Former Virginia Tech football player pleads not guilty ahead of murder trial

CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. (WFXR) — On Thursday afternoon, Isimemen Etute, a former member of the Virginia Tech soccer staff, pleaded not responsible to a cost of second-degree homicide within the demise of a Blacksburg man final yr.

Police arrested Etute after discovering the physique of 40-year-old Jerry Paul Smith on June 1, 2021 throughout a welfare verify.

An post-mortem revealed Smith died from blunt power accidents to the pinnacle.

Virginia Tech beforehand reported that Etute was positioned on interim suspension as of June 2, 2021, which affected his standing with the Hokies soccer staff.

In line with investigators, Etute stated he and Smith had a sexual encounter in Smith’s condo after assembly on Tinder on April 10, 2021, after which Smith gave Etute $50. Nevertheless, Smith was reportedly posing as a lady named “Angie” each on the relationship app and through their encounter.

Courtroom information say Etute went again to Smith’s condo on Could 31, 2021 to find out if “Angie” was a lady, bringing two different Hokie gamers with him as a result of he was not comfy.

The prosecution beforehand accused Etute of turning into enraged after discovering out “Angie” was a person, punching Smith a number of instances within the face, and stomping on Smith with sufficient power to interrupt each bone in his face.

Then, on Oct. 26, 2021, a grand jury on the Montgomery County Circuit Courtroom returned a real invoice indicting Etute for a cost of second-degree homicide. 

Throughout a pre-trial motions listening to on Could 5, protection attorneys made a number of arguments on Etute’s behalf. For instance, they claimed Smith had a knife inside attain on the time of the assault, saying the “attain” could be essential within the upcoming jury trial to indicate that Smith’s acts had been designed.

In the meantime, the Commonwealth’s Lawyer requested that Smith’s prior legal historical past or character be excluded from the jury trial. Nevertheless, the protection disagreed, saying that data could present motive and claiming that Smith had a sample of deceiving males in an effort to acquire intercourse.

The decide didn’t decide on any movement that day, saying he would take it beneath advisement till Etute was arraigned on Thursday, Could 19.

Throughout Thursday’s arraignment, Etute entered a plea of not responsible to a second-degree homicide cost.

As well as, the protection launched two new motions they are saying have to be ironed out earlier than the trial begins subsequent week.

The primary movement includes excluding consideration of a regulation banning the “homosexual panic protection” which was handed by the Basic Meeting in 2021. This regulation prohibits the usage of an individual’s perceived or precise gender id or sexual orientation as a protection in court docket for the assault or homicide of an LGBTQ individual.

Etute’s protection lawyer, Jimmy Turk, says the brand new regulation should not have any bearing on this case.

Within the second movement filed Thursday, the protection requested the decide to permit a witness to stay nameless.

Turk tells WFXR Information {that a} witness who could come ahead on Etute’s behalf has been in a scenario just like the one between Etute and Smith. The protection says identification might pose a threat of bodily retaliation or psychological hurt to that witness.

The prosecution and the protection will each meet on Monday, Could 23 to debate the motions earlier than the jury trial begins at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Could 25 on the Montgomery Circuit Courtroom.