Former Florida State University Football Star Travis Rudolph Found Not Guilty On All Counts Of Murder

 

Former Florida State University Football Star Travis Rudolph Found Not Guilty On All Counts Of Murder

 

Former Florida State University football star Travis Rudolph was found not guilty Wednesday (June 7) on all counts of murder.

Travis Rudolph – who briefly played in the NFL – faced one count of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder for the fatal shooting that occurred outside of his Lake Park home two years ago. The 12-person jury reached a verdict in less than four hours of deliberation, according to reports.

They had the option to convict him of lesser charges, including second-degree murder and manslaughter, but instead acquitted him of all charges.

This all stemmed from an incident on April 7, 2021, in which four men appeared on Rudolph’s doorstep shortly after midnight to confront him about an argument he had with his girlfriend hours earlier. According to Rudolph, things turned violent and he chose to arm himself with a semi-automatic rifle.

Prosecutors say the men then tried fleeing the scene in a black Cadillac when Travis Rudolph fired 39 rounds at them, killing Sebastien Jean-Jacques in the passenger seat and wounding his friend Tyler Robinson, who was in the back of the car.

Last year, Rudolph asked Circuit Judge Jeffrey Gillen to dismiss the case due to Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law, which permits the use of deadly force when a person reasonably believes it to be necessary to defend themselves against certain violent crimes. Gillen denied Rudolph’s request, leaving his fate in the hands of the jurors. The judge, however, granted him house arrest.

While on the stand earlier this week, Rudolph said the shooting was a result of self-defense after seeing two guns pointed at him.

After the verdict was read, Travis Rudolph could be seen outside of the courtroom with family and friends praying.

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Authored by: Monique Nicole