FL - Bryan Pata, 22, UM football player, murdered, Miami, 7 Nov 2006 *arrest in 2021*

[Beyond Belief]

MIAMI -- University of Miami defensive lineman Bryan Pata was shot and killed Tuesday night at his apartment complex, school officials said
The shooting occurred about two hours after the Hurricanes ended their afternoon practice.


His death was ruled a homicide, Miami-Dade police spokesman Roy Rutland said.



"Right now, we're just gathering ourselves and just trying to pull ourselves together," Miami athletic director Paul Dee said.

http://www.wftv.com/sports/10268186/detail.html

 

[OkieGranny]

From November 2013:

http://miami.cbslocal.com/2013/11/07/family-friends-mourn-bryan-patas-death-7-years-later/

On the night he was killed, Pata practiced at UM, had dinner with teammates and drove to his apartment on Southwest 77th Avenue just south of Kendall Drive. Police believe he got into a confrontation with someone in the parking lot and may have been shot when he turned around to walk back to his vehicle. No arrest has ever been made in the case.

 

[PayrollNerd]

Odd that there is no description of this man he was arguing with. Were there no cameras?

Who killed UM's Bryan Pata? And why?
Pata attended practice as usual. As the workout ended, he and some teammates dumped a cooler of Gatorade on the birthday coach, as promised. After eating a catered meal, Pata left practice in his black 2005 Infinity QX56 with personalized license plates, driving down U.S. 1 to the Colony Apartments in suburban Kendall.

It was early evening. Family members later reported that Pata was seen arguing with a man in the parking lot of the gated apartment complex. After Pata turned away from the man, according to the family, he was shot several times, including in the back of the head. Brody found the body.

 

[PayrollNerd]

Posted March 21, 2017 - video at link

Family Of Bryan Pata Still Hopeful His Killer Will Be Caught

 

[PayrollNerd]

Posted July 10, 2020 - video at link

The Tragic Death of Bryan Pata Who Was Killed After His College Football Practice - Sportscasting | Pure Sports

 

[PayrollNerd]

Posted Posted Nov 7, 2016. This is a compilation of many articles. They do mention interviewing the girlfriend.


Remembering Bryan Pata: Miami Hurricane's death still unsolved after 10 years
Snips:

A decade later, the murder of Bryan Pata remains unsolved.

That is the cold reality of one of the saddest events in Hurricanes history. Pata, a 22-year-old defensive tackle, was shot and killed after practice on Nov. 7, 2006.

Looking back on the tragedy, through the words of The Palm Beach Post reporters who covered it:

Friday, Nov. 10, 2006
DISPUTE SPARKED PATA’S SLAYING
He was shot in the back of his head, a family friend says.
By CARLOS FRIAS
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
University of Miami defensive tackle Bryan Pata argued with an unknown man in the parking lot of his apartment complex Tuesday night, and was shot in the back of the head as he turned to walk away from the dispute, a family friend told The Palm Beach Post.
“He walked away from that, and the guy still put a bullet in the back of his head,” Adrenia Lynes said Thursday. “He was going to kill him all along.”

Lynes said the Patas told her police have no idea who shot Pata.
“If they knew, he would have been caught by now,” Lynes said.
She did say the Patas told her police have extensively interviewed Pata’s girlfriend, Jada Brody, who might have witnessed the incident.

 

[PayrollNerd]

September 1, 2017
So who was angry with him?

Unsolved Mystery: Killer of UM Star Bryan Pata Remains on the Run

"We believe that this person was waiting for Bryan Pata. We don’t know exactly where this person was positioned, but there are trees and shrubbery and concrete walls in close proximity," Miami-Dade Police Det. Miguel Dominguez said.

Detectives say Pata was walking from his car toward the stairs at the apartment building when he was shot. The complex is located off of Southwest 77th Avenue and 93rd Street.

"His girlfriend at the time was inside the apartment. She thought she heard his voice and when she went outside Bryan Pata was discovered deceased," Dominguez said.

Police say this was a calculated murder and although they are looking into every possible motive, Pata’s brother believes the reason is clear.

"I believe it was more so the jealousy, a lot of jealousy," Edrick Pata said. "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."

 

[sds71]

An arrest was made Thursday in the murder of former University of Miami football player Bryan Pata, who was shot to death nearly 15 years ago outside his Kendall apartment.

Miami-Dade Police confirmed to NBC 6 that Rashaun Jones, who was a teammate with Pata from 2004 to 2006, was arrested Thursday in Marion County.

Detectives say the 22-year-old Pata was walking from his car toward the stairs at the apartment building on November 7th, 2006 when he was shot at the complex located off Southwest 77th Avenue and 93rd Street.

"We believe that this person was waiting for Bryan Pata. We don’t know exactly where this person was positioned, but there are trees and shrubbery and concrete walls in close proximity," Miami-Dade Police Det. Miguel Dominguez said in a [URL='https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/unsolved-mystery-killer-of-um-star-bryan-pata-remains-on-the-run/22927/']2017 story with NBC 6 reporter Laura Rodriguez.

Police say this was a calculated murder.

"His girlfriend at the time was inside the apartment. She thought she heard his voice and when she went outside Bryan Pata was discovered deceased," Dominguez said.

[/URL]
Arrest Made in 2006 Murder of Former UM Football Player Bryan Pata

 

[sds71]

http://www.espn.com/espn/eticket/story?page=pata

wo years later, here's the irony: Bryan Pata might have been the lucky one. Like many talented athletes dying young, he never had to face the inevitable diminishment of his physical gifts, the betrayals of mind and body, the failure to achieve dreams.
And unlike those who were left behind -- Bryan's mother, his siblings, his girlfriend, former teammates -- the University of Miami defensive lineman never had to feel the anger, the frustration, the sense of loss, the maddening lack of closure that follows a murder still no closer to being solved than it was more than 700 days ago.


OTL: Praying for Closure

 

[GatorFL]

He's buried nearby my house, I took this today.

 

[PayrollNerd]

What a relief this has to be for his family and friends. Glad the investigation never ended. I wonder what the key to cracking the case was, any hard evidence or DNA?

“Police interviewed Jones on two separate occasions following the murder. In the first interview, Jones told investigators he was at his Miami residence, located at 7378 SW 80 Street, at the time of Pata’s death on November 7, 2006.

Police later unearthed phone records that showed Jones was using a cellphone tower near the scene of the homicide at 6:41 p.m., 19 minutes before Pata was shot and killed.

An eyewitness subsequently identified Jones in a photo lineup.”

Former UM Teammate Charged in 2006 Murder of Bryan Pata

 

[PayrollNerd]

Former teammate arrested in 2006 murder of University of Miami football player Bryan Pata, authorities say
Bryan Pata murder: Former teammate arrested in 2006 murder of University of Miami football player, authorities say - CNN

More details at link.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Rashaun Jones Pleads Not Guilty In Murder Of Former Hurricanes Teammate Bryan Pata – CBS Miami

Jones did not attend the virtual hearing.

Jones, 35, was arrested on August 19th in Marion County. He’s charged with first-degree murder and is being held without bond.