A jury has failed to reach a unanimous verdict in the case against former University of Miami football player Rashaun Jones, who is accused of killing his teammate nearly two decades ago.
After deliberating for two hours on Monday and six hours on Thursday, the six-person jury — two men and four women — told the court they were deadlocked.
“At this time, I will declare a mistrial and a hung jury,” the judge announced in court.
The mistrial brought visible emotion inside the courtroom.
Jeanette Pata, the mother of Bryan Pata, was comforted by loved ones after the judge’s decision.
“I thought our prosecutors did a wonderful job,” said Edwin Pata, brother of Bryan Pata. “I know there’s some things they did not share, but I am pretty sure they are going to come back a lot harder.”
Pata, Bryan’s brother and family spokesperson, told CBS News Miami that prosecutors informed them they intend to retry the case — and that additional evidence could be presented next time.
“I think next time they are probably going to present those things in the case,” he said.
Later, he added that the outcome was devastating.
“We were thinking it was going to be done today, and throughout the duration of the trial, the more evidence that was presented, we got more confident that it was going to be solved. But kind of a bummer today, to see it as a mistrial — that was a punch to the stomach.”
Defense attorney Sara Alvarez said the judge declared a mistrial because jurors were unable to reach a verdict.
“Mr. Jones continues to be presumed innocent and we will be back to fight this again in the next trial,” she said, declining further questions from reporters.
Jones, now 40, remains behind bars.
Bryan Pata was a 22-year-old Hurricanes star defensive lineman when he was shot in the head on November 7, 2006, outside his home at the Colony Apartments in Kendall.
The murder weapon was never recovered.
Fifteen years later, prosecutors charged Jones with second-degree murder, alleging rivalry and fights among teammates as possible motives.
Jones was arrested in August 2021 in Ocala after an interview with the lead Miami-Dade detective on the case. He has spent nearly five years in custody, maintaining his innocence.
A hearing is scheduled for Tuesday morning, where the judge could set a tentative date for a new trial.
For the Pata family, the wait for justice continues — nearly 20 years after the killing that shook the University of Miami football program and the South Florida community.
