If you need help with the Public File, call 540-512-1558. . Samantha Smith joined WSLS 10s award-winning digital team as a content producer in July 2018. Prosecutors told the jury earlier that Etute, then 18, became enraged and fatally beat Smith when he discovered 'Angie' was actually a man. Smith, who identified as a gay man, presented himself in a profile on the online dating app Tinder as a 21-year-old emergency room physician named Angie Renee. Jerry Ray Smith 06/12/1936 - 08/04/2022 Jerry Ray Smith (1936-2022) Jerry Ray Smith passed away in El Paso, Texas on August 4, 2022 at the age of 86. Ismemen Etute, 18, is accused of breaking all the bones in Jerry Smith's face, killing him, in a vicious beating prosecutors allege occurred after the two matched on Tinder. Restaurants are urged to serve 'nutritious' grey squirrel meat after cull Former Virginia Tech football player Isimemen Etute found not guilty in beating death of Blacksburg man | Crime News | roanoke.com, Do not sell or share my personal information. Smith did not own a gun, but police reported finding a knife between the man's mattress and box spring. No information about a possible motive has been released, but police say the two knew each other. Copyright 2023 WSLS.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Jerry was a restaurant manager and known as a polite young man throughout his life. Stressful start to National Offer Day? This browser does not support getting your location. Officials initially said Etute and the victim were "acquaintances," but new details in. No cause of death has been released. The judge granted Etute, who has no prior criminal record, a $75,000 secured bond because he met all the requirements to prove hes neither a flight risk nor a danger to society. Prince Harry 'hated woke nonsense' and 'made jokes we are no longer allowed to make' before meeting Meghan, 'We met a Princess'! He used his phone's flashlight in the darkened apartment to get a better look at Smith. According to the Blacksburg Police Department, Jerry Smith, 40, of Blacksburg died in the incident. About a dozen states have adopted such laws. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. Jensen recalled the testimony of medical examiner Dr. Amy Tharp, who Jensen said testified Smith had been the victim of a 'brutal beating.'. However, when asked if Etute stomped on Smith, a detective said that Etute told him he hit Smith several times, Smith fell to the floor, and Etute accidentally stepped on Smith while trying to step over him. But Virginia's law didn't go into effect until July 1 of last year, so Judge Mike Fleenor did not advise the jury about it -- granting a request from the defense team. She has since been replaced by Jimmy Turk, who has represented other Virginia Tech students in criminal matters. 1067 Obituaries Search Blacksburg obituaries and condolences, hosted by Echovita.com. Etute told police Smith was hiding his face during the intercourse, and paid him $50 at the end. Etute testified that he had seen Smith reach for a weapon, which Etute thought was a gun -- something Etute did not mention to police when he was arrested last year. Montgomery County General District Court Judge Randal Duncan set a secured bond of $75,000 for Isimemen Etute, 18, of Virginia Beach, but he will remain in jail after prosecutors filed an . Exclusive footage shows comings and goings at murder victims home, Wreckage of missing plane found in Carroll County, 16-year-old girl reported missing out of Roanoke, Spring-like warmth continues; rain chances increasing Thursday, Cinderella frontman, Winger, former Motley Crue rocker join for Dr Pepper Park show, Police name 83-year-old woman dead after Rockbridge Co. fire, Birthdays and Anniversaries for March 1, 2023, EARLY YEARS: Roanoke County Parks and Rec offering a variety of fun spring break and summer camps, Owner arrested in case of dogs deaths to appear in court, Montgomery Co. Real Estate Tax Rates Decrease, Bridging the Great Health Divide Across the US, [email protected] - (540) 344-7000. His release is on hold for up to five days, but the appeal may be heard Thursday or . On May 31, Etute went over to what he thought was Angies home and when he found out that Angie was actually Smith, he punched Smith five times before Smith fell to the ground and then punched him at least five more times and stomped on him, according to Pettitt. His court-appointed attorney, Naomi Huntington, has been replaced by Jimmy Turk, who has represented other Hokie athletes in criminal matters. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. On Tuesday at 10:30 p.m., while officers were performing a welfare check in downtown Blacksburg at 119 N. Main Street they found 40-year-old Jerry Smith dead, according to the Blacksburg Police . "I don't believe that [the new law] would have been applicable to the facts of this case anyway," he told Virginia Public Media. Etute has a tremendous amount riding on this trial. We've blurred their faces until police confirm their. At the Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival, you will find a palate-dazzling smorgasbord of cuisines and cocktails in which to indulge. by Douglas Charles June 3, 2021 12:56 pm. The Papers Are Already Filed, Queerbaiting, Latine, and WOC Among New Words Added to Dictionary.com, Black Trans & Nonbinary Youth at High Risk of Suicide: Report, What to Know About 2023's HIV is Not a Crime Awareness Day, Kerri Colby Spills on Sasha Colby's Legacy & Kim Petras Making History, Youngkin Latest GOP Gov. Mail photos to Virginia Tech Magazine, 105A Media Building, Blacksburg, VA 24061, or email them to [email protected]. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. There is a problem with your email/password. Although we cannot print stories or obituaries, we can post online photographs of weddings, babies, and spirited alumni, with some images appearing in print. Market data provided by Factset. Defense attorney Jimmy Turk also told the jurors earlier on Friday that the commonwealth's evidence was circumstantial, while the defense's evidence, which included the testimony of Etute, was direct. Former Virginia Tech LB Isimemen Etute found not guilty on murder charges in death of Blacksburg man Etute was arrested in June 2021 and charged with second-degree murder in the death of Jerry Smith Resend Activation Email. Jerry L Smith, 79. "Who is the real victim here?" EXCLUSIVE - Revealed: Carol Kirkwood's secret toyboy fianc - 13 years her junior - is a divorced police 'Digital antidepressants' to be rolled out on the NHS as health bosses give eight apps and web-based therapy BBC journalists vote 'overwhelmingly' to stage series of strikes in move that could sabotage corporation's 'This is the most ridiculous thing I've seen!' Signs Ban on Gender-Affirming Care for Trans Youth, LGBTQ+ People Take Up Arms as Fears of Right-wing Hate Groups Grow, Tennessee Gov. Court records showed that a Jerry Paul Smith with the same month and day of birth as the man killed in Blacksburg was convicted in 2020 in Loudoun County for petty larceny, and in 2017 in . Etute had pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder for the blunt force trauma death in 2021 of Jerry Smith. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Birds of a feather really DO flock together! There was a problem getting your location. According to Virginia Tech, Etute was placed on interim suspension as of June 2, which affected his standing with the Hokies football team. or redistributed. READ MORE: Va Tech, UVA scientists say vaccines tested on pigs could offer 'broad protection' from COVID-19 He then went back to Smith's downtown Blacksburg apartment to find out whether Smith was a male or a female, police said. Etute also told authorities that Smith did not fight back. Virginia passed a law last year banning the use of "gay panic" or "trans panic" defenses in homicide or assault cases. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. Learn more about merges. Born May 18, 1981, in Montgomery County, VA, he was the son of the late Jerry Wayne Smith and Sandra Cumbee Smith. Try again later. His family prayed before the verdict's announcement, but immediately left after their son was found not guilty. BLACKSBURG, Va. (WDBJ) - Surveillance video shows three people leaving quickly from Jerry Smiths Blacksburg apartment May 31. Investigators said the victim, 40-year-old Jerry Smith, knew Etute, but they didn't say how. UPDATE 3:40 p.m.: Isimemen Etute the suspended Virginia Tech football player facing a murder charge after the death of a Blacksburg man in May was in a Montgomery County court on Tuesday afternoon. Numerous people claiming to be locals are coming forward on Reddit with theories, allegations, and accusations regarding both . Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. The. The trial took place over three days in Montgomery County Circuit Court in Christiansburg, Va. Smith, 40, had had a sexual encounter with Etute in Smith's apartment in Blacksburg, Va. A Virginia Tech football player is currently awaiting trial in the murder of a 40-year-old restaurant worker who catfished the young athlete on a dating app, officials said. Learn more about managing a memorial . Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? Smith, 40, died of blunt force injuries to the head, according to the Roanoke Medical Examiner's Office. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. Failed to report flower. The prosecution showed jurors several pictures of Smith's lifeless, bloodied body. When the not guilty verdict was read aloud, Etute embraced his defense attorney in a bear hug and prompted exited the courtroom with his emotional family members. Jensen commented on this by saying the defendant "has a motive for changing what he said. But a month later, Smith reached out to him again and invited him over, telling him to bring some friends. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. Turk also argued that police didn't ask Etute essential questions about Smith's knife or Etute's fear while in the apartment, two questions whose answers could have shown whether Etute was afraid for his life and acting in self-defense. In taking the stand earlier in the week, Etute had testified that he felt "violated" when he discovered that the Tinder match he believed to be a woman was actually a man. Blacksburg, Montgomery County, Virginia, USA. 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