In April 2021, 18-year-old college football player Isimemen Etute went on tinder and matched with a woman named "Angie" who he met up with for or*l s*x. On May 31st they would meet again for s** and that's when Etute discovered that "Angie" was actually a 40-year-old man named Jerry Smith, not the 28-year-old woman whose photos Smith had been using.
He discovered this after he used his phone's flashlight in the no-light apartment and pointed it at Smith’s face. Etute claimed that shortly after this, he feared Smith was grabbing a pistol, so he punched and kicked him five times to give him a chance to flee the flat. This resulted in Smith’s death.
In court, Etute stated that he felt “violated” when he found out he was catfished. A knife was discovered under Smith's mattress, according to police, but prosecutor Patrick Jensen said Smith was not in a position to access it. Etute heard "bubbling and gurgling" from Smith, according to Jensen, but did not call the cops. In May 2022, Etute was found not guilty of second-degree m*rder.
