Gone South – "You Might Like: Murder at The U – A Suspect Awaiting Trial and a Murder Still Unsolved"

Podcast: Gone South (by Audacy Podcasts)
Episode: You Might Like: Murder at The U – A suspect awaiting trial and a murder still unsolved
Air Date: March 13, 2026
Host: Jed Lipinski (with featured reporting by ESPN's Paula Lavigne and others)

Episode Overview

This episode of Gone South introduces listeners to the first chapter in the ESPN podcast series "Murder at the U." It centers on the haunting, unresolved murder of Brian Pata, a University of Miami football star tragically shot outside his apartment in 2006—just months shy of entering the NFL. The episode weaves together emotional interviews, family memories, community context, and an examination of the University of Miami's football culture, while underscoring a mother’s decades-long search for justice and anxieties of unresolved violence in Miami’s Black communities.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Life and Promise of Brian Pata

• Opening Portrait: The episode opens with a vibrant depiction of Brian Pata, the youngest of nine children, giving a jovial “MTV Cribs” style tour of his Miami apartment to Manny Navarro, a Miami Herald reporter.
  • "What up, y’all? This is my crib. I’m Brian Pata, University of Miami defensive tackle..." (05:13)
• Family and Community Ties: Brian’s deep connection to his Haitian family and Miami’s Little Haiti neighborhood are explored through interviews with his mother, Jeanette, and his brothers.
  • “Brian was funny boy and liked to laugh and make a joke, making people happy—even if you’re sad, he tries to make you happy.” – Jeanette Pata (17:44)

2. The Unanswered Murder and Its Aftermath

• The Shooting and Initial Reactions: In 2006, Brian is shot dead outside his apartment, shocking the football world and his local community.
  • "From the outside looking in, it was the kind of case that police should have been motivated to solve quickly... But that is not what happened.” (06:43)
• A Cold Case Turns Hot: The case sits cold for over a decade, defined more by rumor than evidence, until renewed press attention brings it back into public focus.
• Family’s Frustration:
  • Jeanette Pata expresses deep pain and frustration over lack of police action.
    • "This is not easy for me because 10 years and a half, we never...we don’t hear nothing. We waited so long to find the answer who killed my son." – Jeanette Pata (10:34, 11:26)
    • "Now I’m waiting for an answer. This is over too long. Why did it take so long to find out who killed my son? Eleven years!" (18:26)

3. ESPN’s Investigation & Unusual Police Outreach

• Police Turn to Reporters: Miami police’s rare move to ask ESPN for help in generating new leads is highlighted as highly unusual.
  • “I’ll say in my 25 years here, that’s the first and only time that has happened.” – Ben Weber, ESPN Producer (09:03)
• Press Conference Tension: A press conference with Brian’s family becomes tense when Jeanette publicly accuses police of neglect.
  • “I don’t think even they working the case anymore. Look at the case, it’s closed. Nothing.” – Jeanette Pata (11:30)

4. Portraits from “The U”: Miami Hurricanes Football Culture

• Recruiting & Reputation: The University of Miami’s football culture is contextualized—from its working-class, racially charged reputation to the “us against the world” mentality adopted by the Canes.
  • “We had this college team...made up predominantly of Miami kids. It was a major point of pride...particularly when the team played with an us against the world mentality.” – Billy Corben, filmmaker (24:59)
• Legacy of Scandal: The episode recounts the Canes’ history of NCAA violations and media stereotyping, including the racial coding of “bad boy” labels in the national press.

5. Brian Pata, Teammates, and College Life

• A Loved Teammate: Brian is remembered as a jokester, a loyal friend, and someone who brought his teammates into his family.
  • “Brian was a jokester. If he knew it was something annoying you...but you couldn’t be mad at him, he would do it.” – Carol Walker, academic advisor (33:27)
  • “With his family being Haitian and my family being Jamaican, I think we have some of the same values...It was my second home.” – Dwayne Hendricks, teammate (30:15)
• Hints of Trouble: Despite his joyful exterior, Brian was troubled in the months before his death.
  • “He was having nightmares...He didn’t want to burden you with it, but he kept it in.” – Edric, brother (35:01)
  • "I keep getting away, man, but they keep chasing me, you know, like bad nightmares...She [his girlfriend] would wake up, see Brian sleeping in the closet..." (35:30)

6. Guns, Safety, and Underlying Violence

• Security and Fear: Brian carried a licensed gun for protection, a reflection of lingering fears.
  • "I gotta hide my guns, man...Don’t add the gun thing on the paper, or whatnot, please." – Brian Pata (36:18)
• Team Not Immune: Other Hurricanes players also faced violence and carried firearms for protection.
  • "We carried [guns] for protection because you just never know when you need it.” – Dwayne Hendricks (36:46)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Family Love vs. Neighborhood Violence:
  "So many people died around us. We were lucky. I expected one of us to get killed...And even, never think that the last child in college his senior year to get killed." – Edric/Edwin (19:14)
• On Institutional (Police) Failures:
  "So we started calling. The officers weren’t answering...So many different damn detectives were assigned to the case...I’m like, wow, what the hell is going on? Confusion.” – Edric/Edwin, brother (16:44)
• On Brian's Spirit:
  “He made everybody laugh. He was just one of those guys that you wanted to be around.” – Chris Zellner, teammate (33:10)
• On College Football’s Broader Meaning:
  “Winning is obviously the best pitch you can make to a kid in Liberty City or in Little Haiti, just to say like, come and be a part of this winning tradition and create an opportunity for yourself not only from high school to college, but from college to the NFL.” – Billy Corben (23:21)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Brian’s “MTV Cribs” Tour & Joyful Life: 03:10–06:14
• Announcement of Brian’s Death: 06:22–06:43
• Mother’s Emotional Plea & Police Tension: 09:53–12:05
• Family’s Perspective on Police Inaction: 15:53–17:27, 17:31–18:43
• Miami Hurricanes Football History and "Us Against the World": 21:21–25:19
• Brian’s Relationships & Teammate Memories: 29:11–34:09
• Hints of Brian’s Fears & Gun Disclosure: 35:01–36:30

Tone & Language

The episode is intimate and raw, combining journalistic detachment with the aching familiarity of family and teammates reminiscing. The language is direct, candid, and, at times, searing with emotion—especially in Jeanette Pata’s segments and the brothers’ frustrated reflections on law enforcement failures.

Closing

This premiere episode of Murder at the U (featured on 'Gone South') kicks off an investigative series unraveling the intersection of athletic dreams, community dangers, institutional failures, and family pain. It highlights not only the unsolved murder of Brian Pata, but also the broader cultural and systemic forces swirling around one of America’s most mythologized college sports programs. The narrative promises further revelations as a former teammate stands trial, inviting listeners to ponder loyalty, betrayal, justice, and the cost of silence.

For the full story and to follow the case as it develops, listeners are encouraged to listen to "Murder at the U" (from ESPN’s 30 for 30 podcasts).