Ex-Giant Travis Rudolph found not guilty in murder case — hopes to play again
Former Giants receiver Travis Rudolph was found not guilty Wednesday for one charge of first-degree murder and three charges of attempted murder, according to reports.
The charges were related to a 2021 shooting at his home in Lake Park, Fla.
The Palm Beach Post reported the jury in West Palm Beach rejected the option to convict Rudolph of second-degree murder and manslaughter, and the two-week trial ended with fewer than four hours of deliberation.
“I got my freedom back,” Rudolph, 27, said following the jury’s decision, according to WPTV, “and I can get back to my life.”
The incident on April 7, 2021, followed a dispute with Dominique Jones, who was allegedly Rudolph’s girlfriend.
It ended with Rudolph later shooting toward a car containing four men who had confronted him following the dispute, killing one — Sebastien Jean-Jacques — and injuring another, according to the Palm Beach Post.
Rudolph pleaded not guilty to the charges, citing self-defense.
He tried to get the case dismissed in 2022 under Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law, but that request was denied.
“Although we may disagree with the jury’s verdict, it is their job to determine from the facts whether a defendant is guilty or not guilty,” Marc Freeman, a spokesperson for the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office, said in a statement, according to The Palm Beach Post. “We respect the jury’s decision.”
Rudolph’s agent told ESPN Wednesday that the wideout was interested in returning to football, which aligned with what he told reporters outside of the courthouse, according to WPTV.
Rudolph signed with the Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2017 following a collegiate career at Florida State, and he caught eight passes for 101 yards across seven NFL games.
He also spent time on the Dolphins’ practice squad and signed with the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2019, but was released two years later following his arrest.
