College football player accused of killing Tinder date after discovering he was a man

Police in Blacksburg, Virginia, found Jerry Smith’s body after welfare check

College football player Isimemen Etute accused of killing Tinder date after discovering he was a man (Blacksburg Police via AP)

A college football player allegedly punched and kicked his Tinder date to death when he discovered he was a man.

Virginia Tech’s Isimemen Etute, 18, is accused of killing Jerry Smith after the two met on the dating app in April, according to prosectors.

Mr Etute, who is from Virginia Beach, told police that Mr Smith was posing as a woman by the name of “Angie”, said Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Jason Morgan.

The suspect’s lawyer, Jimmy Turk, said that he did not know that Mr Smith was male when they engaged in sexual activity during their first encounter.

Mr Etute returned to the apartment on 31 May when he reportedly discovered that “Angie” was Mr Smith.

Investigators say that Mr Etute punched Mr Smith five times and stomped on his head when he fell to the floor.

The suspect told officials that Mr Smith did not fight back and he did not call police after the incident.

Mr Smith, 40, died of blunt force injuries to the head, according to the Roanoke Medical Examiner’s Office.

Police found his body after responding to a welfare check at the apartment on 1 June, says Blacksburg Police Department.

When Mr Etute was named as a person of interest in the case he was suspended by the university, where he was a freshman linebacker on its famed football team.

He has been charged with second-degree murder and released on a $75,000 bond and is required to live with his family and wear an electronic ankle monitor.

He is due to appear again in court on 23 September.