30 for 30 Podcasts

Murder at the U

Episode 6: An Arrest (Feb 26, 2026)

Overview:

Theme:
This episode of "Murder at the U" centers on the dramatic arrest of Rashawn Jones nearly 15 years after the 2006 murder of University of Miami football player Brian Pata. The episode examines the pivotal developments leading to Jones’s arrest, the challenges of building a case after so many years, and the deep flaws in the justice system revealed by the investigation. The narrative delves into the arrest, the evidence (or lack thereof), a problematic jailhouse confession, prosecutorial misconduct, and the growing uncertainty around whether justice will ever truly be served.

Key Discussion Points & Insights:

1. The Arrest: Years in the Making

• Media Spotlight Rekindles the Case:
  • Paula Levine and her team's 2020 ESPN feature on Pata's unsolved murder became a national story and drew renewed attention from authorities.
  • For the first time, the public learned police suspected former teammate Rashawn Jones.
  • Edric Pata's voicemail to producer Dan Arruda hinted that police pressure was increasing.

    "He's heating up really good. I think they're about to make an arrest soon..." (01:01, Edric Pata)

• The Arrest Itself:
  • On August 19, 2021, Rashawn Jones was arrested at his workplace in Ocala, FL, by Marion County officers and U.S. Marshals.
  • Jones wore a Black Lives Matter t-shirt, a Miami Hurricanes mask, and was transported to be interrogated by Miami-Dade's Detective Juan Segovia.
  • Nearly 15 years after the murder, police asserted they had "found the missing piece."

    "[Police] had said they were missing a piece of the puzzle ... Apparently they'd found it." (01:40, Paula Levine)

2. The Interrogation: Contradictions and Doubts

• Jones Faces Detective Segovia (03:00-13:00):
  • Segovia reads Jones his rights. Jones waives his right to silence or an attorney and endures over two hours of questioning.
  • Topics: His relationship with Brian Pata, their alleged "beef" over a woman (Jada Brody), earlier altercations, and rumors about Jones owning a gun.
  • Jones insists he had no bad blood with Pata and denies gun ownership, despite multiple teammates claiming otherwise.
  • Jones provides an alibi for the murder day—failed drug test, suspended by Coach Coker, claims he stayed home, later goes to his girlfriend's place.
  • Segovia brings up Jones’s suspicious change of cellphone number on the murder day. Jones says it was due to embarrassment about his suspension.
  • Jones acknowledges why he would be a suspect:

    "I understand all the scenarios that's pointing towards me." (11:21, Rashawn Jones)

3. Circumstantial Evidence & the Case Weaknesses

• Police Present Contradictions:

  • Teammates and records contradict Jones’s statements about gun ownership and his movements.
  • An eyewitness (Paul Connor) claims to have seen Jones near the crime scene.
  • Jones is charged with first-degree murder (later reduced to second-degree). He spends years awaiting trial.

• Family and Community Impact:

  • Edwin Pata (Brian's brother) describes the bittersweet moment of hearing the news, grappling with closure and loss.

    "We knew it was this guy all along ... but then you start thinking about Brian again." (15:58, Edwin Pata)

4. Eyewitness Issues: Paul Connor

• Connor's Testimony (17:20-21:34):
  • Connor, a 62-year-old writing instructor who lived at the apartments, testifies he heard a gunshot and saw a man matching Jones’s description leave the scene.
  • He identifies Jones in a photo lineup twice (once years later), claiming to be "90% sure" (19:25, Paul Connor).
  • Under cross-examination, major issues arise: Connor suffers from diabetes-induced double vision and issues seeing without glasses; he’s unsure if he wore them that night.
  • This remains the prosecution’s only direct evidence placing Jones at the scene.

5. The Lost—and Found—Eyewitness

• Connor "Disappears" Before Trial (21:34-24:42):

  • Police believe Connor is dead after failing to locate him, lacking official confirmation.
  • Levine and Arruda track Connor down in Louisville, Kentucky, discovering he’s alive but suffering significant memory loss, and can’t recall the case.

• Implications:

  • Prosecutors must use old testimony at trial, undermining their case.
  • Police and DA oversights, and mistaken assumptions, highlight investigative flaws.

6. The Jailhouse Informant: George Jones

• New "Amended" Evidence Emerges:

  • The prosecution lists a new witness: George Jones, a notorious fraudster who shared a jail unit with Rashawn Jones.
  • George claims Rashawn confessed to the murder, describing details—conflicts with Pata, rivalry over Jada, and direction that Pata provoked him:

    "He was like, man, dude, like, everybody hated him. Dude was a bully." (29:56, George Jones) "I went to talk to the dude... next thing I know, he's on the ground... I didn't mean to. I didn't remember." (32:34, George Jones relaying Rashawn’s alleged words)

  • George admits he’s motivated to help in exchange for reduced prison time.

    "When I saw the opportunity, I was like, I'll give it a shot." (36:03, George Jones)

• Problems with Jailhouse Testimony:

  • George is a self-proclaimed conman who’s provided information before—unreliable, incentivized, potentially coached.

7. Prosecutorial Misconduct: Michael Von Zamft

• The Von Zamft Scandal (37:11-45:00):

  • Lead Miami prosecutor Michael Von Zamft is implicated in major misconduct:
    • Manipulating jailhouse witnesses with gifts, luxury treatment, or deals, and failing to disclose benefits to the defense.
    • A recorded call with a convicted murderer appears to discuss making a witness "unavailable."

    "If I call her and she refuses, then I will find a way to make her unavailable and then I can read her whole testimony." (40:46, Von Zamft on jail call)

  • Defense attorney Michelle Borchu exposes Von Zamft’s decades-long pattern of using informants from jail to secure convictions, such as Bill Brown, held in jail as a prosecution "puppet" rather than sent to prison.

• Aftermath:

  • Von Zamft resigns as the Miami DA; his cases are under review and his involvement taints the credibility of new evidence like George Jones’s confession.
  • The prosecution quietly drops George Jones as a witness in Rashawn’s upcoming trial.

    "Why your best evidence? ... we're going to leave that out." (46:27, Michelle Borchu)

8. Conclusion: A Still-Flawed Case

• The Prosecution’s Weakening Case:

  • With George Jones dismissed and the key eyewitness unreliable, the state is left with only the evidence it had years ago.
  • Years of investigative and prosecutorial mishandling mean the case is as ambiguous as ever.

• A Broader Tragedy:

  • Filmmaker Billy Corben and others express skepticism that justice can be served:

    "You cannot wield your prosecutorial discretion for what is politically expedient or to save face...with no new information and no new evidence and charge somebody." (49:01, Billy Corben)

• Lingering Questions:

  • For the Pata family, Rashawn Jones, and all those affected, the forthcoming trial may not deliver answers or closure:

    "But given the missteps, could we count on this trial to tell us what we really want to know? Who killed Brian Pata?" (49:34, Paula Levine)

Memorable Quotes:

• Detective Segovia, on the case’s flaws:

  "Because we were still missing a piece of the puzzle." (00:15)

• Rashawn Jones, on suspicion:

  "I understand all the scenarios that's pointing towards me." (11:21)

• Edwin Pata, on closure:

  "The guy is gonna rot away in the prison cell. That makes us feel better. But then you start thinking about Brian again." (15:58)

• George Jones, self-description:

  "I thought I was Robin Hood. I would steal money from the rich and give it to myself." (28:01)

• Michelle Borchu, on Von Zamft’s legacy:

  "The state Attorney's office should be reviewing every conviction that Michael Von Zamt got where somebody is still in custody." (44:48)

• Billy Corben, on justice:

  "You cannot wield your prosecutorial discretion for what is politically expedient or to save face...with no new information and no new evidence and charge somebody." (49:01)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Topic | Timestamp | |--------------------------------------|----------------------| | Story Recap & Media Impact | 00:05 – 01:40 | | Rashawn’s Arrest & Interrogation | 01:40 – 13:22 | | Family Reaction | 15:58 | | Eyewitness Paul Connor’s Testimony | 17:20 – 21:34 | | Connor “Missing,” Story Unravels | 21:34 – 24:42 | | Jailhouse Informant George Jones | 28:01 – 36:20 | | Prosecutor Von Zamft Scandal | 37:11 – 45:00 | | Prosecution’s Case Collapses | 46:03 – 49:34 | | Final Reflections & Consequences | 49:34 – End |

Final Thoughts

"Murder at the U: Episode 6" reveals the tangled web of suspicion, institutional failure, and human frailty at the intersection of sports, justice, and tragedy. With no clear resolution in sight and a tainted prosecution, listeners are left pondering whether the courts—or anyone—will ever uncover the full truth of who killed Brian Pata.

(Listen for the final episode: The State of Florida vs. Rashawn Jones.)