Murder charge against suspended Hokie player Etute is elevated. Etute apparently told police he matched with a person named Angie on the dating app Tinder on April 10, and met for oral sex. Family handout Etute, who will stay with his parents in Virginia Beach, is due back in court on Sept. 23, WJZY reported.. Details were also revealed that Jerry Smith harbored a weapon hidden between his mattress and box spring. At that time Etute discovered Smith was male, commonwealth attorneys told the court, and assaulted Smith. Virginia Tech football player charged with second-degree murder of local man 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. I dont mind telling you that Im so fond of that young man, he who has been and who he is. Tyreses Daughter Shayla Gibson Is Now 14-Years-Old, Singer Is Sending Her Off To High School With A Brand New Rolls Royce, Power Was A Highly Successful Series That Led To Multiple Spin-Offs, However Omari Hardwick Claims He Didnt Make Much Money. 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. div_id: 'div-gpt-ad-rightrail-1', cat: 'news', Dont target or lure anyone under that perception. A bailiff was stationed behind Etute throughout the entire hearing, and Etute was handcuffed with his wrists attached to a chain around his waist. This article was published more than1 year ago. Under the agreement, Etute was allowed to be at his parent's house under house arrest and electronic monitoring. Gay panic refers to claiming, in court, that the reaction to finding out someone elses sexual orientation or gender identity justifies violent acts. } Please subscribe to keep reading. Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. The argument wasnt made by the attorneys on either side. } The Commonwealth exercised its statutory right to appeal that . 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. }); EVENTS A judge granted a bond to Etute under a new agreement on Wednesday, June 9, 2021. 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. cat: 'news', ", Former Hokie Etute found not guilty of murder, The final 2022 college football Power Rankings, Police: Speed a primary cause in fatal UGA crash, U-M's Weiss on leave amid police investigation, Reports: UF QB commit Rashada wants release, Miami QB Garcia in portal, has 3 eligible seasons, TCU WR Johnston, RB Miller entering NFL draft, Potential top-5 pick Stroud leaving OSU for NFL, Star Trojans WR Addison declares for NFL draft, Colorado QB Shrout leaves Deion, heads to portal, College football's Way-Too-Early Top 25 for 2023, What Garrett Riley's big move means for Clemson, Dabo and TCU, Ex-Va. Tech player pleads not guilty to murder, Sugar Bowl moved to Dec. 31 to avoid NFL game, Georgia set to extend Kirby Smart's contract. 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. On May 31, another Virginia Tech player, Jalen Hampton, also connected with "Angie Renee" on Tinder. Subscribe to Newsletter In a strange sort of way, it kind of gives people who think its OK to beat up gay people, it kind of gives them permission to do that, Cobb said, in a pained voice. 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 trying to stay strong for the people that support me, I feel like Ive let a lot of people down Im truly sorry for my actions.. Stop playing with people. Isimemen Etute, a Virginia Tech student now suspended from the university and its football team, is. Please subscribe to keep reading. "It should be an eye-opener not just for college athletes, but any young people using these social media platforms," Turk said. The school also declined to comment when asked if there were any rules in place that would prevent Etute from reenrolling as a student. It reminded of him of past incidents of discrimination he had witnessed, most notably a beating that left an interracial gay couple hospitalized shortly after he moved to Roanoke in 2001. baseDivId: 'pb-slot-right-1', Turk also said Smith was "controlling the entire environment and the entire episode." Police discovered Smiths body in the apartment in the 100 block of Blacksburgs North Main Street on June 1. pos: 'right_rail_3', 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. A suspended Virginia Tech football player charged with second-degree murder was granted bond during a hearing Wednesday morning in Montgomery County General District Court in Christiansburg, Va., as reportedly sordid details emerged surrounding the case. Isimemen Etute was later charged for the incident. Etute was acquitted Friday evening of second-degree murder in the killing of Jerry Paul Smith, 40, a Blacksburg restaurant worker. At his bond hearing on June 9, the judge granted Etute a $75,000 bond, which prosecutors originally appealed, but that was quickly dropped. 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. "He could never reach a gun from there," Jensen said. A social media user expressed gratitude to the judge for giving Etute a second chance. Another wrote, Truth is. 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. Real hard, Etute said. The Blacksburg (Va.) Police Department responded to a welfare check Monday night where officers discovered a deceased male victim, according to the citys website. Teams. The suspended Hokie football player is accused of killing Jerry Paul Smith. Thats a real problem for men in our society. subcat: '', document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()), Who is Mohammed Nuru? - For people to know the goodness and peace that is found in following Jesus Christ. "I think he's earned the right to go back to school and further his academic and sports career," Turk said. Isimemen David Etute is accused of killing Jerry Paul Smith. Im trying to stay strong for the people that support me, I feel like Ive let a lot of people down. Turk got emotional arguing on Etutes behalf during the hearing, and fought to fight back tears during his closing argument, and again outside the courtroom. Investigators ruled the death a homicide and identified Isimemen Etude as a person of interest. Obviously, the jury did as well.. Someone is waiting for you. But what I'm telling you is this was not self-defense.. There was a problem saving your notification. Watch Isi Etute's videos and highlights on Hudl. BLACKSBURG, Va. (WDBJ) - The suspect in a Blacksburg killing was released on $75,000 bond Wednesday after being ordered by a judge to stay with his parents and keep in contact with his attorney . You can cancel at any time. According to the report, Etute arrived at the same apartment on May 31st for another potential encounter. Etute and Hampton, along with a third teammate, Jordan Brunson, decided to return to Smith's apartment to determine Smith's gender. 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. 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. 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." 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. The suspended Virginia Tech football player is scheduled to stand trial in May. 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. !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 and his parents headed home for Virginia Beach on Saturday morning to take a deep breath.. Etute, 18, will now be under house arrest and electronic monitoring at his parent's house in Virginia Beach, according to prosecutors. 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. Former Virginia Tech football player Isimemen Etute seeks to resume pursuit of degree, football. Etute has three siblings including a younger sister, 15, with Down syndrome. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). He has since been suspended from the Virginia Tech football squad, the university said in a Wednesday statement. Graduated in 2021. Michelle Etute was the first witness called and Turk led her through a series of questions about her sons background, his relationship with his family and their living situation. tude.refreshAdsViaDivMappings([ { 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. "I think he's earned the right to go back to school and further his academic and sports career," Turk said. There are different standards, and they can determine that this case violates federal law.. 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. Certainly hope not, Turk said, when asked if he thinks the federal government would pursue filing charges. The judge in Etute's case ruled that the new legislation did not apply to this case, as it was enacted after the incident took place, though Turk argued it likely would not have altered the outcome of the trial. On May 31, another Virginia Tech player, Jalen Hampton, also connected with "Angie Renee" on Tinder. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Isimemen Etute, 19, was found. Isimemen Etute faces traffic charges in Radford from the same day that he is accused of killing Jerry Paul Smith in Blacksburg. There was a problem saving your notification. According to the U.S. Justice Department, a federal hate crime is defined as an illegal, violent act is driven by bias against people of a certain group, which can be defined by race, religion, sexual orientation and gender identity, among other categories. 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. Fleenor would have read an instruction to the jury precluding the defense had the law been in place on May 31 when the crime was committed, but the instruction wouldnt have mentioned gender identity or sexual orientation as agreed to by the prosecution. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Etute said he went to Angies Blacksburg, Virginia apartment, where the pair engaged in oral sex for which his partner also paid Etute $50. Upon confronting Smith, Etute testified that Smith grabbed at Etute's genitals, causing Etute to strike Smith in the face with the back of his hand. 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.". Isimemen Etute, 18, was. Etute was born in 2003, considering he is only 18 years old. Also firmly in Etutes corner were his attorney, Jimmy Turk, and Turks family. Listen ! 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. They were interviewed by a group that included multiple federal agents and a Department of Justice attorney. He previously spent time with Angie and engaged in oral sex with them on April 10. Blacksburg police caught the 18-year old linebacker and suspended him from the college and group. However, this time he would be surprised to discover that Angie Renee was really a 40-year-old man restaurant employee named Jerry Smith. 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. Ismemen David Etute, 18, told cops he went to the Blacksburg apartment of 40-year-old Jerry Smith in April for oral sex after matching up with someone named Angie on Tinder, the Roanoke Times reported. Since 1970, BLACK ENTERPRISE has provided essential business information and advice to professionals, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, and decision makers. Discover that Angie Renee was really a 40-year-old man restaurant employee named Smith... 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