Closing arguments begin in long-delayed trial over 2006 killing of Miami Hurricanes lineman Bryan Pata

Case reaches decisive phase nearly two decades after fatal shooting in Kendall

Closing arguments are underway in the Miami-Dade criminal trial of Rashaun Jones, a former University of Miami football player accused of killing teammate Bryan Pata in 2006. The case centers on the fatal shooting of Pata, 22, a Hurricanes defensive lineman who was shot outside his Kendall apartment complex after leaving team practice on Nov. 7, 2006.

Jones has pleaded not guilty to a charge of second-degree murder. The jury is expected to receive final legal instructions from the court after arguments conclude, before beginning deliberations.

What prosecutors have presented to the jury

Over the course of the trial, prosecutors called a series of witnesses as they sought to build a case that Jones had the means and motive to commit the shooting. In addition to testimony about the night Pata was killed, the state presented evidence aimed at establishing tension between the two former teammates, including testimony describing an earlier confrontation between them while they were students.

A key element of the state’s case was recorded testimony from an eyewitness who lived at the apartment complex at the time of the shooting. Jurors watched a video deposition taken years after the killing. The recording was used in court after prosecutors said the witness was no longer mentally capable of testifying in person.

The prosecution’s presentation has leaned heavily on witness accounts and circumstantial evidence, placing emphasis on who was near the scene and what jurors should infer from timelines, relationships and post-shooting conduct.

How the defense has challenged the state’s narrative

Jones’ defense team has argued that the evidence does not prove he was the shooter beyond a reasonable doubt. In court, defense attorneys have offered alternative explanations for inferences the state asked jurors to draw from the timeline and from testimony about alleged friction between the players.

Before testimony began, the start of the trial was delayed after the defense raised late-breaking claims tied to a federal investigative thread and an alternate suspect theory. Prosecutors disputed that the proposed timeline supported the defense’s assertions, and the trial proceeded.

Background: a cold case revived years later

Pata’s death remained unsolved for years and was widely viewed as a cold case until 2021, when Jones was arrested after investigators said they developed sufficient evidence to file charges. Jones was taken into custody by a joint law-enforcement operation and has remained in custody during the lead-up to trial.

• Victim: Bryan Pata, 22, University of Miami defensive lineman

• Date of killing: Nov. 7, 2006

• Defendant: Rashaun Jones, former Hurricanes defensive back

• Charge: Second-degree murder; plea: Not guilty

With closing arguments now in progress, the case turns to jurors to weigh the credibility of the recorded eyewitness identification, the prosecution’s account of motive and opportunity, and the defense’s contention that the evidence falls short of the legal standard required for conviction.