The retrial of former University of Miami football player Rashaun Jones — accused of killing teammate Bryan Pata in 2006 — has been delayed until September.
This delay comes after Jones’ defense attorneys claimed Miami-Dade detective Juan Segovia operated an anonymous Instagram account that posted comments claiming Jones was “guilty” during the February trial.
Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Cristina Miranda postponed the retrial on Thursday, May 7 from May 18 to Sept. 14 after defense attorneys filed multiple motions citing an internal affairs investigation into Segovia, as well renewed disputes over a jailhouse informant and alleged prosecutorial misconduct.
Pata, a standout defensive lineman for Miami, was shot and killed outside his Kendall apartment in November 2006, just weeks before he was expected to enter the NFL Draft. The case remained open for more than 15 years before Jones was arrested in 2021.
Jones, 40, has been in custody since 2021 and was first tried in February 2026. At that time, a jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict — resulting in a mistrial.
Defense attorney Sara Alvarez argued in court filings that the Instagram comments raise concerns about Segovia’s bias and credibility as the lead detective and a key witness for the prosecution. As stated in the filings, the account commented on local media coverage of the trial with statements including “GUILTY” and “He’s guilty as sin.”
According to ESPN, a spokesperson for the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Segovia is currently the subject of an internal affairs investigation. The office declined further comment ahead of the pending trial.
Defense attorneys also challenged the reintroduction of jailhouse informant George Jones after prosecutors previously agreed to remove him from the witness list last summer.
Court filings state George Jones claimed Rashaun Jones confessed to killing Pata while the two were held at the Miami-Dade Metro West Detention Center in 2021. Prosecutors removed Jones from the witness list in 2025 after Assistant State Attorney Cristina Diamond said he sent “threatening emails” to the state attorney’s office.
Additionally, the defense team requested records connected to former prosecutor Michael Von Zamft — who is currently facing a Florida Bar complaint alleging professional misconduct in an unrelated murder case. Jones’ attorneys argued these allegations are relevant because they involve claims of undisclosed cooperation with witnesses and failures to provide information to the defense.
Following Thursday’s hearing, Alvarez said Jones agreed to remain in custody longer in order to preserve his legal rights and pursue the new developments that have arisen in the case.Meanwhile, Edwin Pata — Bryan Pata’s brother — expressed frustration with the delay, telling ESPN that the defense team was showing “lack [of] respect for the courts.”