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Report: Former Miami player arrested for 2006 murder of Hurricanes DL Bryan Pata
Published:
Fifteen years after the murder of Miami Hurricanes defensive lineman Bryan Pata, the case is finally moving forward.
On Thursday, Miami-Dade police charged a former Hurricanes defensive back, 35-year-old Rashaun Jones, with the murder of Pata.
BREAKING: Arrest made in 2006 murder of University of Miami defensive lineman Bryan Pata.
Charged is Rashaun Jones, a former UM player, who was arrested in Marion County on Thursday https://t.co/0B6IlfniO7
— David Ovalle (@DavidOvalle305) August 19, 2021
Jones was a former teammate of Pata, and allegedly had 2 off-the-field incidents with Pata. Police made Jones a suspect of Pata’s murder last year but never publicly identified him, per the Miami Herald report.
Pata was shot and killed outside of his apartment complex in Miami after football practice on Nov. 7, 2006. Pata was likely to be a high-caliber NFL Draft pick in the 2007 NFL Draft before he was killed.
A recent report revealed that Jones, who was serving a suspension from on-the-field activities due to a third positive marijuana test, skipped the mandatory team meeting, changed his phone number, and reportedly tried to leave town all on the same day of the shooting.
