Mistrial Declared in Bryan Pata Murder Trial

A Miami-Dade County judge declared a mistrial on Monday in the murder trial of Rashaun Jones, a former University of Miami football player accused of killing his teammate Bryan Pata nearly 20 years ago. The six-person jury, after deliberating for more than six hours over two days following a three-week trial, informed Circuit Judge Cristina Miranda that it could not reach a unanimous verdict on whether Jones fatally shot the 22-year-old defensive lineman outside his apartment in southwest Miami-Dade on November 7, 2006.

Pata, a 6-foot-4, 280-pound standout for the Hurricanes, was shot multiple times in the back of the head just hours after football practice. He was a Miami native projected as a top pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, and his unsolved death had long haunted the university's football community. Jones, now 40 and a former wide receiver for the team, was arrested in August 2021 and charged with second-degree murder. He has pleaded not guilty and maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings.

Prosecutors built their case around circumstantial evidence pointing to longstanding tensions between the two players. Witnesses testified about prior disputes, including a...