The Modern World Can Get So Complicated..

[Spicerack]

In my opinion. What do you think?
A young man enters an older man's dwelling to confront him. Batters him to death. Found not guilty on all counts by a jury.
There's more to it but you'll have to read the news report if interested. It's complicated and I'm afraid of having a wrong point of view.

https://roanoke.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/former-virginia-tech-football-player-isimemen-etute-found-not-guilty-in-beating-death-of-blacksburg/article_6c4b1fc6-ddf0-11ec-8abc-4f1834bc5978.html

[Spicerack]

Aww, I was expecting to be carried around the playground, bednobs. At least you missed me. x
Jno, I read somewhere that Etute grabbed at Smith's crotch (to check his sex/gender) which prompted Smith to 'swing at' Etute.
Who knows the real sequence of events apart from Etute (who, as I said, changed his account)

[Spicerack]

No doubt I'm wrong but aren't transsexuals 'pretending' to be a different sex. (and having sex)

[TantP]

Homophobic , possibly pre-meditated ( if he's a man he's getting a beating, a women, she can give me a B job) Doubtful he meant to kill the person though. He had a good defence lawyer, End of as they say.

[Redhelen72]

Oo this is a hard one - the 'victim' pretended to be something he's not but lost his life because of it.
The 'agressor' has been found not guilty but a man is still dead.

[pastafreak]

I read about this yesterday...unfortunately in the DM where clear description is not their forte. It was complicated to say the least and I was left very confused.
Apparently he was invited back and went because he had doubts that this person was female as claimed.
Considering this was in America I'm surprised he got off.

[barry1010]

I agree, the DM report is confusing, mixing the names up

[barry1010]

Former Virginia Tech player acquitted in 2021 beating death https://mol.im/a/10862373 via https://dailym.ai/android

[sp1814]

On the basis of the reported facts of the trial, it looks like the wrong verdict was reached - but we only have a summary. We don't know everything that was included in the trial.

But a three hour deliberation?

[TantP]

There was no doubt he committed the offence, but the jury had to deliberate on the plea of self-defence.

[sp1814]

TantP

Yep - leaving aside their previous encounter, if the prosecution convinced the jury that the defendant was acting in self defence, then the not guilty verdict is the only one that could be reached.

I wonder *how* it was presented though?

[TantP]

From what I read, I gather a knife was found between the mattress and bed-frame and the defendant then claimed he felt the victim was reaching for something so retaliated.
I must admit I would have been more inclined to believe this story had it been a 'one punch' act of aggression that resulted in a fatality. Stamping on the victim's head after the initial attack seems to be stretching the self-defence argument.

[jno]

not really enough detail to go on, but he said the victim appeared to be reaching for a weapon, and one was later found, so his fears were justified - which to my mind means self-defence was a valid line to take. Up to the jury to decide whether he went too far, but I can't argue with their conclusion that under the circumstances he didn't.