filed in June 2021 by Federal Bureau of Investigation agents. That is willing to work a lot harder than he did before and hopefully hell have the opportunity to get back what his dream has always been.. 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. We've received your submission. The verdict came after a three-day trial and just over three hours of jury deliberations. The three-day trial might not have done much to pique their interest. 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. 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. Eighteen-year-old Isimemen Etute was a 2021 recruit on the Virginia Tech Hokies football team. 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. This be a lesson, wrote one fan on isimemen etute parents that time Etute discovered was. Footage in the apartment showed all three players leaving quickly, with Etute having spent only three minutes inside 's! Turk was asked after the verdict came after a three-day trial might have. Through witness statements and documentation, it was time for the jurys decision gurgling noise while the! 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