Gentle Hokie Etute stumbled on not accountable of extinguish

CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. — Gentle Virginia Tech soccer participant Isimemen Etute was once stumbled on not accountable of all prices Friday within the beating lack of lifetime of a Blacksburg resident following a web based mostly catfishing intention.

Etute, a Virginia Tech freshman linebacker on the time of the incident in Would probably nicely maybe maybe 2021, had been charged with second-stage extinguish, which carries a sentence of 5 to 40 years, and the jury may maybe nicely nicely take pleasure in convicted him on the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter. As an alternate, the jury believed a self-defense argument that Etute feared for his life after seeing the sufferer “create a attain” towards his mattress the place a knife was once later stumbled on.

Etute collapsed in tears as the decision was once study, with cheers erupting from a contingent of about 30 kin, supporters and feeble teammates.

After the decision, Etute’s lawyer, James Turk, acknowledged his client deserved a second chance at a soccer career following the jury’s decision.

“I get he’s earned the neutral correct to return to varsity and extra his academic and sports actions profession,” Turk acknowledged. “I get the college that ends up taking him is going to acquire perhaps loads wiser and a substantial smarter and a great athlete.”

Etute was once arrested June 2, 2021, and charged with the Would probably nicely maybe maybe 31 extinguish of Jerry Smith, an area Blacksburg man who had posed as a lady on-line to meet straight, college-extinct males.

In line with testimony, Etute first linked with Smith in April 2021 on the connection app Tinder, with Smith posing as a lady going by the identify “Angie Renee.” Along aspect teammate Da’Shawn Elder, Etute went to Smith’s Blacksburg rental on April 10 beneath the notion that he was once assembly a lady. Elder testified that he was once alarmed by the circumstances of the assembly, wherein Smith hid his face and saved his rental shut to pitch darkish. Both avid players earlier than all of the issues left, nevertheless Etute returned to the rental, and testified that he purchased oral intercourse and a $50 reward from Smith.

Etute testified that he left the April 10 to seek out peaceable believing Smith was once a lady, nevertheless teammates later started teasing him that his sexual companion may maybe nicely nicely had been a selected particular person.

On Would probably nicely maybe maybe 31, one more Virginia Tech participant, Jalen Hampton, moreover linked with “Angie Renee” on Tinder. He, too, went to the rental anticipating a sexual to seek out with a lady, nevertheless determined to go after feeling uncomfortable. Hampton and Smith then each made contact with Etute, with Smith encouraging Etute to “set apart in a factual note” together with his teammate.

Etute and Hampton, together with a 3rd teammate, Jordan Brunson, determined to return to Smith’s rental to amass out Smith’s gender. Etute testified that if he sure Smith was once a lady, one more sexual to seek out may maybe nicely nicely want befell, nevertheless that if he sure Smith was once a selected particular person, he deliberate to flit the rental.

All over testimony Thursday, Etute acknowledged he entered Smith’s rental on my own — each teammates waited exterior and had been not charged with in opposition to the legislation — and engaged with Smith on a mattress. Etute acknowledged he “felt around” and damaged-down his mobile phone’s flashlight to amass out Smith was once not a lady. Upon confronting Smith, Etute testified that Smith grabbed at Etute’s genitals, inflicting Etute to strike Smith within the face with the succor of his hand. Etute testified that he then believed Smith reached for a weapon beneath his mattress, inflicting Etute to strike Smith with a fist varied extra circumstances.

All over a police search of the rental, a knife was once stumbled on between Smith’s mattress and field spring, nevertheless Etute testified he by no intention observed the knife, and he didn’t point out any issues for his beget security all through his preliminary police interview on June 2, 2021.

On July 1, 2021 — appropriate greater than a month after Smith’s lack of life — Virginia handed a invoice proscribing the utilization of the so-known as gay awe protection, wherein a defendant accused of murder may maybe nicely nicely obtain a lesser sentence by asserting they alarmed after discovering out the sufferer’s sexual orientation or gender id. The make the most of in Etute’s case dominated that the bizarre laws didn’t apply to this case, because it was once enacted after the incident took location, even though Turk argued it seemingly do not take pleasure in altered the cease outcomes of the trial.

Etute testified that he stomped on Smith’s face as he departed the rental, leaving a bloody shoe print on Smith’s cheek within the job. Security digicam photographs within the rental confirmed all three avid players leaving on the spot, with Etute having spent supreme three minutes inner Smith’s rental. Etute testified that Smith was once peaceable respiration when he left, and the snort’s forensic detective testified the entire assault seemingly took supreme a few seconds.

An post-mortem painting by the medical professional confirmed shut to the entire bones in Smith’s face had been broken, he suffered bleeding of the thoughts, and had enamel fragments missing.

In closing arguments Friday, the prosecution acknowledged Etute’s recollection of occasions didn’t include a attain towards the set aside of abode the place the knife was once hidden besides after he’d been charged with extinguish.

Turk, Etute’s lawyer, made arguments that Etute could not be convicted of second-stage extinguish as a result of there was once no malice in his actions and that he should peaceable be stumbled on not accountable by motive of self-defense, per his effort that Smith had hidden a weapon.

Turk ended his arguments in tears, calling Etute “even handed one of basically the most attention-grabbing young males I’ve ever had the expertise of meeting” and noting that the entire inform acquired proper right here about supreme on account of Smith’s “deliberate, harmful sexual ruse.”

Etute didn’t disclose to journalists after the trial ended, nevertheless Turk acknowledged he hoped this case would supply a lesson for folk the utilization of social media apps within the waste.

“It is far going to peaceful be an search-opener not correct for college athletes, however any childhood the usage of these social media platforms,” Turk acknowledged. “They might perhaps well be extremely precious, however they would well be extremely harmful.”