BLACKSBURG, Va. (WDBJ) - The suspect in a 2021 killing in Blacksburg has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder. If you need assistance or support, you are encouraged to reach out for help. According to a. Contact. Share with Us. Closing arguments were expected to take place Friday, after Turk calls more witnesses, according to the Times. Virginia passed a law last year banning the use of "gay panic" or "trans panic" defenses in homicide or assault cases. "Etute told the police he punched Smith five times in the face and continued punching the victim when they hit the ground and 'stomped' on them," the Times reports. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. They met on Tinder, and Etute believed Smith was a woman named Angie. Exclusive footage shows comings and goings at murder victims home, Pedestrian on life support after being hit in SE Roanoke traffic, Aerosmith announces farewell tour starting in September, Person being treated after Bedford County barricade, Troopers make interesting find while cleaning highway, Proposed campaign wants to propel gun violence resources into the spotlight in Roanoke, Bridging the Great Health Divide Across the US, PublicFileAccess@wdbj7.com - (540) 344-7000. The second motion relates to the gay panic defense statutes that were passed by the General Assembly and went into effect in July 2021. House GOP Passes Bill That Would Take Food and Healthcare From Virginia Families, Politics Twitter When she arrived, she described bloody footwear tracked throughout the halls and down the stairs. Apartment in Saint-grve, Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes, France. Isimemen David Etute, 18, has been charged with second-degree murder. CHRISTIANSBURG Defense attorneys said Wednesday that a former Virginia Tech football player feared for his life when he fatally beat a person he met online in April 2021. Virginia Tech football player accused of murder appears in court Instagram Turk described Etute as quiet and soft-spoken. Any updates from the university will be posted to the universitys news and information website,vtx.vt.edu. (Smith's family has identified the victim as a gay man, according to ABC affiliate WSET, and Smith is not listed on the Human Rights Campaign's compendium of transgender and non-conforming people killed in 2021.). The prosecution contends statutes apply at the time of trial not the date of the alleged criminal offense. The medical examiner said he died of blunt force trauma, and the autopsy report revealed that every bone in his face was broken, he had missing teeth and he'd sustained multiple facial fractures, according to the paper. Be sure to follow The 18-year-old is charged with second-degree murder. During the June 9 hearing, Etutes attorney James Turk argued it wasnt a simple case of going to an apartment and punching someone. Thanks to our sponsors Become a Sponsor. Once Etute shined his phones flashlight on Smiths face which revealed facial hair and his identity as a man, Etute punched Smith in the face five times and stomped on his head with his foot before leaving. Courtesy of Matt Gentry from the Roanoke Times, Suspended Virginia Tech football player appears in court on second-degree murder charge. "Don't target or lure anyone under that perception. Low 41F. Its a legal defense Virginia banned earlier this year. Roem and Coughlin say judges are responsible for enforcing Virginias ban on the panic defense. "I don't believe that [the new law] would have been applicable to the facts of this case anyway," he told Virginia Public Media.