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.
