CHRISTIANSBURG, Va — .
Former player Isimemen Etute, 19, was found not guilty of a charge of second-degree murder in the 2021 death of Jerry Smith, 40, of Blacksburg. The jury deliberated for approximately three hours before returning its verdict around 6:30 p.m., The Roanoke Times reported. Immediately after the verdict was announced, Smith’s family quickly left the courtroom. The prosecuting attorney, Montgomery County Chief Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Patrick Jensen, declined comment and referred questions to his boss, Commonwealth’s Attorney Mary Pettitt.Prosecutors had earlier told the jury that Etute, then 18, became enraged and fatally beat Smith when he discovered Smith was a man.
“He has a tremendous amount riding on this trial,” Jensen had said during his closing argument hours earlier Friday,Defense attorney Jimmy Turk told the jurors earlier Friday that the commonwealth’s evidence was circumstantial, while the defense’s evidence, which included the testimony of Etute, was direct.
Turk also said Smith was “controlling the entire environment and the entire episode.” He added that Smith had “demanded that it be dark” and had hidden a knife under his mattress “in case there was something awry.”