Virginia Tech football player charged with second-degree murder
A Virginia Tech football player has been arrested and charged with the murder of a Blacksburg resident, according to the Blacksburg Police Department and the university.
Isimemen Etute, 18, was charged with the second-degree murder of 40-year-old Jerry Smith, the Blacksburg Police announced on Wednesday. Blacksburg is home to Virginia Tech university.
The police responded to a welfare check at 10:30 p.m. on June 1 at a location in Blacksburg where officers found a deceased male victim and ruled the death a homicide, according to the police statement.
“Through the investigation Mr. Isimemen Etute was identified as a person of interest and later charged with 2nd Degree Murder,” said police.
Etute is being held at the Montgomery County Jail without bond and has an arraignment hearing scheduled for 10:30 am on Thursday. CNN is working to determine if Etute has obtained an attorney.
Etute and Smith were acquaintances, according to Blacksburg Police.
“Witnesses have been identified and interviewed, and are cooperating with investigators. There is no reason to believe there is any ongoing threat to the public,” said police.
A statement from Virginia Tech said Etute was a member of the football team but, “has been suspended from the team, effective immediately.”
“In the case of a felony arrest, the university has the authority to place a student on immediate interim suspension,” Virginia Tech said in the statement.
The university told CNN it cannot disclose if Etute has been suspended from the university as the information is a confidential part of the student’s record.
