Shivangi Sinha
Bryan Pata was on the verge of success after playing his fourth year with the Hurricanes at the University of Miami. With hopes of being drafted into the NFL, his future in professional football looked promising. However, he never got the chance to pursue that dream. In November 2007, while returning from practice, he was shot in the parking lot of his apartment complex in Kendall, Florida. In the months that followed, several leads surfaced, and details about Pata’s personal life also came under scrutiny. Despite this, it took many years before an arrest was finally made in the case. In ABC’s ‘20/20: Murder at the U,’ the timeline of the investigation and the reasons behind the long delays are explored in detail.
Bryan Pata Was Shot in the Parking Lot of the Apartment He Shared With His Girlfriend
Bryan Sidney Pata was born on August 12, 1984, in Miami, Florida. His parents, Jeanette Pata and Jerry Gaines, loved him deeply as he was the youngest of their 9 children. Jeanette raised most of the children largely on her own and did everything she could to provide for them, even though resources were limited. The family moved several times in search of greater stability and safety. Despite these challenges, Pata showed promise and determination from a young age. He developed a passion for football and began playing while attending North Miami High School, where he spent three seasons on the team. Even after transferring to Miami Central High School, he continued pursuing the sport with the same passion.
Before joining college, his reputation had already begun to grow, as he was rated the nation’s 26th-best defensive lineman by Super Prep’s All-America magazine. Pata chose to attend the University of Miami so he could remain close to his family. His elder brothers, Edwin and Edrink Pata, later shared that he would often check in on them by calling home and speaking with his siblings several times during the week. As time passed, his performance on the field continued to improve. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution even named him one of the top 100 players in the South. At the university, he primarily played as a defensive tackle, and by his fourth year, he was placed on the Hendricks Award watch list. After building a strong career with the Hurricanes, Pata was expected to be drafted into the NFL in 2007.
Pata was not just a great sportsman; he also pursued other interests outside football. On the side, he restored and sold customized cars. He shared an apartment with his girlfriend, Jada Brody, and his teammate, Dwayne Hendricks. The trio had also adopted a Yorkshire terrier named Cheerio. Life seemed to be going well for him. On November 6, he and his girlfriend went to Lucky Strike Lanes to celebrate their anniversary. The following day, November 7, he attended practice as usual and later drove back to his apartment complex alone. It was Brody who heard some commotion outside, and when she went to check, she discovered that Pata had been shot in the head. Despite CPR efforts, Pata was declared dead at the scene around 7:07 pm, and a homicide investigation was launched.
Bryan Pata’s Accused Killer Missed a Team Meeting After the Crime
The first thing the police noticed was that Bryan Pata’s car keys and phone were lying next to him, and nine $100 bills in his front pocket had been left untouched. This ruled out the possibility of a robbery gone wrong, leading investigators to believe that the crime had been carried out with a personal motive. Several people in the area had heard the commotion and the gunshots. One witness alleged he had seen a person walking away from the scene, which helped the police create a composite sketch. The investigation initially focused on people who were close to Pata. In the first few days, several leads were pursued, including reports of nightclub fights that Pata had allegedly been involved in, which investigators also looked into.
There were also reports of tense encounters with some of the people to whom Pata had sold his refurbished cars. One incident involved a dispute over allegedly stolen rims that reportedly led to a fight at a nightclub, but these leads ultimately did not lead investigators anywhere. The lead that stood out the most involved Pata’s teammate, Rashaun Jones. The latter had previously dated Jada Brody before she began a relationship with Pata, and this had allegedly caused arguments between the two men. In fact, during one of these confrontations, Pata allegedly told him, “Boy, you might as well go ahead and clip up.” Several witnesses also alleged that Jones missed the team meeting that had been called on the evening of November 7, 2007, after news of Pata’s death began to spread.
Bryan Pata’s Accused Killer Will be Tried Again After a Mistrial
Rashuan Jones consistently maintained his innocence. He claimed that since he had been dismissed from the team after testing positive for marijuana, he had been keeping to himself and spending time recuperating. Still, some witnesses alleged that he had called them, asking for money, and that he was planning to leave the area. Police also alleged that the eyewitness who helped create the composite sketch had later identified Jones in a lineup. Despite this, the case stalled for reasons that remained unclear. In 2017, Pata’s family and the police held a press conference appealing to the public for more information and new leads. In 2021, an ESPN news report highlighted alleged gaps in the investigation and its shortcomings, which renewed hope that fresh leads might emerge.
On August 19, 2021, police issued a warrant for Jones on a charge of first-degree murder, though the charges were later reduced to second-degree murder. According to the warrant, the eyewitness had identified Jones for a second time, and his phone records allegedly placed him near Pata’s apartment complex rather than at his home, as he had claimed. After his arrest, a fellow jail inmate alleged that Jones had confessed to the crime to him. He had allegedly said that he had confronted Pata in a rage but had not intended to kill him. Jones remains incarcerated while the legal case continues. His trial in February 2026 ended in a mistrial after the jury was unable to reach a verdict, but prosecutors have stated they plan to pursue a second trial soon.
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