30 for 30 Podcasts

Murder at the U – Episode 4: The Teammate

Release Date: February 19, 2026
Host and Reporters: Paula Levine, Dan Arruda (ESPN)

Overview

Episode 4 of "Murder at the U" is focused on the most persistent and explosive theory concerning the 2006 murder of Miami Hurricanes player Brian Pata: that he was killed by one of his own teammates, Rashawn Jones. The episode goes deep into the origins of this suspicion, explores the relationships and conflicts between Rashawn, Brian, and their teammates, and examines the evidence—circumstantial and otherwise—around Rashawn's role. Through a mix of new interviews, old rumors, phone records, and reporting setbacks, the story explores just how much truth there could be to the idea that a teammate might have killed another.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Pata Family's Theory & Early Suspicions

• The Pata family, especially brothers Edric and Edwin, suspected from the start that the killer was not an outsider but a University of Miami teammate.
  • "Brian, our brother, was not killed from somebody from outside. He was killed from University of Miami...It was a teammate." – Sherry Abramson (00:40)
• The family eventually identifies Rashawn Jones by name in 2018 as their primary suspect.
• Rumors within the team and among former teammates also consistently pointed toward Rashawn.

Rashawn Jones: Background and Team Reputation

• Rashawn was a talented but troubled cornerback from Lake City, Florida.
• He was “in and out of trouble,” got into fights, received suspensions, but was also known as a funny, attractive, charming presence on campus.
• "He was a sleazeball like that... all he really did when he was at UM was just, you know, try to fuck girls." – George Timmons (08:22)

Friction Between Brian and Rashawn

• A recurring issue: Rashawn's habit of hitting on or hooking up with teammates' girlfriends, including Brian's girlfriend, Jada.
  • "He tried to mess with Jada while they were together. That's why they didn’t like each other." – George Timmons (09:04)
• Multiple altercations: locker room scuffles, arguments in the cafeteria, and a significant fight in a dorm room.
• Notable violent confrontation:
  • "Brian get on top of this dude and headbutts him five times." – related by Eric Moncour via George Timmons (11:23)
  • Rashawn's parting threat: "Well, you might as well go ahead and clip up." (suggesting, ominously, to bring a gun next time)

Motive, Means, and Opportunity

• Motive: Conflict over Jada and personal friction offer plausible reasons.
• Means: Multiple teammates recall that Rashawn was known to carry a revolver, possibly similar to the murder weapon (a .38 caliber).
• Opportunity: Brian was killed at close range with a handgun. The afternoon and evening of the murder, Rashawn was suspended, and no one could account for his whereabouts. He missed the all-team meeting called immediately after the murder, which was unusual.
  • "All the players showed up for that meeting except Rashawn." – Paula Levine (15:21)

Rashawn’s Missing Alibi and Phone Records

• Rashawn shifted stories—first telling police he went to the meeting; later that he stayed home.
• Phone records show he changed his number at 3 pm on the day of the murder, was in touch with teammates and Sherry that night, but a crucial hour between 6:40–7:40 pm—time of the murder—shows no outgoing or incoming calls.
  • "The one hour ... that Rashawn's phone wasn’t active was the time of Brian’s murder." – Paula Levine (42:55)

Rumors Among Teammates and Community

• Strong rumors and suspicions circulated immediately after the murder, mainly because Rashawn couldn't be found and was missing from the team meeting.
  • "They were like, dude, the man kind of just went missing... Like, where the fuck did he go?" – Chris Zellner (15:27)
• Sherry Abramson, Rashawn’s then-girlfriend, describes frantically trying to reach him when no one knew where he was.
  • "I called his grandmother. I called maybe his sister. I called...everybody asked, had you heard from him?...He finally called me a couple of hours later." – Sherry Abramson (23:51)
• She remains adamant that Rashawn could not have killed Brian, suggesting he was simply taking time alone to process being suspended.
  • "I'll never ever believe that, because Pata had nothing to do with him testing positive again. Nothing...if you're asking me point blank, do I think that he did it, the answer is no, I don't." – Sherry Abramson (29:24)

Community Split Over Rashawn’s Alleged Involvement

• Some teammates and friends are adamant Rashawn is not the killer. Others are less sure but are shaken by the timing and circumstances.
  • "I just don’t see Rashawn doing that. Rashawn would never...Pat had a lot of enemies." – George Timmons (32:05)
  • "I don't see Rashawn committing murder." – Trish Morgan, mutual friend of both Brian and Rashawn. (33:16)
• A significant group of former players did point fingers at Rashawn—the only one absent from the crucial team meeting.
  • "Oh, he was the only one who wasn't here." – Multiple teammates (35:53)
• But several others, including coaches, had never even heard the rumor, or found it hard to believe.

Circumstantial Evidence and the New Eyewitness

• No physical evidence: no murder weapon, no eyewitness to the shooting, no security footage, and nothing directly linking Rashawn.
• Police confirm a crucial but closely guarded witness: a resident of the apartment complex who saw a Black male run away from the scene and later identified Rashawn as that person (43:32).

Rashawn Refuses to Speak

• After years of silence, Rashawn declines to go on the record.
  • "This is over and done with...If God almighty came down and asked me to sit down, I would not do it." – Paraphrased by Dan Arruda (45:46)
• Rashawn’s wife also refuses, emphasizing that there’s no need: "There is no his side. He didn’t do anything…the police spoke to him once, he was never arrested." (47:13)

Police and Coaching Staff Perspectives

• Some on the police force and coaching staff recall discussing Rashawn as a possible suspect, but nothing ever came of it officially.
• As of the end of the episode, police say they have a "strong belief" regarding who is responsible (48:34), hinting at developments to come.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Team Suspicion
  • "There was a very strong sentiment that, you know, he [Rashawn] had something to do with it. When that was brought up to me by the players, I made sure that the detectives had that." – Ed Hudak, Coral Gables police (37:47)
• On Rashawn’s Place in the Aftermath
  • "That’s what blows me away, is that he was allowed to return and be with the team with this cloud of suspicion over him." – Dan Arruda (39:10)
  • "A lot of people thought we had a killer amongst us." – Pastor Steve Caldwell (38:50)
• On the Lasting Impact
  • "If Rashaun had been with her or with anyone else that could give him an alibi, none of this would have happened." – Paraphrased of Sherry Abramson’s reasoning (30:54)
  • "No one could vouch for where he was at the time Brian was killed." – Paula Levine (43:43)

Key Timeline (Timestamps)

• 00:40 – Pata family claims a teammate killed Brian and points to Rashawn (name shared in 2018)
• 06:02 – Rashawn and George Timmons (his best friend) recount their journey from Lake City to "The U"
• 09:04-11:23 – Chronicling Rashawn and Brian’s escalating conflicts, culminating in the violent dorm fight
• 14:49 – Rashawn is the only team member missing from the all-hands meeting after the murder
• 22:32–29:24 – Sherry Abramson recounts the night of the murder and defends Rashawn’s character
• 32:05-33:53 – Friends and former teammates split on Rashawn’s guilt, community reaction explored
• 35:33-36:43 – Team divided: some say they suspected Rashawn from night one, others claim they’d never heard the rumor
• 43:32 – Police disclose an eyewitness placed Rashawn running from the scene
• 45:14-47:55 – Rashawn and his wife refuse interviews, Rashawn determined not to revisit the case
• 48:28 – Police say they have a "strong belief" who is responsible for Brian Pata's death

Episode Tone and Style

The episode’s tone is tense, investigative, and often somber, marked by candid recollections and unvarnished language. Reporters balance skepticism and empathy as they sift rumors from facts, always aware of what is at stake for the people involved.

Conclusion

Episode 4 peels back the layers of the theory that Rashawn Jones, a teammate with a checkered reputation and well-documented friction with Brian Pata, could have been the killer. It is a masterclass in journalistic questioning, showing how suspicion, gossip, and circumstantial evidence can shape—and sometimes warp—an unsolved crime. Yet, with no physical evidence and only circumstantial links, the case remains steeped in ambiguity as the police hint at imminent developments.

Next Time

The case against Rashawn Jones moves closer to a breaking point, with police moving from belief to action.

For listeners seeking the clearest understanding of where suspicion around Brian Pata’s murder has landed after more than a decade, this episode offers careful, thorough context and a raft of perspectives—none of them comfortable, and none definitive.