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Former Virginia Tech Football Player Pleads Not Guilty In Tinder Date's Beating Death: Report

A former Virginia Tech football player pleaded not guilty to killing a man, who he thought was a woman, after meeting in person through an online dating platform Tinder, according to various news reports.

Isimemen David Etute

Isimemen David Etute

Photo Credit: Blacksburg PD

Isimemen David Etute, 19, was indicted on a murder charge in the death of Jerry Paul Smith, a 40-year-old Blacksburg restaurant project manager, on May 31, 2021.

The two met online and connected in person when Etute when to Smith's apartment for an encounter that included oral sex in April 2021. However, Etute was unsure if Smith was a male or female.

Etute then planned a second encounter in which he discovered Smith was in fact a male, according to the Roanoke Times. Accompanied by two of his teammates, Etute groped Smith, punched him repeatedly in the face and kicked him after be fell off the bed, according to the outlet. 

Smith's relatives found his body on June 1, the outlet reports. Etute entered his not guilty plea on Thursday, May 19 prior to his trial which is scheduled for May 25. 

Click here to read the full article from The Roanoke Times.

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