A former Rapid City Marshals football player, Dlron Simmons, charged with second-degree rape, has been found not guilty by a 10-man, two-woman Pennington County Jury.
The trial centered on an incident where Simmons was accused of raping a woman he had met on Tinder in her hotel room.
Both parties testified that the night began consensually, but their accounts diverged upon reaching the hotel room.
Simmons claimed the encounter was consensual, with DNA evidence supporting his defense.
The defense emphasized inconsistencies in Simmons’ initial statements to law enforcement, pointing to a later clarification he made.
The jury deliberated for over seven hours before delivering the verdict.