CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. — The suspended Virginia Tech linebacker who is accused of fatally beating a male Tinder date to death after the man portrayed himself as a woman was indicted on second-degree murder charges.
Isimemen David Etute, 18, told police he punched a sexual partner five times in the face and stomped on him after discovering the person he thought was a woman was actually a man, Law Officer reported.
A grand jury handed down the charges against Etute on Tuesday, according to the Roanoke Times.
Etute reportedly said he visited the apartment of Jerry Paul Smith, 40, in April to engage in oral sex, after matching with someone named “Angie.” The next month, he returned to the apartment to see if the person was male or female.
Jerry Paul Smith (
Etute groped Smith in the dark before punching him to death, a detective reportedly testified. The football player heard “bubbling and gurgling” as he left the apartment, but didn’t call the police, Law Officer reported.
Following the homicide, Etute, was suspended by Virginia Tech after being arrested in June, according to the New York Post.
He reportedly spent the summer confined to the family home after being released from custody.
A hearing is scheduled in the county’s circuit court next month, the Roanoke Times reported.
