A Florida jury took just four hours to decide former Giant Travis Rudolph is not guilty of murdering a man who was shot outside the wide receiver’s home in 2021.
Rudolph, 27, allegedly fired 39 shots at an SUV full of men who approached him about a domestic issue, according to the Orlando Sentinel. He was charged with killing 21-year-old Sebastien Jean-Jacques and attempting to gun down three of the victim’s companions.
A jury ruled Rudolph was acting in self-defense during that April 2021 encounter.
Rudolph’s attorney, Marc Shiner, predicted jurors would need only a few minutes to exonerate his client, according to the Palm Beach Post.
The defendant reportedly cried as each of the four “not guilty” verdicts were read. “I finally got my freedom back,” Rudolph, a Palm Beach native, said outside the courthouse. “I can get back to my life.”
A spokesperson for the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office said prosecutors “respect” the verdict.
Rudolph’s agent told ESPN his client, who played for the Giants in 2017, hopes to return to the NFL.
The undrafted pass-catcher had 101 receiving yards in his one year in New York with a team that went 3-13 in a season that saw star quarterback Eli Manning benched in favor of Geno Smith.
Rudolph’s first career reception came on a Manning pass against the Seattle Seahawks in October. He was brought up from the team’s practice squad following an injury to Odell Beckham Jr.
Rudolph also had a very limited stint with the Miami Dolphins before spending a year in the Canadian Football League.