Virginia Tech linebacker Isi Etute was arrested and charged with second-degree murder on Wednesday and is being held without bond at the Montgomery County Jail, the Blacksburg, Va., police department announced in a statement.
Police responded to a welfare check at 119 N. Main St. in Blacksburg on Tuesday where they discovered the body of Jerry Smith, 40, whose death was ruled a homicide. Police said Etute and Smith were “acquaintances” and identified Smith as a person of interest before eventually charging him.
Following the statement, Virginia Tech announced that Etute was suspended from the football team effective immediately.
“In the case of a felony arrest, the university has the authority to place a student on immediate interim suspension,” the statement said. “Blacksburg Police continues to lead this ongoing investigation, and the university will assist law enforcement agencies working the case in any way it can.”
Etute, who was rated a three-star recruit by 247Sports, was an early enrollee at Virginia Tech and was set to be a freshman this upcoming season.
He is scheduled for arraignment Thursday at 10:30 a.m. ET.
