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A Freshman football star at VirginaiTech has been charged with second-degree murder after killing the owner of a fake tinder account, according to The Daily Wire.
18-year-old Isimemen Etute went to Jerry Smith’s apartment thinking it was a girl.
When he found out that he matched with a 40-year-old man, Etute beat the man to a bloody pulp leaving him gurgling on the ground and did not call the cops.
“Prosecutors initially filed an expedited appeal that would have kept the 18-year-old from Virginia Beach in jail for up to five more days but agreed to his release once the two sides settled on conditions.”
“Etute, who is charged with second-degree murder in the death of 40-year-old Jerry Smith, was released on a $75,000 secured bond under house arrest and electronic monitoring.”
“Turk said that he deplored any apparent killing, but that his client seems to be an exceptional young man who came to Virginia Tech on a full scholarship and had never been a problem for anyone before.”
“We are so at a loss at everything that’s going on,” said a spokesperson for Smith’s family.
“There are horrible stories out there. At the end of the day, no matter what he did or didn’t do, nobody deserves what he got. Whatever happened gives nobody the right to react that way. I’m sorry, it just doesn’t.”
“Smith has a lengthy legal history, with charges over the years in Montgomery, Loudoun and Fairfax counties, including driving under the influence, reckless driving, public intoxication and filing a false police report, as well as charges that were dismissed. But the family didn’t know anything about that, the spokesperson said.”
“We know nothing,” the family spokesperson stated.
“I’m going to be honest with you. We know nothing about that. There’s been nothing said to us about it by the police or anything.”
“He was so proud. Everybody knew he was a gay man. He did not like women. He was very proud of who he was.”
“Regardless of what he did, he did not deserve this.”
“He was maybe 112 pounds soaking wet. He wasn’t a threat to nobody. He wasn’t a threat to a fly.”
“He wasn’t a dangerous person. Nobody has a right to take someone’s life. Whatever happened should not have happened.”
From The Daily Wire:
Etute said he visited Smith’s apartment in April after he was matched with someone named “Angie” on Tinder, but when he returned on May 31, he discovered his match was a man, prosecutors said during a hearing Wednesday, citing police statements.
Etute told police he punched and stomped Smith and heard gurgling as he left, but didn’t call police.
The medical examiner’s office had previously revealed that Smith died from blunt force trauma to the head.
Etute was granted bond last week.
Etute has been suspended from the VaTech team while law enforcement conducts an investigation.
A Radford lawyer named Jimmy Turk is now representing Etute in the case, which he called “heartbreaking.”
