Report: Retrial of former Miami football player accused of murdering teammate delayed

The retrial of a former Miami football player accused of murdering his teammate in 2006, which was scheduled to begin later this month, has been delayed until September after the defense raised concerns amid misconduct allegations involving police and the case’s former lead prosecutor, according to ESPN.

Thursday’s delay comes just 11 days before the second murder trial of former Hurricanes defensive back Rashaun Jones was set to kick off May 18 after a mistrial was declared in the first trial in March following a hung jury ruling. Jones, 40, pled not guilty in the murder of former Miami teammate Bryan Pata, who was shot and killed outside his apartment following a Hurricanes practice on Nov. 7, 2006. The murder went unsolved until Jones was arrested and charged in 2021.

Jones’ defense attorney filed a motion to dismiss on Thursday morning citing reports of an internal police investigation into the lead detective in the case, a recent misconduct complaint against the case’s former lead prosecutor, and a reintroduction of a jailhouse informant, according to ESPN’s Paula Lavigne. During Thursday’s hearing, Florida 11th Circuit Court Judge Cristina Miranda, who oversaw the original murder trial earlier this year, rescheduled the retrial’s start for Sept. 14 after reportedly scolding the defense for submitting its motions after her April 27 deadline, per Lavigne.

“I don’t understand what makes you think this case is any different than every other case that was heard here today,” Miranda told the defense attorneys, per Lavigne. “I don’t have any days available between now and then to do all of the work that you would like to schedule into my calendar.”

The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office confirmed to ESPN that Juan Segovia, who took over as the lead detective in the Pata case in 2020, is facing an internal affairs investigation. Segovia allegedly posted “derogatory statements toward Jones and a witness during the February trial” using an anonymous Instagram account, according to ESPN, which cited an emergency motion filed by the defense on April 30.

The IG account reportedly posted comments such as “GUILTY,” and “She’s lying” in response to a post about the testimony of Jones’ ex-girlfriend on local media reports, per ESPN, which managed to connect the account to both a phone number and an email account associated with the detective.

The defense has also filed a request for more discovery regarding controversial jailhouse informant George Jones (no relation), who reportedly told Segovia in April 2022 that Rashaun Jones had confessed to killing Pata during a Nov. 2021 conversation while both were held in the Miami-Dade Metro West Detention Center, per ESPN. George Jones is serving a nine-year sentence for fraud and identity theft.

The case’s former lead prosecutor, Michael Von Zamft, is also facing a complaint from the Florida Bar alleging “serious professional misconduct” regarding allegations of manipulating witness testimony and not disclosing information to the defense in a separate 2004 trial, per ESPN. Von Zamft was present when George Jones told Segovia about Rashaun Jones‘ confession and signed off on his arrest in Aug. 2021.

Rashaun Jones will remain in jail during the delay, where he’s been held since his 2021 arrest. Pata played defensive tackle at Miami from 2003-2006 and entered the 2006 season as a highly-rated NFL prospect ahead of the 2007 NFL Draft. Jones played with the Hurricanes between 2004-2006, but saw his football career end after a 2006 suspension following a third failed positive marijuana test, according to The Sun.