Former Virginia Tech football player arrested for beating a man he thought was a woman to death found not guilty of murder

Isimemen Etute the 19-year-old football player at Virginia Tech has been found not guilty of 2nd degree murder.

A jury on Friday acquitted a former Virginia Tech football player who had been accused of fatally beating a man he says he initially believed from a Tinder match to be a woman.

The jury deliberated for approximately three hours before returning its verdict around 6:30 p.m.

Etute and 40 year old Jerry Paul Smith met on a dating app. Yes, you read that right. Etute met the man before through a dating app. Smith claimed his name was Angie and a female. The pair met and Smith reportedly gave Etute oral sex.

The details then get crazy. The young football player thought he was with a female but when he found out it was a man he snapped.

Well, according to court documents his attorneys said he didn’t snap he defended himself. Etute told the courts the man had a knife under the sheets and always demanded the lights to be off. Etute says he was in fear of his life, he said when he confronted him the man reached for what he thought was a gun.

Even though Smith did not own a gun, there was a knife between the mattress and box spring. Etute then claimed he punched the man five times and kicked him to escape the apartment.

Etute was wearing flip-flops at the time of the incident, and Smith’s attorneys kept telling the jury that Etute was a big and physical person but he only weighs 153 pounds. The jury agreed that Etute was defending himself and the charges were dropped.