On Friday, ex-Virginia Tech football player, Isimemen Etute, 19, was said to have fatally beat his Tinder date to death. This was after he thought his date was a woman, but it was really a man.
After a three hour deliberation, Etute was acquitted in the 2021 death of 40-year-old Jerry Smith. His lawyer had stated that Etute acted in self-defense.
Etute said that he had been paired up with someone named “Angie” on Tinder. He then met up with that person in order to engage in oral sex. The following month, Etute went back to the victim’s apartment to confirm his gender after teammates teased that his date may have been a man.
The linebacker is said to have grabbed Smith’s genitals before he beat and killed him.
When Etute spoke in court, he stated that he felt “violated” because his date had deceived him, regarding his gender. He added that he punched Smith five times and kicked him in order to get out of the apartment.
Authorities stated that Smith wasn’t in possession of a gun, but investigators did locate a knife underneath his mattress. Jimmy Turk, a defense lawyer, said that Etute was protecting himself, and his worry and the victim’s weapon weren’t a factor by police.
Patrick Jensen, a prosecutor, stated that Smith wouldn’t have been able to get the knife. He added that the 153-pound man was no match for the notable “college athlete” who was said to have been 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, at the time.
“That’s a big disparity,” Jensen had said.
Etute had been suspended by Virginia Tech and the Hookies football team after he faced murder charges.
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