WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Former Florida State University football star Travis Rudolph was found not guilty to all counts on Wednesday in the shooting that killed a man more than two years ago.
Rudolph, 27, has been charged with one count of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted first-degree murder in connection with the deadly shooting outside the former college football star’s Lake Park home.
The defense team said Rudolph was the victim on the morning of April 7, 2021, when he was attacked by four men at his Lake Park home after an argument with his alleged girlfriend.
Prosecutors said Rudolph was the attacker and brought a gun to a fistfight. The fatal shooting stemmed from an argument Rudolph had with a woman named Dominique Jones. The shooting killed Sébastien Jean-Jacques and injured another man.
Rudolph had been out of prison since last year on house arrest
unsuccessfully attempted a Stand Your Ground defense.
The former Florida State star repeatedly claimed during his testimony that Jones was never his girlfriend. However, during cross-examination, Assistant District Attorney Francine Edwards countered that not only was Rudolph in a relationship with Jones, but that he was also cheating; Texting other women.
The state opened its closing argument Tuesday by leading the jury through each bullet impact involved in the shooting and playing a distress call from one of the victims.
On the witness stand this week, Rudolph claimed the shooting was a result of self-defense after seeing two guns pointed at him.
Shortly after the sentencing, the judge ordered Rudolph’s house arrest monitor to be removed.