Former Miami Hurricanes football player: 'I had nothing to do with' shooting death of teammate

A former Miami Hurricanes player accused in the long-unsolved killing of a teammate told a detective after his arrest last August that he understands why he was suspected, but he insisted he had nothing to do with the shooting death, according to evidence released to ESPN.

The videotaped statement by Rashaun Jones, 36, is the first time Jones is known to have answered questions about the death of Bryan Pata, who was shot once in the head outside his Miami-area apartment after football practice on Nov. 7, 2006.

Miami-Dade police brought no charges in the killing before an ESPN investigation in 2020 revealed that Jones had been a suspect since at least 2007. Jones was arrested last Aug. 19 and charged with second-degree murder. He has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled for a bond hearing Monday in which prosecutors plan to question two detectives, along with a former Miami football player who said Jones threatened him with a gun.

They also plan to question Paul Conner, a retired University of Miami writing instructor who told police the day after the shooting that he was approaching the north parking lot entrance when «he heard what he described as a 'pop' noise,» according to the police report. Connor also described «a black male, between 6'0» and 6'1" tall, who was wearing a black t-shirt and dark blue or black shorts, jogging or trotting west through the parking lot." Seven months later, in June 2007, Conner picked Jones out of a photo lineup, according to documents.

In a videotaped interview from the day of Jones' arrest, Miami-Dade Police Department Detective Juan Segovia laid out the evidence that he said pointed to Jones: testimony from players and associates who told authorities Jones was upset with Pata over a