He could have faced between five and 40 years behind bars if convicted, but the jury believed his self-defence argument. Two other teammates who went with Mr Etute to the apartment but stayed outside were not charged with any crimes. Mr Etute was arrested in June 2021 and charged with second-degree murder after police connected him to the incident. Smith, 40, had every bone in his face broken and was missing several teeth, and his body was found two days after the incident. Investigators later found a knife under the mattress at the apartment. He testified that when he confronted Smith he reached for a weapon under the bed, causing the football player to kick and punch Smith. The jury was told that a month later Mr Etute, 19, returned to the apartment to find out if “Angie” had lied to him about their gender. Two other Virginia Tech players also reported matching with “Angie” but left the apartment as they felt uncomfortable. Mr Etute, who was a player at Virginia Tech, matched with Smith on the app and went to “Angie’s” apartment in April 2021, where the court was told he received oral sex.
