A mistrial was declared Monday in the case of former University of Miami football player Rashaun Jones, who was accused of murdering teammate Bryan Pata in a slaying that shocked the fabled program and was left unsolved for 15 years.
The Miami-Dade County panel had been deliberating since Thursday, weighing whether Jones gunned down Pata outside the victim's apartment on Nov. 7, 2006.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I have received your note indicating that you continue to be a deadlock," Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Cristina Miranda said, "and so at this time, I will declare a mistrial and a hung jury."
Pata's mother was visibly upset and put her hands over her face after hearing the mistrial declared.
“It’s disappointing," the victim's brother Edwin Pata told reporters outside court. "It’s frustrating really, for all of us, of course, especially my mom, for every single sibling and every person that came out and supported us."
Prosecutors said the state intends to retry the case and Judge Miranda told attorneys to look at their calendars so she can set a new trial date on Tuesday.
The tally of the jury's vote, whether it leaned more toward guilt or acquittal, was not disclosed in open court.
"Mr. Jones continues to be presumed innocent and we will be back to fight this again at the next trial," defense attorney Sara Alvarez said.
Judge Miranda thanked jurors for their work, even if it didn’t end in a verdict.
“I know it’s been a long couple of weeks,” Miranda said. “I know you all put your heart and soul into it, and you were here for very long hours listening to all of the evidence. So we appreciate your work now.”
At the time of his death, the 22-year-old Pata was an up-and-coming defensive lineman on the Miami Hurricanes who was considered an NFL prospect. Jones, a little-used wide receiver and occasional punt returner, was jealous of Pata's success and popularity, prosecutors said.
Jones was arrested on Aug. 19, 2021, about three months short of the 15th anniversary of Pata's slaying.
This unsolved slaying had hung over the powerhouse football program and was long the subject of speculation in South Florida.
Jones' defense claimed the state’s case was weak and accused prosecutors of folding to community pressure to finally make an arrest in this high profile case. The prosecution lacked physical evidence directly linking Jones, now 40, to the shooting.
Prosecutors relied on testimony of a witness who said he saw Jones leaving the crime scene. Jones’ cellphone was picked up by a tower about 2.2 miles from Pata’s building just before the slaying, officials said.
The defendant had rejected an offer to plead guilty in exchange for a 15-year prison sentence.
Edrick Pata, another brother of the victim, said he couldn't help thinking about nieces and nephews who were babies in late 2006 and young adults now.
"(This trial) just started to open up wounds again, it’s just like looking at my nephews and nieces and they were babies at the time,” the grieving brother said.
“The hope is ... to remain optimistic," he said.
