Murder trial of former FSU star Travis Rudolph set to begin

Former Florida State receiver Travis Rudolph was charged with one count of first-degree murder with a firearm and three counts of attempted first-degree murder stemming from a shooting outside his home in April 2021, and his murder trial is set to begin this week.

Jury selection is set to begin Thursday morning in Palm Beach County, according to a report from the Tampa Bay Times.

Rudolph 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 the Travis Rudolph 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.

The Travis Rudolph murder trial was previously scheduled for Feb. 24 before it was postponed.

In addition to the criminal case against Rudolph, the Tampa Bay Times reports that Rudolph is also facing a civil lawsuit from the mother of the victim under the state of Florida’s wrongful death act.