Former Miami Hurricanes football player Rashaun Jones was arrested on Friday on a first-degree charge murder in connection with the death of his teammate Bryan Pata in 2006.
The former defensive back had played for the University of Miami in 2004.
The 15-year cold case drew renewed attention last year when ESPN wrote a story naming Jones, 35, as a “suspect” listed in police records for the first time. Pata was a 22-year-old defensive lineman on a path to the NFL when he was shot in the back of the head and killed outside an apartment complex.
Pata’s girlfriend formerly dated Jones, and Pata had beaten up Jones at least twice when romantic relationships caused tension, the report said. That prompted Jones to warn Pata that he better get a gun in self-defence, according to ESPN.
Jones was part of an on-field tribute to Pata following his murder but social media users pointed out Jones was the only player not closing his eyes in prayer in one photo, according to foxsports.com.au.
On the same day Pata was murdered, Jones was suspended from the football team for his third failed marijuana test. He also skipped the meeting called by coaches after word of Pata’s death began to spread, according to ESPN.
Jones allegedly asked a friend for money to leave town that night and changed his phone number.
No eyewitnesses to the shooting ever came forward.
Jones was arrested in Lake City, Florida as part of a joint operation between Miami-Dade County police and the U.S. Marshals office, according to NBC6 in Miami.
Pata’s family long believed jealousy was the motive for the murder.
“He wanted to make it to the NFL and make my mother proud and he wanted to help his family,” brother Edrick Pata told NBC 6 in 2017.
“I believe it was more so the jealousy, a lot of jealousy. The way Bryan carried himself, he was very bold, he was confident in what he did, he was confident he was going to graduate college, he was confident he was going to get drafted to the NFL.”
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