Judge Declares Mistrial in Killing of Miami Football Star Bryan Pata, 20 Years Later

The murder trial in the 2006 killing of former University of Miami standout Bryan Pata has ended in a mistrial.

Jurors told the judge Monday — their second day of deliberations — they couldn’t reach a unanimous verdict in the murder trial of Rashaun Jones, who is accused of fatally shooting Bryan Pata outside his southwest Miami-Dade apartment in 2006.

After giving the panel more time to deliberate and learning they were still deadlocked, Judge Cristina Miranda declared a mistrial and a hung jury.

Pata, a star defensive lineman for the Hurricanes, was shot multiple times outside his apartment on Nov. 7, 2006 — just hours after football practice. He was 22 years old and at 6-foot-4, 280 pounds, he was widely projected to be selected in the 2007 NFL Draft.

His death rocked the Miami football community and went unsolved for nearly 15 years.

In 2021, police arrested former Hurricanes teammate Rashaun Jones … accusing him of pulling the trigger following what prosecutors described as long-standing tensions between the two. Authorities alleged jealousy and personal beef fueled the killing — but Jones pleaded not guilty and has maintained his innocence from day one.

During five days of testimony in Miami-Dade County, prosecutors presented a largely circumstantial case — including witness testimony placing Jones near the scene, cell phone records and accounts of prior disputes between the two former teammates.

The defense attacked the credibility of witnesses and argued there was no physical evidence directly tying Jones to the shooting.

NBC South Florida reports Pata’s family said prosecutors plan to seek a new trial. Under Florida law, that must come within 90 days. 

Still, Monday added another painful chapter in a nearly two-decade wait for answers.