Skip to main content

Former Miami Hurricanes defensive back Rashaun Jones, 35, is charged with murder for 'shooting dead ex-teammate Brian Peta' in 2006

A former University of Miami football player has been arrested in connection with the 2006 fatal shooting of his teammate Bryan Pata.

Rashaun Jones, 35, of Lake City, was arrested on Thursday in Marion County on a first-degree murder warrant by Miami-Dade police and the US Marshals Service, police spokesperson Alvaro Zabaleta said.

'The Pata family has waited a long time to see the individual they had believed involved in Brian's death arrested and charged,' Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said in a statement. 

'While the time needed to build sufficient evidence to ethically charge in a homicide can sometimes feel endless, families should know that the passion and determination of police and prosecutors to resolve unsolved cases does not diminish.'

Rashaun Jones, left, was arrested on Thursday in connection with the 2006 fatal shooting of his teammate Bryan Pata, right

Teammates of Bryan Pata #95 of the University of Miami Hurricanes carry his image to mid-field after defeating the Boston College Golden Eagles at the Orange Bowl Stadium on November 23, 2006 in Miami, Florida three weeks after his death

Teammates of Bryan Pata #95 of the University of Miami Hurricanes carry his image to mid-field after defeating the Boston College Golden Eagles at the Orange Bowl Stadium on November 23, 2006 in Miami, Florida three weeks after his death

Police posted to Twitter that they had finally cracked the cold case

Police posted to Twitter that they had finally cracked the cold case

Juan Segovia, a homicide detective with the Miami-Dade Police Department, said in a video released on Thursday that Jones is now awaiting extradition back to Miami-Dade County for prosecution.

'I can only hope this brings the Pata family a little bit of closure and satisfaction knowing that at least the person who took Bryan's life is now in custody and will be facing charges,' Segovia said.

Alfredo Ramirez III, Director of the Miami Dade Police Department, said on Twitter that investigators 'relentlessly searched' to discover who had killed Pata.

Pata was expected to be an early pick in the 2007 NFL Draft following his fourth and final season with the Hurricanes. 

The 22-year-old, 6-foot-4, 280-pound defensive lineman was shot several times outside of his Kendall apartment the night of November 7, 2006. Pata had been returning home from campus in his black SUV.  

Investigators said they learned through numerous interviews that Pata and Jones, who played three seasons with the Hurricanes, had experienced confrontations before the shooting. 

Jones had formerly dated Pata's girlfriend and that the two had been in fights over it. 

Pata previously beat Jones during a physical altercation, officials said. Pata's brother told investigators Jones had threatened to shoot Pata two months before his death.

Jones was first revealed as a possible suspect for Pata's death in an ESPN investigative story published in 2020. He has insisted he didn't kill Pata.

The day Pata was killed, the Hurricanes were preparing for a road game at Maryland.

Pata attended an early-morning meeting and workout before joining his teammate Eric Moncur in registering for spring semester classes,

Miami's Rashaun Jones, center, celebrate after the team's 41-38 win over Louisville in an NCAA college football game at the Orange Bowl in Miami in 2004

Miami's Rashaun Jones, center, celebrate after the team's 41-38 win over Louisville in an NCAA college football game at the Orange Bowl in Miami in 2004

Pata and Moncur were joined for lunch with his girlfriend Jada Brody, and he later went to the team's practice. Afterward, he stayed behind and the athletic center where he was overheard speaking with someone in a heated phone call.

After the call, Pata hopped into his Infiniti QX56 and took his teammate Josh Holmes, who had been waiting for a bus, back to the dorms before driving four miles home while talking to his brother Fednol on the phone, ESPN reported.

Pata reportedly pulled into his assigned parking space at his apartment complex around 7pm.

From her apartment, Brody thought she heard an argument and went outside where she found her boyfriend unresponsive in the parking lot near his car, ESPN reported.

Bryan Pata, who played on the University of Miami football team, was shot and killed after practice on Tuesday, November 7, 2006

Bryan Pata, who played on the University of Miami football team, was shot and killed after practice on Tuesday, November 7, 2006

She ran back inside call 911 as Dwayne Hendricks, Pata's roommate and teammate, pulled into the parking lot and found him on the ground. He reportedly first thought it was a prank and told Pata to 'get up.'

Hendricks grabbed the phone from the hysterical Brody and spoke to 911 operators.

Cops said Pata's killer seemed to take nothing and worked quickly, with Pata being shot dead less than two minutes after arriving in the parking lot, ESPN reported.

Detectives found his car keys and phone on the ground near his body, and a black wallet with nine $100 bills in his pocket.

The University of Miami's football program sent out a mass text telling players to head back to the athletic center for an emergency meeting.

Hendricks arrived late covered in Pata's blood while Jones was noticeably absent.

Johnson had failed his third drug test after testing positive for marijuana and had been suspended that day. 

During two interviews with detectives, Jones told investigators that he was at his own home and never left on the night of Pata's death. But records show that Jones´ mobile telephone was using different cell towers around the time of the shooting.

ESPN reported last year that police had never found anyone who saw the actual shooting - which was not captured on nearby security cameras. 

However, an eyewitness in the area at the time of the shooting identified Jones in a photo lineup.

Popular posts from this blog

Study Abroad USA, College of Charleston, Popular Courses, Alumni

Thinking for Study Abroad USA. School of Charleston, the wonderful grounds is situated in the actual middle of a verifiable city - Charleston. Get snatched up by the wonderful and customary engineering, beautiful pathways, or look at the advanced steel and glass building which houses the School of Business. The grounds additionally gives students simple admittance to a few major tech organizations like Amazon's CreateSpace, Google, TwitPic, and so on. The school offers students nearby as well as off-grounds convenience going from completely outfitted home lobbies to memorable homes. It is prepared to offer different types of assistance and facilities like clubs, associations, sporting exercises, support administrations, etc. To put it plainly, the school grounds is rising with energy and there will never be a dull second for students at the College of Charleston. Concentrate on Abroad USA is improving and remunerating for your future. The energetic grounds likewise houses various

Best MBA Online Colleges in the USA

“Opportunities never open, instead we create them for us”. Beginning with this amazing saying, let’s unbox today’s knowledge. Love Business and marketing? Want to make a high-paid career in business administration? Well, if yes, then mate, we have got you something amazing to do!   We all imagine an effortless future with a cozy house and a laptop. Well, well! You can make this happen. Today, with this guide, we will be exploring some of the top-notch online MBA universities and institutes in the USA. Let’s get started! Why learn Online MBA from the USA? Access to More Options This online era has given a second chance to children who want to reflect on their careers while managing their hectic schedules. In this, the internet has played a very crucial in rejuvenating schools, institutes, and colleges to give the best education to students across the globe. Graduating with Less Debt Regular classes from high reputed institutes often charge heavy tuition fees. However onl

Sickening moment maskless 'Karen' COUGHS in the face of grocery store customer, then claims she doesn't have to wear a mask because she 'isn't sick'

A woman was captured on camera following a customer through a supermarket as she coughs on her after claiming she does not need a mask because she is not sick.  Video of the incident, which has garnered hundreds of thousands of views on Twitter alone, allegedly took place in a Su per Saver in Lincoln, Nebraska according to Twitter user @davenewworld_2. In it, an unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of the customer recording her. Scroll down for video An unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of a woman recording her A woman was captured on camera following a customer as she coughs on her in a supermarket without a mask on claiming she does not need one because she is not sick @chaiteabugz #karen #covid #karens #karensgonewild #karensalert #masks we were just wearing a mask at the store. ¿ o