Former Virginia Tech football player Isimemen Etute found not guilty in death of Blacksburg man

CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. — Former Virginia Tech football player Isimemen Etute was found not guilty of all charges Friday in the beating death of a Blacksburg resident following an online catfishing scheme.

Etute, a Virginia Tech freshman linebacker at the time of the incident in May 2021, had been charged with second-degree murder, which carries a sentence of five to 40 years, and the jury could have convicted him on the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter. Instead, the jury believed a self-defense argument that Etute feared for his life after seeing the victim «make a reach» toward his bed where a knife was later found.

Etute collapsed in tears as the verdict was read, with cheers erupting from a contingent of about 30 family members, supporters and former teammates.

After the verdict, Etute's lawyer, James Turk, said his client deserved a second chance at a football career following the jury's decision.

«I think he's earned the right to go back to school and further his academic and sports career,» Turk said. «I think the school that ends up taking him is going to get probably a lot wiser and a much smarter and an exceptional athlete.»

Etute was arrested on June 2, 2021, and charged with the May 31 murder of Jerry Smith, a local Blacksburg man, who had posed as a woman online in order to meet straight, college-aged men.

According to testimony, Etute first connected with Smith in April 2021 on the dating app Tinder, with Smith posing as a woman going by the name «Angie Renee.» Along with teammate Da'Shawn Elder, Etute went to Smith's Blacksburg apartment on April 10 under the assumption that he was meeting a woman. Elder testified that he was disturbed by the circumstances of the meeting, in which Smith hid his face and