Podcast Summary: 20/20 – Murder at The U: The Teammate (February 25, 2026)

Podcast: 20/20
Host: ABC News (in collaboration with ESPN and 30 for 30 Podcasts)
Episode: Murder at The U – Episode 4: The Teammate
Date: February 25, 2026

Overview

This gripping true crime episode, “The Teammate,” explores the longstanding suspicion and swirling rumors that Rashawn Jones, a teammate of murdered University of Miami football player Brian Pata, may have been involved in his death. Through candid interviews with players, coaches, friends, and Rashawn’s associates, as well as deep-dive investigative reporting, the episode untangles conflicting stories and circumstantial evidence while highlighting the emotional fallout from the tragedy. The episode zeroes in on Jones’s relationship with Pata, his whereabouts on the day of the murder, and the internal dynamics of suspicion and support within the Miami Hurricanes program.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Pata Family’s Theory and Early Suspicions

• The Pata family and many of Brian’s teammates quickly suspected the killer was someone close – a teammate, not an outsider. (01:08)
  • Edric Pata (Brian’s brother): “Brian, our brother, was not killed from somebody from outside. It was killed from University of Miami.” (01:08)
  • George Timmons: “Don’t want to put it out there, but it was a teammate.” (01:15)
• The name Rashawn Jones emerged as the prime suspect after former players and students connected the dots from team conflicts and rumors. (01:41–02:57)
  • “Who did Brian have an altercation with...people started talking a little bit about Rashawn, who kept saying his name, kept coming up.” – Edric Pata (02:43)

2. Rashawn Jones: Background, Personality, and Reputation

• Rashawn grew up in Lake City, FL, had a close-knit upbringing, excelled in football, and followed his close friend George Timmons to play at “the U.” (04:46–05:37)
  • “She [his grandmother] was like Rashawn’s world.” – George Timmons (05:13)
• Jones was remembered as talented but troubled, charismatic, and attractive. He frequently got into minor trouble, was suspended multiple times, and was polarizing to teammates. (06:51–08:08)
  • Eric Houston: “Sean was a good looking kid, man. He had a lot of girls.” (07:22)
  • Multiple teammates described Jones as “cunning,” and someone who often hit on other players’ girlfriends, including Brian's girlfriend, Jada, which caused tension. (07:51–08:39)

3. The Conflict Between Brian Pata and Rashawn Jones

• Several altercations between Brian and Rashawn were recounted, mostly centering around Rashawn’s behavior towards Jada. (08:53–09:40)
  • Notably, a locker room scuffle and a major fight in Eric Moncour’s dorm room, after finding Rashawn in the room with porn on the TV, resulted in a heated physical altercation and a possible gun threat—“clip up”—from Rashawn. (09:51–11:17)
  • Eric Moncour (via Edric recounting the story): “Brian get on top of this dude and headbutts him five times.” (10:58)
  • Edric Pata: “Then Rashawn was like, well, you might as well go ahead and clip up.” (11:11)

4. Motive, Means, Opportunity: Investigative Analysis

• Motive: Rumored animosity over Jada and a string of conflicts.
• Means: Two teammates reported having seen Rashawn with a gun matching the type used in the murder (likely a .38 caliber revolver). (13:27–14:11)
  • Police report: Dave Howell and Kareem Brown said Rashawn carried a .38 revolver, and the medical examiner suggested this was the murder weapon's likely caliber.
• Opportunity: Rashawn was suspended the day of the murder, didn’t attend practice or the team meeting later that night—unusual for a mandatory meeting where all others were present. (14:12–15:04)
  • Eric Houston: “It was like, dude, the man kind of just went missing...He’s gone. Like, I haven’t seen him.” (15:10–15:19)

5. Rashawn’s Whereabouts and the Mysterious Calls

• A crucial call: Rashawn called teammate Mike Sanders on the night of the murder, reportedly asking for money, which some interpreted as seeking funds to leave town. (15:59–17:18)
  • Che Scott (chaplain): “Seemed a little bit shaky and nervous about something...I couldn’t tell you the player’s name who called Mike that day.” (16:36)
  • This call, and Rashawn’s absence, amplified suspicion.
• Phone records show Jones got a new number hours before the murder and was in contact with several friends, but there’s a notable hour-long gap—exactly during the murder window—when his phone was inactive. (19:38–25:47, 31:04–31:36, 41:25–43:14)

6. Testimonies: Guilt or Coincidence?

• Sherry Abramson (Rashawn’s girlfriend at the time) says Rashawn went off the grid to process his suspension, not to flee a crime scene, and was often scapegoated. She maintains his innocence and describes his reaction as both shocked and upset about Brian’s death. (22:14–30:12)
  • Sherry: “If he needed money or somebody to help him get out of town, it would have been me.” (25:27)
  • On motive: “Did it ever. Was there ever anything that would have justified him murdering him? No. Nothing that I ever knew of.” (28:17)
  • On Rashawn's character: “He was his grandma's boy, you know, like, he wasn't raised by tough guys.” (29:07)
• Friends like George Timmons and Trish Morgan echo similar beliefs and suggest that the rumors “got blown out of proportion” and that Brian had enemies beyond the team. (31:36–33:12)
  • George Timmons: “I don’t think Rick did it. I really don’t.” (31:48)
  • Trish Morgan: “I don’t see Rashawn committing murder.” (33:06)

7. The Power and Limits of Rumor

• Within the team, opinions diverged—the rumor started immediately for some, but others, including some players and coaches, expressed surprise or disbelief at the notion one teammate would kill another. (35:27–36:23)
  • Ed Hudak (police officer): “There was a very strong sentiment that, you know, he had something to do with it.” (37:33)
  • Coach Hurd: “I was not under the impression that their relationship was that bad, that they had that strong of a dislike for one another.” (36:52)
• Coaches generally deferred to “innocent until proven guilty” and saw Rashawn’s return to the team as the only option without substantiated proof. (39:03)

8. Circumstantial Evidence & New Witness Break

• The case against Rashawn is “entirely circumstantial”—no weapon, no eyewitnesses, no physical evidence. (41:25–43:14)
• Late revelation: Police told the podcast team there was a witness who saw a black male fleeing the scene, later identifying Rashawn as the person seen. (43:14–43:34)
  • Paula Levine: “We’d eventually learn more about this witness and what he told the police. He didn’t witness the shooting itself, but he saw someone leaving the Colony apartments on foot. He would later identify Rashawn as the person he saw.” (43:34)

9. Rashawn’s Response: Refusal to Engage

• After repeated attempts, Rashawn refused to speak with the reporters. He said nothing he could say would change anyone’s mind, and pointed out that the police had interviewed him once and never followed up. His wife echoed this sentiment. (44:40–47:37)
  • Rashawn (via Dan Arruda): “I talked to the police 12 years ago...I never heard from them again. So obviously I’m not a suspect or else I would have been arrested.” (45:50)
  • Dan Arruda: “Innocent or not, like, either way, I mean, he’s not wrong. ... It makes sense that he wouldn’t want to.” (46:14)

10. The Investigation Moves Forward

• Despite Rashawn feeling the matter was closed, police told the podcast team they still had a “strong belief as to who’s responsible.”
  • Investigator: “Yeah, we have a strong belief as to who’s responsible for his death.” (48:17)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Paula Levine: “As we dug deeper, we concluded that only one of two things could be true. Either Rashawn Jones killed Brian Pata or someone else killed Brian and Rashawn fell victim to a very unfortunate set of circumstances.” (03:03)
• Edric Pata: “Brian get on top of this dude and headbutts him five times.” (10:58)
• Eric Houston: “It was like, dude, the man kind of just went missing. Like, where the fuck did he go… so then you really start saying to yourself, like, yo, did he? Could it. Could it really be.” (15:10–15:30)
• Sherry Abramson: “Do I think he could ever pull the trigger on anybody just to take someone’s life? I don’t know...I just don’t think he has it in him to be a killer. Really don’t.” (29:07–30:12)
• George Timmons: “A lot of people thought we had a killer amongst us.” (38:33)
• Dave Howell: “But like I told them, I said, but you never know because you don’t really know the inside of an individual.” (40:34)
• Paula Levine: “The entire case against Rashawn Jones appeared circumstantial. But then there’s this...a piece of evidence we learned about only in our final interview with detectives...” (43:12)
• Police Detective: “There was an individual who saw a black male running away from the scene who’s a resident in that apartment complex, and he’s cooperating with the investigation… He would later identify Rashawn as the person he saw.” (43:14–43:34)
• Rashawn (via Dan): “If God Almighty came down and asked me to sit down, I would not do it.” (45:21)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:08 – Pata brothers on suspicion not being an outsider
• 02:57 – Rashawn Jones first implicated by name
• 08:39 – Rashawn’s relationships with teammates’ girlfriends revealed as primary conflict
• 10:58–11:17 – The dorm room fight and “clip up” threat
• 13:27–14:11 – Reports of Rashawn carrying a .38 revolver matching murder weapon description
• 14:12–15:19 – Rashawn’s unexplained absence at time of murder; other players’ search for him
• 16:36–17:18 – The pivotal call to teammate Mike Sanders after the murder
• 22:14–30:12 – Sherry Abramson’s detailed account of Rashawn’s demeanor and her intense efforts to reach him
• 31:48 – George Timmons questions Rashawn’s guilt
• 33:06 – Trish Morgan on Rashawn’s character and friendship
• 37:33 – Police receive player-driven suspicion about Rashawn
• 38:33 – Chaplain describes the suspicion as a cloud over the team
• 43:14–43:34 – Detective reveals eyewitness identification of Rashawn fleeing the scene
• 44:40–45:31 – Rashawn and wife refuse to engage with the reporters
• 48:17 – Detective says police still have a strong belief about who’s responsible

Tone and Language

The episode’s tone is probing, methodical, and at times emotionally raw, echoing the language of the speakers themselves: a mix of blunt firsthand recollections, somber reflection, skepticism, and the persistent, unsettled energy of an unsolved tragedy. The hosts draw clear lines between fact, rumor, bias, and circumstantial narrative.

Summary

“The Teammate” immerses listeners in a web of suspicion, rumor, and circumstantial evidence surrounding the murder of Brian Pata, focusing on the troubled narrative of Rashawn Jones. The episode explores, in rich detail, the relationships, conflicts, and character of those involved; the difficulty of separating gossip from fact in a close-knit community; and the painstaking, frustrating work of true crime investigation with incomplete or ambiguous evidence. Ultimately, the case remains unsolved—but shaped both by what is known and what can only be suspected.

End of Summary