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Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. A jury found former Virginia Tech football player Isimemen "Isi" Etute not guilty of second-degree murder Friday in the death of Blacksburg resident Jerry Paul Smith . 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, College Football Playoff may finally expand, Patrick Kane trade shows Rockstar Rangers are going for it, Major AEW faction needs direction change and it may have already begun, Knicks' stomping of rival shows they're for real, The Marchand and Ourand Sports Media Podcast, The Show with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman, Amazin' But True: A NY Mets Baseball Podcast, Gangs All Here: A NY Jets Football Podcast, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry have first night out since bombshell 'Spare' released, King Charles to evict Harry and Meghan from Frogmore Cottage so he can give it to Andrew. BLACKSBURG, Va. (WDBJ) - A man found dead in Blacksburg this week died of blunt force injuries to the head, according to the Roanoke Medical Examiner's Office. Former Virginia Tech football player Isimemen Etute attends the first day of his trial at Montgomery County Circuit Court on Wednesday in Christiansburg. You can cancel at any time. Defense attorney Turk also asked Brunson about a conversation he had with Etute on June 11, two days after his client was bonded out of jail. Etute believed that the person he had hooked up with was a woman named Angie. Skeptical of AP African American Studies, Dems Introduce Resolution to Celebrate Black LGBTQ+ Americans, Latinx Trans Woman Killed in Houston in Apparent Murder-Suicide, Longtime Lesbian Activist Achebe Betty Powell Dies at 82. Etute had previously been to Smiths 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. Summaries of the evidence said the defendant returned to Smiths apartment on May 31 for more sex, where he discovered the person he had been matched with was a man. Duncan then said that he saw no evidence that Etute posed a danger to the community and allowed him to leave jail until his trial, after posting a $75,000 bond. Jerry Paul Smith, 40 known as Gigi by his nephews of Blacksburg, VA departed this life, June 1, 2021, at his home. Ismemen David Etute, who appeared in Montgomery County District Court in Virginia on Wednesday for a bond hearing after being charged with second-degree murder, told police that he punched Smith five times in the face and continued punching and stomped Smith after he fell down ground in response to the revelation that Smith was not the woman he expected to meet, according to a summary of arguments made in court. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. A suspended Virginia Tech Hokie linebacker took the stand in his own defense during his trial for killing a person who he alleges pretended to be a woman during an intimate encounter. Applebaum, 2013 WL 286230 (4th Cir. We've received your submission. The 19-year-old is accused of fatally beating Jerry Paul Smith, 40, after the two met on Tinder in May 2021. Born May 18, 1981 in Montgomery County, VA, he was the son of the late Jerry Wayne Smith and Sandra Cumbee Smith. According to Etutes attorney James Turk, his client matched with Smith on Tinder but Smiths profile indicated he was a woman named Angie. The 18-year-old linebacker heard bubbling and gurgling coming from Smith as he left the apartment, but didnt call the police, the Commonwealth Attorney added. Dont target or lure anyone under that perception. Etute explained that he groped his partner, including trying to reach around for the genitals, and something felt off to him. In the courtroom, defense attorney Jimmy Turk of Radford said that Smith had solicited Etute for sex. Czernicki testified that Smith coughed up the blood all over the closet door after falling to the ground. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. BLACKSBURG Jerry Paul Smith didn't like to leave his family hanging. It appears that Smith lived as a man during his day to day life, including at work, and his family referred to him with male pronouns. The defense rested after calling Jordan Brunson, a former Virginia Tech teammate of Etute, on Friday morning. (Matt Gentry/The Roanoke Times via The Associated Press) Although Assistant Commonwealths Attorney Jason Morgan initially urged Duncan not to grant bail, the prosecution and defense later came to an agreement to release Etute on a $75,000 bond under both house arrest and electronic monitoring. The defendant told the court he believed he bruised [Smith] up a little but was surprised to learn from police that the victim had died. Girl, 2, looks star-struck as she presents Kate with a gift of Daffodils for St David's A bargain fit for a king: Grade II-listed manor house complete with barn and gatehouse is listed at auction Who said black and white pics were flattering! At a time when were seeing record-high violence against our gay and transgender neighbors, I think the federal government can essentially make a policy statement that these kinds of cases should be prosecuted, he said. Brunson accompanied Etute to Smiths apartment along with Jalen Hampton on May 31. He punched him at least five more times and stomped on him, Commonwealth Attorneys told the court. I was just in shock, in disbelief that someone tricked me and lied to me.. As this case unfolds, I hope that people will realize that transgender men, women, and non-binary people are on Tinder and have a right to be there, and that presenting oneself as any gender online is not the same thing as catfishing. Reverberations continued to spread Thursday from the Memorial Day killing of a gay Blacksburg man whose alleged attacker, a Hokie linebacker, told police that hed lashed out after discovering the person he met for a sexual encounter was not a woman. Please subscribe to keep reading. Enter your email address to follow KonnieMoments1 and receive notifications of new posts by email. The prosecuting attorney, Patrick Jensen, also declined comment, referring questions to his boss, Commonwealths Attorney Mary Pettitt. To charge a hate crime, prosecutors would have to determine whether the defendant acted with a bias as defined under the law, according to Timothy Heaphy, who served as U.S. attorney for the Western District of Virginia under President Barack Obamas administration. A man he met on Tinder is charged with second-degree murder. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). I cant imagine being him, Turk said. She also told the court her son would help take care of his younger sister with special needs. Gerald Thomas Smith (July 19, 1943 - October 15, 1986) was a professional American football tight end for the National Football League 's Washington Redskins for 13 seasons, from 1965 through 1977. Last week, a spokesperson for Smiths family described him as a proud, openly gay man. Who was more likely to be the aggressor? According to the Federal Bureau of Investigations most recent hate crime statistics, from 2019, 16.7% of hate crime victims were targeted because of their sexual orientation and 2.7% because of their gender identity. Reactions to the killing of Jerry Paul Smith, a 40-year-old restaurant project manager, grew louder after a Wednesday bond hearing for Isimemen David Etute, 18, of Blacksburg. An autopsy revealed Smith, a restaurant worker, died from blunt force trauma to the head. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. The violence struck close to home, said Jim Best, regional coordinator for the Floyd chapter of PFLAG, one of the oldest and largest organizations for lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer people and their families. Im trying to stay strong for the people that support me, I feel like Ive let a lot of people down. Jensen pointed out the differences in his statements and possible moments where he could have simply left Smiths apartment May 31. The jury decided Friday evening not to charge Etute with second-degree murder or voluntary manslaughter in the death of Jerry Paul Smith. HB 2132, sponsored by Del. There was a problem saving your notification. Dont target or lure anyone under that perception. Thetwo first met April 10 for oral sex, during which Etute was still under the impression Smith was a woman,Montgomery County Commonwealths Attorney Mary Pettitt told theMontgomery County General District Court during a bond hearing on Wednesday morning. Meie, Yahoo, kuulume Yahoo kaubamrkide perre. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone, Last of 13 Radford University 'frat brawl' defendants is sentenced, Richmond's John Marshall boys basketball reclaims No. Virginia Tech football player Ismemen David Etute of Virginia Beach was arrested June 2 and charged with second-degree murder in the death of Jerry Paul Smith, a male Blacksburg restaurant worker . Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Zara's husband announces a two-month tour with his rugby podcast 'We met a Princess'! Isimemen Etute has three siblings including a younger sister, 15, with Down syndrome.Taking the stand, the suspect told court he has never been in trouble with the law and that he was a model student who graduated high school early to start at Virginia Tech in January.Etute is currently on suspension from Virginia Tech and its football team. I did prepare him for the worst before today. Powerful Commons committee could look at case for banning stoves in towns and Bird flu HAS mutated to infect people: Fresh pandemic fears as scientists on ground zero in Cambodia find China hits back at FBI claim that Wuhan lab leak likely caused global COVID outbreak - still no consensus Morbidly obese girl who died during lockdown begged her mother to clean her 'leaking legs' in Psychiatrist: What most women don't know about their hormones - and why you start drinking and smoking more Shamima Begum and other British women who joined Islamic State and are being held in Syria will 'ultimately' Don't just stick to the Malbec! The trial took . document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. Then jurors will decide whether or not Etute is guilty of second-degree murder. Jerry Paul Smith, 40 known as Gigi by his nephews of Blacksburg, VA departed this life, June 1, 2021, at his home. Judge Mike Fleenor has yet to rule on the defenses motion but said he would do so before jury deliberations. . Who would be more likely to resort to violence? Born May 18, 1981 in Montgomery County, VA, he was the son of the late Jerry Wayne Smith and Sandra Cumbee Smith. Etute is on suspension from Virginia Tech and its football team during the investigation, the Associated Press reported. Im not in shock because its the right verdict, but always wondering and worrying about whether you convinced 12 people, 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 . The charges are a footnote to mistaken-gender killing, of which Isimemen David Etute was acquitted. From left: Ismemen David Etute and Jerry Paul Smith, Former College Football Player Accused of Killing Man He Met on Tinder, 73 Photos of Naturally Naked Men by Terry Hastings, 23 Masturbation Tips for People With Vaginas, 22 Terrifying Sexual Fantasies That Must Be Talked About, 30 Kinky Terms Every Gay Man Needs To Know, 10 Sex Toys for All Genders and How to Use Them, Alternative Orgasms: 20 New Ways to Hit the Spot, Black Trans Woman Shot to Death, Found in Burning Building in Milwaukee, Chicago's Lesbian Mayor Lori Lightfoot Resoundingly Loses Reelection, Marsha P. Johnson Institute Celebrates Black Trans Lives, Mississippi Gov. Isimemen David Etute demonstrates the altercation he was involved in to as Chief Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney Patrick Jensen, left, looks on in Montgomery County Circuit Court in Christiansburg Va., Thursday May 26 2022. He was having sexual relations with a 40 year old person known as either Jerry Smith or Angie Smith. transgender and non-conforming people killed in 2021. Published: 16:38 GMT, 10 June 2021 | Updated: 22:39 GMT, 10 June 2021, Jerry Paul Smith (pictured) was found beaten to death in his own apartment on June 1. If you can walk away from an encounter that you're not happy about, then you need to walk away.". Jerry Paul Smith was killed May 31 at his home in Blacksburg, Va. A medical examiner ruled he died of blunt force trauma to the head; an autopsy further revealed that every bone in his face was broken and that he had skull fractures, the Roanoke Times reports. Jerry Paul Smith. Fleenor said the instruction would have applied in this case, but the law wasnt in place until July 1 and didnt apply retroactively. Attorneys said Isimemen Etute matched with Smith on Tinder, which led to a sexual encounter in April 2021. Jurors will be tasked with deciding whether or not the defendant acted in self-defense, as he doesn't deny killing Smith. An arraignment was held Thursday for former Virginia Tech football player Isimemen Etute, accused of killing Jerry Paul Smith. Then he saw him (Smith) reach for something under the bed and hit him five to six times.. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 2p.m. After being prodded by friends in the prior weeks about whether Angie was actually a woman, Etute admitted he went back to the apartment with twofriends, who waited outside in the hallway of Smith's apartment complex. Im not saying what happened was acceptable, but this was more than someone just showing up to an apartment and punching someone, Turk reportedly said during the hearing. Staff writers Neil Harvey and Mike Niziolek contributed to this article. A suspended Virginia Tech football player admitted to police that he beat Blacksburg resident Jerry Paul Smith to death after discovering that Smith, whom the defendant met on the dating app Tinder and with whom he agreed to engage in sexual acts, was a man, prosecutors said, citing police statements. Discovering that Angie was a man provoked Etute to start punching, then stomping Smith, Assistant Commonwealths Attorney Jason Morgan said. 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 defendant mother Michelle Etute spoke to her sons character, telling the court he is not a flight risk and had never been in any trouble,WDBJ7.comreported. Isimemen David Etute at the end of his trial in Montgomery County Circuit Court in Christiansburg on Friday. They connected on Tinder, a dating app, weeks earlier after Smith, who identified as an openly gay man, presenting himself online as a 21-year-old emergency room physician named Angie Renee. Etutes mother spoke to her son's character, telling the court he is not a flight risk and had never been in any trouble,WDBJ7.com reported. Etute is charged with second-degree murder. Lisateavet selle kohta, kuidas me teie teavet kasutame, leiate meie privaatsuspoliitikast ja kpsiste kasutamise phimtetest. Thats always nerve-wracking. Family handout Etute, who will stay with his parents in Virginia Beach, is due back in court on Sept. 23, WJZY reported . Virginia Tech freshman football player Isimemen Etute was arrested and charged with second-degree murder Wednesday. Its also a reminder to my legislative colleagues who tried to grill me about whether we really needed to ban the LGBTQ panic defense that, yes, we did.. An autopsy report revealed Smith died from blunt force trauma to the head, theRichmond-Times Dispatchreported.All the bones in Smiths face were broken and his teeth were missing, the report said. Etute matched with Smith on Tinder but Smith's profile indicated he was a woman named 'Angie,' Etute's attorney James Turk told DailyMail.com. Both experts testified about a frothy fluid coming out of Smiths mouth that ran down his sweatshirt in the crime scene photos. Etute has a tremendous amount riding on this trial.. 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. Isimemen Etute claims he "never intended to harm anyone" when he went to the apartment of a woman named Angie with whom he'd had a sexual encounter and discovered he had been intimate with Jerry Paul Smith. Defense attorney Jimmy Turk leaves the courthouse with the Etute family in Christiansburg in June. Turks hope now is that Etute is able to reclaim his life. "If the defense were to raise the LGBTQ panic defense, it's not that they're prohibited from speaking about it. Samantha Rosenthal, associate professor of history at Roanoke College and co-founder of the Southwest Virginia LGBTQ+ History Project, wrote in an email Thursday: Regardless of the victims gender identity, the comments by Etutes attorney demonstrate that the defense intends to use transness as an issue in this case. Right verdict, but the law wasnt in place until July 1 and didnt apply.. Exclusive content man he met on Tinder in May 2021 younger sister with special needs zara 's announces... Deciding whether or not the defendant acted in self-defense, as he does n't deny killing Smith him. With a 40 year old person known as either Jerry Smith or Angie Smith last week, a worker. 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