Opening Statements Delayed in Rashaun Jones Trial Over 2006 Killing of Miami Teammate Bryan Pata

Proceedings paused after late disclosure raised evidentiary questions

Opening statements in the Miami-Dade murder trial of former University of Miami defensive back Rashaun Jones were delayed Tuesday after a courtroom dispute over newly disclosed information, prompting the judge to halt the start of the case and send jurors home until the following day.

Jones, 40, has pleaded not guilty and is accused of killing former Hurricanes defensive lineman Bryan Pata, who was fatally shot on Nov. 7, 2006, outside his Kendall-area apartment complex after practice. The case remained unsolved for years before Jones was arrested in 2021.

What triggered the delay

Before openings were delivered, defense attorneys told the court they had received new material late last week and argued it could point away from Jones. The court paused the trial schedule to examine whether and how the information could be used at trial under the rules of evidence.

Judge Cristina Miranda said she needed time to review the matter and indicated it was not prudent to proceed with opening statements without first resolving whether the new material was admissible and what additional steps—if any—were required. Jurors were dismissed and instructed to return the next morning.

Competing positions on admissibility

The defense described the information as involving an investigation by federal immigration authorities and a statement they said connected to Pata’s killing. Prosecutors countered that the defense’s description amounted to hearsay and that the court should not allow the trial to pivot on material that could not be presented through admissible testimony.

After further inquiry, including taking testimony from a federal agent referenced by the defense, the judge expressed skepticism that the defense could overcome hearsay objections tied to multiple layers of secondhand statements. The court did not deliver a final ruling in open court Tuesday on whether any portion would reach the jury, but the delay effectively shifted the start of openings.

Context: a decades-old homicide revived by later developments

Pata was 22 at the time of his death and played for the Hurricanes during an era when the program drew intense national attention. Investigators later alleged that phone data and witness accounts placed Jones near the scene, and the prosecution has argued the evidence supports a murder charge despite the long interval between the killing and the arrest.

In recent pretrial litigation, the defense has argued the passage of time has impaired the ability to mount a fair defense, citing the loss or deterioration of witnesses. The court has previously rejected efforts to end the case on that basis and has also limited attempts to present alternative-suspect evidence without a sufficient evidentiary foundation.

What happens next

• Jurors are scheduled to return Wednesday morning in Miami-Dade Circuit Court.

• The judge is expected to continue addressing evidentiary issues before opening statements proceed.

• If the trial moves forward as planned, prosecutors and defense attorneys will then present their competing narratives of the 2006 shooting, followed by witness testimony and cross-examination.

Jones has maintained his innocence. The case now turns on what evidence the jury will be allowed to hear—and whether last-minute disclosures will alter the scope of the trial.