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Former Florida State receiver Travis Rudolph found not guilty of murder charges by jury

On3-Social-Profile_GRAYby:On3 Staff Report•06/07/23
Travis Rudolph, Florida State Seminoles receiver
Former Florida State receiver Travis Rudolph holds hands and says a prayer with family members while the jury debates his case on June 7, 2023. (Andres Leiva / USA TODAY Sports)

Former Florida State receiver Travis Rudolph has been found not guilty of a murder stemming from a shooting outside his home in April 2021, a jury ruled on Wednesday.

Rudolph had been charged with one count of first-degree murder with a firearm and three counts of attempted murder following the 2021 incident. He was found not guilty on all counts.

The murder allegations surfaced on April 7, 2021.

According to police reports, a fight between Rudolph and his girlfriend turned deadly after four men later showed up at his house. After going into his home to retrieve a rifle, Rudolph came back out of the house and fired almost 40 rounds as the men attempted to drive away.

A man named Sebastien Jean-Jacques was killed, while one other man was wounded.

Rudolph and his defense team argued to get the case dismissed on self-defense and stand-your-ground laws, but a circuit judge ruled that the “appearance of continuing danger” was not present enough that a reasonable person would have believed the danger justified the use of deadly force.

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That led to the criminal trial which ended in the Travis Rudolph not guilty verdict on Wednesday.

Rudolph still faces a civil lawsuit from the mother of the victim under the state of Florida’s wrongful death act.

Before Travis Rudolph was found not guilty, he was a star receiver for the Seminoles from 2014-2016, a part of the team’s 2014 College Football Playoff run. During his time in college he racked up 2,311 career receiving yards with 18 touchdowns. He had brief stints in the NFL with the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins before heading to the Canadian Football League.

But he was released by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers when he was arrested in April 2021. Rudolph has spent the last two years defending himself legally.

With the criminal case now resolved, Rudolph may once again return to the gridiron.