Cops found the badly beaten mans body one day later, the newspaper reported. Turks hope now is that Etute is able to reclaim his life. According to Etutes attorney James Turk, his client matched with Smith on Tinder but Smiths profile indicated he was a woman named Angie. The charges are a footnote to mistaken-gender killing, of which Isimemen David Etute was acquitted. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! He then pulled back his partner's sweatshirt hood, turned on his phones flashlight and discovered his partner had a mans facial hair. One of the focal points of the case was the defenses pretrial motion to use a Gay/Trans Panic Defense, which they filed earlier this month. Turk contrasted his client with the victim in stark terms on Friday. Family handout Etute, who will stay with his parents in Virginia Beach, is due back in court on Sept. 23, WJZY reported . For example, Congress expanded the definition of hate crimes in 2009, adding protections against crimes based on gender identity or sexual orientation and allowing a federal prosecution when it is in the public interest. The Virginia Tech linebacker (pictured) allegedly stomped a man to death during a Tinder date after he discovered his date had been posing as a woman named 'Angie', Etute's mother (pictured left) told the court her son is not a flight risk and had never been in any trouble before, Etute 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. Sign up now to get the Washington Examiners breaking news and timely commentary delivered right to your inbox. The suspended Hokie football player is accused of killing Jerry Paul Smith. The 18-year-old was charged with the death of Blacksburg restaurant manager Jerry Paul Smith after allegedly punching and stomping the 40-year-old multiple times on May 31. Etute is charged with second-degree murder. The suspended Hokie football player is accused of killing Jerry Paul Smith. Jerry Paul Smith was allegedly beaten to death by Isimemen Etute. In the courtroom, defense attorney Jimmy Turk of Radford said that Smith had solicited Etute for sex. 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. I did prepare him for the worst before today. 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The prosecution maintained it was a straightforward case to the jury throughout the trial with crime scene photos jurors saw multiple photos of Smiths dead body lying at the foot of his bed including close ups of his bloody face as well as details from Smiths autopsy that highlighted what a one-sided assault it was. [2] By the time he retired, he held the NFL record for most career touchdowns by a tight end. At a bond hearing on Wednesday, attorneys for the state revealed that Etute allegedly told police he punched and stomped Smith . Isimemen David Etute, 18, has been charged with second-degree murder. He punched him at least five more times and stomped on him, Commonwealth Attorneys told the court. Etute appeared in Montgomery County General District Court in Christiansburg Wednesday. Im truly sorry for my actions., CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER. Etute did not discover Smith was a man until they met again on May 31 for a second sexual encounter at Smith's apartment. 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. Prince Harry boasts about finding 'freedom and happiness' and jokes about reincarnation in unseen TV Behind-the-scenes at fashion week with the Spencers! MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Va. (TCD) -- A former football player at Virginia Tech University was found not guilty of beating a man to death who posed as a woman on a dating app. An autopsy report revealed Smith died from blunt force trauma to the head, the Richmond-Times Dispatch reported. 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. Left. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Smiths family quickly left the room. I was just in shock, in disbelief that someone tricked me and lied to me.. SUSPECT CHARGED WITH MURDER OF YOUNG BOY IN CALIFORNIA ROAD RAGE SHOOTING. Smith, he testified, chuckled, reaching for Etutes crotch with one hand and down the side of the bed with the other. 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. He was released on $75,000 bond on Wednesday and is to remain under house arrest and electronic monitoring. 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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. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Etute appeared in court for a preliminary hearing on Thursday, Sept. 23 in connection with the death of 40-year-old Jerry Paul Smith of Blacksburg on May 31. CHRISTIANSBURG Former Virginia Tech football player Isimemen Etute was found not guilty Friday in the beating death of Jerry Paul Smith following a three-day trial in Montgomery County Circuit Additionally, the sections of the story dealing with the Human Rights Campaign have been clarified to more correctly indicate the source of the information. Im truly sorry for my actions.. ", Turk responded by telling the court, "I'm not saying what happened was acceptable, but this was more than someone just showing up to an apartment and punching someone.". Signs Ban on Gender-Affirming Care for Trans Youth, LGBTQ+ People Take Up Arms as Fears of Right-wing Hate Groups Grow, Tennessee Gov. I feel like Ive let a lot of people down. Jurors will be tasked with deciding whether or not the defendant acted in self-defense, as he doesn't deny killing Smith. Turks remarks prompted waves of comments online and elsewhere. He has a motive for changing what he said, Jensen said. 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. Context: Isimemen Etute is an 18 male football player about to start at Virginia Tech. This is about preventing murder and assault," Roem added. 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 . Etute, a freshman on Virginia Techs football team until his arrest, at which point he was suspended, faces a second-degree murder charge. The most recent instance he cited was in Norfolk in 2011, after 18-year-old Deandre Moore fatally stabbed Jacques Cowell, 20. 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. The beating that ensued broke all the bones in Smith's face and left the victim with cranial fractures and missing teeth, according to the autopsy. He referred to Smith as a deceitful and dishonest man who defrauded young men for his own sexual gratification., Who is the real victim here? Turk said through tears. The order prohibits Etute from going back to Montgomery County except for court proceedings or to consult with his attorney. Jerry was a restaurant manager and known as a polite young man throughout his life. Facebook gives people the. Former Virginia Tech football player Isimemen Etute found not guilty in beating death of Blacksburg man. Turks family was in attendance for much of the trial, having developed deep ties to the Etute family and Turk's daughter Katie was part of the defense team. Etute was arrested on June 2 and charged with second-degree murder.He was released on $75,000 bond on Wednesday and is to remain under house arrest and electronic monitoring. The best insights from the ultimate insiders. If you can walk away from an encounter that you're not happy about, then you need to walk away.". The legal strategy is thought to secure more lenient sentences for defendants who claim their violent acts were a response to learning a victim's sexual orientation or gender identity. Ismemen David Etute, 18, was charged in the death of Blacksburg restaurant managerJerry Paul Smith after allegedly punchingand stomping the 40-year-old multiple times on May 31. 'Don't target or lure anyone under that perception. The offender clearly consented to this and could have made a decision to leave and instead of leaving, made a decision to kill someone.. On Friday, Roem said it's her understanding that because the trial will begin after the new law goes into effect next month, it will apply when Etuti's case reaches the courts. The Registered Agent on file for this company is Jerry Paul Smith and is located at 119 N Main St Apt 207, Blacksburg, VA 24060-3945. Etute 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. At one point during Wednesdays bond hearing, Turk reportedly asked Etute clad in an orange prison jumpsuit how he had been impacted by the charges. If it was a man, I was just going to run out, Etute testified. A former Virginia Tech football player accused of killing a man he'd had a sexual encounter with, believing he was a woman, has been acquitted of murder. In the aftermath of Virginia Tech linebacker Isi Etute's arrest and second-degree murder charge, authorities have now revealed the official cause of death for Jerry Paul Smith, the 40-year-old . The move drew an immediate objection from the prosecution, since Ehis Etute wasnt among witnesses submitted to the court by the defense during the pre-trial phase. Turk had argued for his client to be released on bond, and a judge initially granted it, but Morgan appealed. It doesn't matter if you're mad. Isimemen Etute, 18,(l) Jerry Paul Smith, 40 (r)(Twitter) A college football player has been indicted on charges of murder for killing a trans woman he met through a dating app earlier this year. Jerry Paul Smith, 40 known as Gigi by his nephews of Blacksburg, VA departed this life, June 1, 2021, at his home. 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. After the hearing, Turk said, Nobody deserves to die, but I dont mind saying, dont pretend you are something that you are not. Some said the details that emerged from Wednesdays bond hearing show that Smiths killing was motivated by a bias against gays. Etute then claimed he got up, stood next to the bed and asked Smith "Why didnt you tell me?" Compounding matters for the defense is that Virginia became the 12th state to implement a ban on the Gay Panic defense in April. "It is . Born May 18, 1981 in Montgomery County, VA, he was the son of the late Jerry . One person went inside that apartment, the defendant, one person left the apartment, the defendant, Jensen said. The Human Rights Campaign has tracked at least 28 deaths of transgender and gender non-conforming people so far in 2021. She also told the court her son would help take care of his younger sister with special needs. 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.. Ismemen David Etute, who appeared in Montgomery County District Court in Virginia on . Turk made an impactful 45-minute closing statement and implored the jury to put themselves in Etutes shoes on the night of May 31. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. 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. Isimemen David Etute and Defense Attorney Jimmy Turk hug at the conclusion of the trial in Montgomery County Circuit Court in Christiansburg on Friday. A spokeswoman for the FBI has said the agency is assisting in the investigation. In an email earlier this year to the Senate Judiciary Committee in support of HB 2132, Carsten Andresen, a Texas criminal justice professor, said there have been at least eight cases in Virginia in which defense attorneys used gay and trans panic arguments. Mr Etute, who was a player at Virginia Tech, matched with Smith on the app and went to "Angie's . Female carer who bit off part of a pub landlady's ear during vicious bar brawl is jailed for 14 months. I hope this terrible incident will make more real the jeopardy and the work we still have to do to prevent the kind of knee-jerk, irrational behavior that weve grown up with as males in our society.. 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. A man he met on Tinder is charged with second-degree murder. Sometimes dual prosecutions are launched, such as those against the former Minneapolis police officers charged in the death of George Floyd and against Dylann Roof, a white supremacist sentenced to death for a church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina. Smith was found dead the next day, having sustained multiple blunt force traumas to his face and head. Jerry was a restaurant manager and known as a polite young man throughout his life. His title was incorrect in an earlier version of this story. The defense has portrayed the victim as a sexual predator who "catfished" the defendant, traumatizing Etute to the point where he had to allegedly fight for his life. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use. Supports Anti-Drag Bill But Apparently Once Posed in Drag, Florida Legislator Aims to Expand Dont Say Gay Law, Libs of TikTok's Chaya Raichik Writes Book, Goes on Crazy Promotional Tour, Alleged Pride Flag Arsonist Yells 'Its All Fake' During Hearing, Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Support Grant Announced in Kansas, Madonna's Older Brother Anthony Ciccone Is Dead at 66, Marjorie Taylor Greene Wants Divorces? His mother had testified that someone is always at their home and that the family includes three siblings, among them a younger sister with Down syndrome. Walk away from an encounter that you 're not happy about, then you need to walk away an. Morgan said or to consult with his attorney use our site, you agree our... Views expressed in the crime scene photos male football player about to start Virginia. Circuit court in Christiansburg on Friday didnt you tell me? bar is... Face were broken, his client matched with Smith on Tinder is charged with second-degree.. 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