Ex-NFL Player on Trial for Murder: Travis Rudolph’s Fight for Freedom

State of Florida versus Travis Rudolph. defendant verdict we the jury find as. follows as to count one we find the. defendant not guilty former NFL player. Travis Rudolph acquitted on all counts. in the death of one man and the shooting. of another during a fight at his home in. Florida we look at seven key moments. from Rudolph's trial. welcome to law and crime's sidebar. podcast I'm Anjanette Levy Travis. Rudolph says he was acting in.

self-defense when he fired at a group of. men leaving his home 39 times back in. April of 2021 those four men were. leaving his home in a vehicle following. a fight it all started after Travis. Rudolph and his now ex-girlfriend. Dominique Jones had a fight at his house. in West Palm Beach Jones said it got. physical and Rudolph told her to leave. Jones texted her brother and one of his. friends telling them to shoot him up. four men showed up including Jones's.

brother Keyshawn Jones Tyler Robinson. Christopher Lowe and Sebastian John. Jacks a fistfight broke out between the. four and Rudolph Rudolph's brother Daryl. was also involved as those four men left. Travis Rudolph fired at a vehicle. carrying the men 39 times after he said. he saw a gun pointed out of the window. Sebastian jean-jacks was killed Tyler. Robinson was hit and wounded but. survived joining me to discuss these big. moment in the Travis Rudolph trial is.

Mark O'Mara he is a famed criminal. defense attorney from Orlando Florida. and of his name and face sound and look. familiar to you that's because he. represented George Zimmerman back in. 2012 won an acquittal for him in the. shooting death of Trayvon Martin Mark. welcome to sidebar thanks for coming on. great to be here good seeing you again. yeah good to see you we've met before. back in 2015 but that's a story for. another time let's talk right now about.

these big moments in the Travis Rudolph. trial you know the incident that really. set off these chain this chain of events. was this argument that Travis Rudolph. had with his girlfriend Dominique Jones. and you know this was this big argument. where he told her to leave the house and. she texted her brother and some other. people and said shoot she wanted them to. shoot Rudolph four men including Jones's. brother Keyshawn Jones showed up and. punches were thrown there were fights. between Travis and his brother of course.

and Dominique Jones testified for the. state then it was Rudolph's attorney's. turn to cross-examine her have you. swooped around in his phone on prior. occasions with his password. no because I just had surgery so I. haven't seen them in like I haven't seen. him in a while. I wouldn't use the word snoop. overruled we're snooping around because. you were concerned about him seeing. other women down in Miami isn't that the. bottom line.

the bottom line is he's he was my. boyfriend at the time I haven't seen him. in a month and I was curious that's the. bottom line. you didn't want to lose him right. of course not. Travis said that. in yours you became infuriated. right no you didn't no. you weren't upset that he found Kyla. more attractive than you no.

when you saw the text from Kyla. you told the jury yesterday it was time. for me to go you remember that. correct. and when you saw the text from Kyla. Travis was still outside right. he was out with his brother you were you. were looking through his phone when he. was outside correct so you waited for. Travis to come back into the house to. confront him did you not I more so. didn't confront him I just went into the. room to grab my things so you didn't.

walk right out the door did you. I went to go grab my things and he seen. his phone on the couch so he kind of put. two and two together. waited for him to come back in so that. you can confront him isn't that what. was happening I didn't confront him he. kind of confronted me about the. situation because he's seeing his phone. was open. to. no I wanted to grab my things and I.

wanted to leave. no. you were actually very angry were you. not I was more so hurt than anger. but you also angry weren't you I was. more so hurt. than angry so Mark how do you think that. Dominique Jones held up on the stand. she's basically texting these people and. saying he did this to me shoot him up.

I think she did fair I think the defense. did a very good job because remember. what this whole case has to be about is. Rudolph's perspective of what was going. on so the fact that you know she does. sort of set this in motion she's the one. who says shoot the blank up oh his blank. up. um you know that that's sort of the the. previous event all right that's the. cause of all of this and then when they. show up Rudolph reacts as most of us.

would have when somebody breaks into. your house it comes to your house and it. reacted to protect himself and I thought. the defense did a very good job of sort. of showing this all happened because of. her and but for her bringing in the. Posse so to speak none of this would. have happened. and Florida you know we've seen this in. other cases has a very strong stand your. ground law self-defense law so that's. going to play heavily into this case. oh big time I mean this this whole case.

is truly a traditional self-defense now. remember again the Nuance between. Florida stand your ground and others. basically means if you're where you're. allowed to be and Rudolph certainly was. in his own home then you don't have to. back away you don't have to retreat. before using deadly force but it it. hardly matters when you're in your own. home because that sort of brings us over. to the castle doctrine which means at. the front door of your residence of your. home of your Castle you're allowed to. defend yourself so while stand your. ground gives Mr Rudolph some additional.

benefits under the statute this is truly. traditional self-defense can you protect. yourself in your home from any threat or. at least the perceived threat of great. fatherhood injury one of the big points. of contention in this case is whether or. not the Posse the group of four went to. the house of Travis Rudolph with a gun. two of the four men had told the lead. detective in this case Emily vanderland. that none of them had a gun but a canine. actually located one tossed away here's.

Travis Rudolph's attorney grilling the. detective about her work. why would you do that in a homicide case. talk to someone and not record what they. have to say what logical reason would. any human being do that to another human. being. well we don't just constantly record. ourselves I mean I suppose with body. cams now that's not exactly a true. statement but at the time we didn't have. body cams and we don't just turn the. recorder on and record every single. second of every single thing I didn't.

take a statement that was not recorded I. spoke to her is what I'm saying and it. was not recorded I didn't ask you that. my question you made the statement. you're privileged to do that yes and I'm. asking you why in the world would you. ever do that that's all I'm asking you. I'm not asking what you did in this case. I'm asking what you do. why would you do that sustain Mark I'm. interested in how you believe the lead. detective did on the stand because she. kind of chuckled a little bit that. that's allowed in court things happen. but you know she just kind of took their.

word for it it sounded like that none of. them brought a gun. yeah and that's part of the problem and. look we as good defense counsel always. look and say what could have been done. better what could have been done. differently this investigation was fair. maybe okay this was not a great. investigation by law enforcement because. you're right what they sort of did was. okay you guys showed up you said you had. no guns let's blame him and charge him. with a crime but the harsh reality is. what Rudolph said was that there was the. threat of guns or that they had guns.

they lie about it LO behold canine finds. one then it was also some forensic. evidence of maybe the decedent could. have had a gun in his hand when he was. shot so I think all of that evidence is. going to work well in the defense favor. for a couple of reasons one cops didn't. do a great job two. victims or Posse as we call them uh were. lying or willing to minimize their own. involvement in it and at a certain point. the jury is going to say we can't. believe them on that we can't believe. them on anything.

well the next clip we're going to look. at involves one of the four men from. that evening his name is Tyler Robinson. and he was at the house that night of. course and he admits that he actually. took a gun to Travis Rudolph's home but. says he never pulled it a K-9 letter. later located again as I mentioned. earlier he testified about being in the. car when Travis Rudolph fired those 39. shots at the vehicle let's listen. I'm still laying on the floor at this.

point just trying not to get hit with. any bullets and then uh at when the car. finally. um. this isn't something I can I can see but. um. I'm aware the cars you can feel when. you're in a car and it's moving. regardless if you can see or not so I. feel the car moving. um. and I guess we turned around to leave. but then we just stopped. um or it seemed like we just stopped. seemed like the car stopped moving.

um so. I feel myself uh get shot. um in my back. [Music]. um. this is the second shot. uh. yeah. um it is. um I got. uh after I felt another. um shot in my back. um. I kind of was and the car wasn't moving. so I'm under the assumption that if I'm.

getting shot or so I believe I I am and. that's what I feel. my brothers are probably getting shot. too so I'm thinking. everyone in the car probably died. because we're not moving and. no one's talking so. I just assumed everyone was dead what'd. you do then. um I just got out the car. so you open the door and ran out. yeah basically I just I didn't like.

I didn't want to die in the sitting in. the car so I just just I don't know I. don't I just got out. Mr Robinson I know emotionally you're. probably going through a lot right here. are you pulling your firearm do you pull. your firearm at any point during what. you just described. and uh. forgot I have my gun in my pocket um.

I want to protect my brothers so how did. he do on Direct mark. um I hate to overuse the charm I think. he did fair I don't think he did great. uh again you know the concern is you. know here's this idea the Posse is. coming at the request of the girlfriend. um shoot his blank up shooting with. weapons with guns and then they do bring. a gun but the argument is okay I brought. it to the car if it didn't bring it in a. little bit difficult to believe.

particularly when you have Rudolph's. testimony that he thought that there was. a gun so they did Fair again a jury's. got to look at this and say. if if they're lying about one thing can. we believe them about much and that's. something the jury's gonna have to. wrestle with very much with this Witness. 39 shots I mean a lot of people would. say hey that's massive Overkill but how. does that play into this I think we need. to talk about that for a moment because.

they're saying he had a semi-automatic. weapon 39 shots they're they're going. away in the vehicle you know Rudolph. thinks he sees a gun pointed at him so. is 39 shots too much. that's going to hurt a number of things. are going to hurt his argument of. self-defense because remember the. essence of self-defense is reasonable. fear of imminent right now great bodily. injury so when you're driving away this. argumentative great body injury has sort. of gone away they're leaving the threat.

even momentarily has subsided in effect. from the defense from the prosecution's. case because they were leaving the. argument that the defense has got to. sort of wrestle with and get across to. this jury is you know with everything. that was going on the guns in the area. him being in his own home the idea that. he shot a gun once is justifiable. because it was truly in fear of imminent. great bodily injury then you if you get. past justification of that first shot. you probably will get be given a little.

bit of leeway on the rest but I will. tell you the way it's going to come. across from the prosecution this guy's. just wasting his entire Magazine on. people fleeing from the scene and that. is not self-defense. let's now look at Travis Rudolph's. attorney's Grill Tyler Robinson on. cross-examination he is questioned about. things that he only recently revealed. about that text that Dominique Jones. sent it really brought the Posse or the.

group to Travis Rudolph's home that. night let's look. you're asked by the prosecution on. November 8th 2021. again you're asked. that Dominique texted you and kashan. saying shoot his shut up is that correct. and you said I don't remember right. correct it wasn't until Friday of last.

week was the first time. two years after this happened was the. first time he ever said you that's what. she texted you right. um correct what's in black and white you. saw a copy of it the prosecution the. police somebody told you here it is they. got it now. um I agree. as you know Dominic erased her phone she. was trying to hide evidence right. she told you that. um no sir.

you still talk to her every day. um no sir not every day still texting. our messages you love her and you got. her and you'll do anything for her those. kind of messages like we saw. um. of of uh less uh it's less often uh that. we um speak or I've spoken. um. so no sir I don't. we don't relay those uh messages quite. as often but you still love her right. correct you want anything for her.

um. circumstantially. okay. would you go defend their honor again. no sir. you asked if Chris Lowe was at your. house that evening by the prosecution he. said I don't remember remember saying. that. I agree. you asked if Sebastian showed up. separate from Chris and you said you. don't remember. um I agree you call them you called. Sebastian and Chris.

and said come on over we need to go do. whatever your words you want to use we. don't know let me ask you did you call. those two guys. um. um oh yes all right and then the phone. calls you had to your knowledge none of. those are recorded right. I'm not sure. no one ever told you that hey they have. an actual recording of your of your. voice did they. um I don't know I'm not sure well you. guys use FaceTime a lot right.

um. we have iPhones so yes you know. facetime's not recorded you you that's. easy to search right. I'm not aware of that sir I don't know. okay you don't know that. I don't work for a cell phone company. sir I don't that's not. information. that's important to me.

you asked if you spoke on the phone to. Dominique and you said you don't. remember back on November 8th of 2021. correct. sustained. you're asking if your brother was home. that day and you said you didn't. remember remember saying that. I agree different than what you told us. here last week right uh. I agree. so Mark we have Tyler Robinson under. cross-examination basically admitting. yeah there are things I only revealed.

for the first time last week. yeah so I think it was Mark Twain who. said you don't have to have a good. memory if you don't lie right so you. know you just keep telling the truth and. just ask me a question and I can answer. it because it's the truth and the. opposite is if you're making stuff up if. you're leaving stuff out if you're. crafting it the way you want to it's. very easy to get caught right and you. start adding to it and that's exactly. what happened with this witness he added. to it recently. um and he was able to be. cross-examination very well it is a is.

one of those things we use in closing. the argument you know if you have a. pieces that are bowl of stew and you're. eating it and you get a piece of rancid. meat what do you do eat around it no you. throw out the whole stew right well the. same thing they're going to argue he. cannot be believed at all so take all of. his testimony and throw it in the trash. and see if the state has proved their. case without that and that that's a good. argument from the defense and we're. going to see that I think coming up.

I thought it was interesting too that he. basically admits that he loves her or he. did love her yes he's like feelings for. her he was going there to defend her. honor. yeah you know and again it's human. nature you want to and I'm sure that. these guys were reacting to what she. said come over he he pushed me against. the wall or whatever she was saying he. did come over and shoot his blank up. um yeah and quite honestly I would act a. certain way for my loved one or my.

friend or my um sister uh and you get. over there and protect her honor so I. understand how it happened the problem. with it is that it comes right into you. know force with law that says you cannot. go to somebody else's house and threaten. great bodily injury which certainly. seemed to be what they were doing look. take the guns out of it you beat. somebody up that's great body injury you. know Trayvon Martin didn't have a weapon. yet that self-defense survived the.

attack from the prosecution because just. because of the injuries that were uh. inflicted on Zimmerman so you know the. whole thing about this is what they were. doing they caused this they went to. man's castle and he's allowed to react. one thing that's interesting about this. case Mark is the fact that we have. family members of Travis Rudolph's. involved in this whole incident. including Travis Rudolph's mother she. took the stand in his defense and of.

course you know Dominique Jones was. dating Travis Rudolph so she had. interaction with her so let's listen to. a little bit of Travis Rudolph's mother. testify in her son's defense. do you remember what time you left your. home that day on April 7th well we used. to have Bible study at seven so I. probably got the most of the house maybe. about a quarter to seven. okay that's PM obviously you're right. and when you when you get there. um what do you do when I get to my.

sister house we had Bible study Emilia. at the Bible study we was watching a. movie and then I got a call for. Dominique she was very hostile and irate. and she said Mom you better come get. your son Travis because I'm gonna have. my. I don't think I have my brothers and his. friends to come come up and kill him. but I didn't think. that she was going to put a hit on him. I the phone dropped or she hung up the.

phone so I had text her let me slow you. down when you get that call from her do. you have any idea what was going on. no because she was. screaming and hollering and and I. couldn't really understand her but. that's when I text her. okay did you try calling her back no I. didn't call her I just text her what'd. you text her I said Dominique I don't. know what's going on with you in Travis. I said but you both are grown I say if. you all not getting along you need to.

move on I say I love you like my own. daughter I don't teach my son to be. disrespectful I say I will talk to. Travis and I will let you calm down and. I will call you later and then she text. me back and say he has the wrong one. that's all I'm gonna say he has the. wrong one yes Mark how did she do. I think she did very well she did very. well as a mom right I mean look you know. we look at the court system they were. all used to and say okay this is the way. this witness acted but she came across.

as a mom you know happy for her son who. was someone you know successful as a. football player you know dating this. woman who she was happy with for the. most part and then this crazy tragedy. happens and I thought she was very. believable and again juries we want to. believe moms we love moms and we will. listen to them and that's that's a very. strong predisposition that I thought the. defense played very well on with this.

jury yeah and Linda Rudolph you know had. interaction with Dominique Jones so I. thought that was very important too that. she she was a part of this so she she. certainly can testify to the dynamic at. the time. and I thought again she did a great job. with that as well sort of bringing out. what was going on all of the emotions. everything that was happening between. those two then what happened when the. other men came over uh yeah I thought. again you know if the jury is going to. listen to one person and say we believe.

that person is telling the truth uh it's. going to be a mom it's going to be a mom. who like you say that interacts with. everybody and was present at the very. time it happened our next family member. who testified for Travis Rudolph was his. brother Daryl he was there that night. and he was a part of this whole. altercation let's listen to what Daryl. said you ever talked to her like. actually have an actual conversation on. a telephone with Dominique after this. happened oh. I don't really remember.

when you were texting her did you ever. explicitly tell her that you had guns. pointed at you and your brother shot a. number of times with them did you ever. tell her that no sir because I thought. it was self-explanatory I mean like if. you put two and two together with her. saying hey my brother's gonna come. you up and then you got guys coming over. with guns yelling screaming and saying. You Know Travis gonna die today and then. you actually see guns pointing at you I. mean you would think they'll be common. sense that Dominique you should know. this is common sense if you put two and. two together you would think like she.

she basically orchestrated this whole. thing to the fact while in this seat and. I'm sitting in the seat where everybody. right here in court right now you know. you you would think. yeah. one second. narrative objection is sustained all. right so you believe Dominique set the. whole thing up yes sir she orchestrated. the whole thing so I figured she should. know just hold hold on we got everything. so. you were very upset with her yes sir. still upset with her yes sir Mark a lot.

of people might argue well Daryl's. biased it's his brother he doesn't want. his brother Travis going to prison but. he was indeed a part of what happened. that evening so was he credible. I think he was you know again you you. want to listen to who was there and what. they say and there was not although. there was good cross-examination I don't. think it it really attacked his. credibility very much I thought he came. across sure he's going to protect his.

brother to a certain extent and he's. going to shade finger things in favor. and maybe evidence that level of fear. but I think the jury is going to be able. to work through what part of it was him. being again sort of favored to his. brother but also told the truth. it's pretty rare that we see a case. where someone claims self-defense and. they don't take the stand you've. experienced that I want to talk about. that in just a minute but Travis Rudolph. was really the the main witness that the.

jury likely wanted to hear from in this. case because he's the guy that fired the. 39 shots he's the one who had the fight. with Dominique Jones the jury got to. hear from him. is at this point any guns no not at this. point the fight that was going on was it. one-on-one no tell us about that. um it was a bunch of back and forth. sometimes it'd be two on one sometimes. it's three on one. four on one you know what I'm saying. between me and my brother how are they.

fighting with you uh they was they was. like trying to hurt us really bad like. trying to kill I took it as they was. trying to kill us they kicking us. punching us I got choked one time. everything. okay. and were they say anything to you during. this uh during this battle yes they said. we don't demon time y'all gonna die. today. and what would that mean to you demon. time you know about that like they. basically like they don't. excuse my language to jurors but they. basically saying that I don't give a. about nothing. I'm coming to handle my business is that.

a new term demon time yes there was no. talking I got punched and now I'm. getting jumped and now me and my brother. is fighting for our lives they weren't. there to find out your side of the story. no they didn't care no they didn't. I don't like the police huh right. sustained. so. you you're you're in a fight now how. long does it last you know or does it. just seem like a long time no it seemed.

like a long time I remember I was like. out of breath especially after I got. choked so it seemed like a pretty long. time to me every NFL player you can't. beat up three four guys nah I mean them. guys knew what they was doing like I I. feel like I couldn't get the upper hand. nor my brother so. all right did you lose sight of your. brother at times yes. tell us the best remember after the guys. jumped on top of you what do you. remember after that. um I remember like I said it was at one. point in the driveway I was getting.

choked by Tyler I believe and my brother. had came and like got him off off me I. say Tyler that's the guy without the guy. without the shirt you know his name now. obviously yes okay. um and then after that like I was trying. to like distance myself and I remember I. went from like the bottom of the. driveway to East it'll be East um from. looking from outside my house I went. East and towards missed Estes home or. away from his home.

um away it'll be away from his Dusty's. home okay and uh I remember at some. point I get near the the palm tree with. the bricks around it. what happens. um during that time it was just me Tyler. and Sebastian and they were kind of. trying to like angle me in. and when they was trying to angle me in. Sebastian was saying you with the. wrong girl you finna die today. and then simultaneous when he was saying. that uh I seen Tyler he pulled out a. firearm from his right pocket Mark I.

know in George Zimmerman's case he opted. not to testify which I find really rare. in these affirmative defense cases you. obviously felt you didn't need to put. him up there he didn't feel like he. needed to get up on the stand but I. think it's really hard in a case like. this when you don't put the defendant on. the stand so did Travis win the day for. himself. well first of all you're right in an. affirmative defense case like. self-defense you almost have to I mean.

you know true or false in law school but. your witness understand in self-defense. absolutely because you have to because. it's that person the defendant who says. I was in fear it was imminent and I. believe this was going to happen my. perception of the fear so not having. someone testify like we decided not to. do in the Zimmerman case or other. Dynamics. um it's very very difficult and can. really come back to burn you so having. said that what I thought happened here. with Mr Rudolph was he did a good job. because he did what he had to do which.

was say look this is what happened I'm. home these people come in fist or flying. guns are about I don't know what's going. on but I'm protecting not only myself. and my castle but my family uh who's. also you know in danger at that point so. I thought it came across pretty. compelling and again you almost have to. have your client go up there and say I'm. the one who was in fear unless it can. really be presumed by the circumstances. or like we had in Zimmerman we have five. different statements where he said he.

was in fear so that gave us an. opportunity to avoid cross-examination. of the client. well this is an interesting case for. sure most of these are Mark O'Mara thank. you so much for joining us this was. wonderful and we hope you'll come back. great seeing you again be well and. that's it for this edition of Law and. crime sidebar podcast you can download. and listen to sidebar on Apple Spotify. Google and wherever else you get your. podcast and of course you can always. watch it on Law and crimes YouTube. channel I'm Anjanette Levy and we will.

see you next time. thank you.