New Allegations Could Reshape the Bryan Pata Murder Retrial

On November 7, 2006, 22-year-old University of Miami defensive lineman Bryan Pata was shot and killed outside his apartment building in Kendall, Fla., after returning home from practice. At the time, Pata was coming off playing four years at Miami and was slated to enter the 2007 NFL draft.

The medical examiner ruled Pata’s death a homicide. However, the case went cold for nearly 15 years with no arrests.

That was until August 19, 2021, when Pata’s former teammate, Rashaun Jones, was charged with second-degree murder.

Jones's arrest followed on the heels of a 2017 ESPN investigation that identified him as the prime suspect; Miami-Dade police had reached out to ESPN that year to help publicize their own investigation into Pata’s murder.

Investigators alleged that Jones and Pata had a long history of physical altercations. During questioning, Jones admitted the tempestuousness of the relationship.

"We had an up-and-down relationship," Jones said to police. "We was teammates. I guess females got involved. So it was, I don't know, I guess jealousy over females."

According to investigators, Jones was the only player to miss a mandatory team meeting the night Pata was murdered. Authorities also alleged that he changed his phone number the day of the crime and borrowed money in an apparent attempt to leave town.

Jones pleaded not guilty to the charges.

"I used to be young and wild...that ain't got nothing to do with picking up no gun, trying to kill nobody, harm nobody with it. That's not in me," Jones told police.

Unable to post bail, Jones remained in jail for nearly four and a half years while awaiting trial.

His trial began in February 2026.

The prosecution presented evidence of Jones’ contentious relationship with Pata, his decision to change his phone number, and other details. According to the prosecution, cellphone records showed Jones’ phone connected to a tower 2.2 miles from the crime scene at 6:41 p.m.; Pata was murdered at approximately 7 p.m. Jones maintained that he was at home at the time of the murder.

In 2022, professor Paul Connor gave a deposition in which he said he saw a man matching Jones’ description at the crime scene immediately after Pata was shot. He also picked out Jones in a police lineup.

Prosecutors initially said that Connor had since died, but in September 2025, ESPN discovered he was still alive and living in Louisville, Ky. However, he was unable to testify in person because of cognitive decline.

Prosecutors then admitted Connor’s 2022 deposition testimony into evidence.

Former Miami teammates Dave Howell and Eric Moncur testified about the friction between Pata and Jones, including an alleged altercation in a dorm room in 2004. According to Moncur’s testimony, he heard Jones say, "Go ahead and clip up,” which he said meant “get a gun.”

Additionally, Jones’ former girlfriend, Sherry Abramson, testified that after hearing about the shooting, she had repeatedly tried to call Jones but received no answer.

Meanwhile, the defense argued that Jones did not own a murder weapon, his relationship with Pata had improved over time and police had relied on circumstantial evidence, unreliable witness memories and shoddy investigative work.

They also pointed to a lack of physical evidence linking Jones to the crime, including fingerprints, DNA or a weapon. Plus, they challenged Connor’s testimony, pointing to his claim that he was “90% sure” it was Jones and that, in the police lineup, Jones’ image was a “black blur” with a darker background that made it stand out.

They also pointed out that no new evidence had come through when the case fell to a new detective in 2010.

Ultimately, on March 2^, 2026, Judge Cristina Miranda declared the case a mistrial due to a hung jury. Jurors told ESPN that their decision rested on the lack of forensic and physical evidence, and that they didn’t trust the testimony of Miami-Dade Detective Juan Segovia, who repeatedly called Jones a “liar” on the witness stand.

In August 2026, as Jones' retrial approached, a jailhouse informant named George Jones (no relation to Rashaun Jones) came forward to claim that Rashaun Jones had confessed to the murder while in jail. Despite that, George refused to provide testimony over safety concerns and alleged that a defense attorney had bribed him with $15,000 not to talk.

Because of the sensational aspects of the case, Judge Miranda issued a strict gag order on all attorneys involved during the retrial proceedings.

Moreover, these new issues will drastically shift the focus of the retrial. Instead of relying on the circumstantial evidence against Jones, the retrial will now focus on allegations of witness tampering, cellblock bribery and corruption.

The defense is expected to scrutinize the original prosecutor, Michael Von Zamft, who signed off on charging Jones. Von Zamft is facing allegations of misconduct due to undisclosed cooperation with jailhouse informants in a separate case involving convicted gang leader Corey Smith. The complaint alleges that Von Zamft granted favors, including conjugal visits, in exchange for testimony.

Von Zamft has resigned from his position as an assistant state attorney in Miami-Dade County.

A key issue in the retrial could be whether Judge Miranda allows George Jones' statements to be admitted into evidence. The defense is expected to counterattack by bringing a cellmate of his who claims Jones lied about his confession and the bribe. Meanwhile, the prosecution is expected to argue that the defense is admitting that the confession has merit.

The retrial is scheduled to begin February 8, 2027.