Murder at The U – Episode 5: "Open and Active"

Podcast: Murder at The U (ESPN)
Air Date: February 24, 2026
Theme:
This episode investigates the Miami Dade Police Department's handling of the Bryan Pata murder case, focusing on what police have (and have not) done over the years. It exposes inconsistencies, investigative shortcomings, and the remarkable effort by ESPN’s investigative journalists to extract the truth—culminating in a legal battle that pressed the question: Was the police investigation ever truly "open and active"?

Episode Overview

Bryan Pata, a University of Miami football star, was murdered in 2006. For years, his family believed a teammate, Rashawn Jones, was responsible—something their police informant had told them early on, but police never confirmed. Through interviews, document requests, and a lawsuit against Miami Dade PD, ESPN’s investigation team uncovers the missteps, evasions, and bureaucratic inertia that haunted the case. This episode chronicles the team's relentless pursuit of answers and the revelations that emerged only when law enforcement was compelled to tell the truth in court.

Key Discussion Points

1. The Informant, the Suspect, and Family Frustration (00:00–02:45)

• The Pata family held onto information from an informant within the police—he consistently named Rashawn Jones as the likely killer, citing motive and his notable absence after the murder.
• The family’s frustration: "You look at this guy's page, you see he's living his life." (Edric Pata, 01:49)

2. Police Stonewalling and Contradictions (04:09–07:57)

• Detective Miguel Dominguez repeatedly downplays Jones as a suspect: "At the time, everybody was a person of interest, but he was no more or less than anyone else at the time – no." (04:23)
• Repeated evasions undermine police credibility and create friction with reporters.
• Discovery of police investigative gaps: No computer seized, little digital evidence collected, and misunderstandings about available technology in 2006.

3. Oversights in the Police Investigation (07:57–10:20)

• Detectives displayed a surprising lack of knowledge about the digital habits of college students at the time.
• Phone and text records: "I don't believe that in 2006 there was even text messages..." —Miguel Dominguez (08:41), undercut by evidence that texts and MySpace/Facebook were in use.
• Only three months of phone records pulled; lack of text content; unclear what digital records were obtained.

4. The “Active” Case: Police Deflections (09:38–11:48)

• Officers insist they’ve “applied a fresh set of eyes,” but supervisors acknowledge it hasn’t yielded much progress.
• Press officer Alvaro Zabaleta implies reporters may have more access to potential witnesses than detectives, highlighting investigative limitations.

5. Uncovering More Leads: The Emmanuel Jones Angle (13:01–16:33)

• ESPN reporters discover a tip about Emmanuel Jones allegedly confessing to the murder in jail.
• On-the-record call with Emmanuel Jones, who denies involvement and confirms a police timeline discrepancy: "That's not my M.O. I was nowhere around. No murder. I don't know anything about no murder." (15:12)
• Police had mistakenly assumed Jones had an alibi (in jail) at the time of the murder—he was not arrested until a month later.

6. Digging Into the Police File—And Its Holes (17:17–19:05)

• Detectives misunderstood case details, including Pata's car parking.
• Major revelation: No substantial investigative entries after 2009—a decade of apparent inactivity, contrary to claims of an active investigation.

7. Cold Case Assessment and Professional Critique (19:08–23:56)

• Former FBI profiler Greg Cooper (Cold Case Foundation) reviews the case:
  • “I don't have the sense that it's…exhaustive and thorough.” (20:31)
  • Identifies a need to re-interview several people, notes the case was much more solvable in 2006.
  • Concludes Rashawn Jones is the strongest suspect based on evidence provided: “He’s probably at the top of that person of interest list.” (21:51)
  • Major factors: relationship with Bryan (and Jada), his absence after the murder, inconsistencies in police documentation about his interviews.

8. ESPN’s Lawsuit: Forced Contradictions in Court (25:18–33:01)

• ESPN sues to obtain unredacted police records, challenging Miami Dade’s claims that the case is still “active” and thus exempt from full disclosure.
• Under oath, Lt. Joseph Zanconado admits police have had a main suspect since 2007 and were close to making an arrest:
  • "Yeah, we have a strong belief as to who's responsible for his death." (27:30)
  • “We were still missing a piece of the puzzle.” (29:25)
• ESPN’s lawyer exposes that only Rashawn Jones’ file was labeled “suspect.”
  • Police attorney repeatedly objects; judge overrules, forcing partial admissions.

9. The Aftermath and Systemic Evasion (33:01–36:36)

• The judge sides with police but stipulates that secrecy cannot last forever:
  • “A time will come when it will no longer be proper for the MDPD to keep the redactions at issue confidential.”
• Major police figures on the case (Gonzalez, Zanconado, Dominguez) leave or are reassigned soon after testifying to active efforts.
• ESPN’s story is finally published, revealing to the public that Rashawn Jones was the police’s main suspect for years.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Edric Pata (on the family’s long wait for justice, 01:49):
  “It’s frustrating, yeah, because... if you know who did it, and still that person hasn’t been brought to justice… You think about this stuff every day. It’s just, God damn you look. You look at this guy’s page, you see he’s living his life.”

• Detective Dominguez (on digital evidence, 08:41):
  "I don't believe that in 2006 there was even text messages."
  (Factually incorrect, highlighting investigative oversight.)

• Greg Cooper, Cold Case Foundation (upon review, 20:40):
  “I don't have the sense that it's…exhaustive and thorough. I wouldn't go that far.”

• Greg Cooper (on Rashawn Jones as top suspect, 21:51):
  “I think Rashaun is probably at the top of that person of interest list.”

• Lt. Zanconado under oath (27:30):
  "Yeah, we have a strong belief as to who's responsible for his death."

• Paula Levine, on police contradictions (32:40):
  “The biggest of which is that they were lying to us.”

• Paula Levine, on the police’s persistent secrecy (33:14):
  "When they talk about the prime suspect... we know based on the context [it] pertains to Rashaun."

Important Timestamps

• 00:00–02:45: Pata family’s informant, naming Rashawn Jones.
• 04:09–07:24: Detectives’ evasive answers; exposure of investigative shortcomings.
• 07:57–10:20: Discussion of digital and phone evidence — and missed opportunities.
• 13:01–16:33: Investigation into Emmanuel Jones; timeline error revealed.
• 17:17–19:05: ESPN discovers police inactivity after 2009 in official records.
• 19:08–23:56: Cold Case Foundation’s expert review and assessment.
• 25:18–33:01: Courtroom drama; police admit suspect status under oath.
• 33:01–36:36: Aftermath of lawsuit, police departures, and ESPN's reporting.

Tone & Language

The episode balances methodical, skeptical reporting with emotional resonance, particularly in the Pata family’s long frustration and the reporters’ mounting disbelief. The narration retains the respectful, persistent tone of investigative journalism while highlighting both the systemic failures and the stakes for those seeking justice.

Episode Summary

"Open and Active" is a damning look at bureaucratic inertia, systemic policing failures, and the power of determined investigative journalism. The episode methodically documents years of police evasion, gaffes, and contradictions—ultimately forcing official acknowledgment under legal pressure that Rashawn Jones was always the main suspect. Yet, even as the reporters uncover the truth, police secrecy and red tape continue to delay justice, leaving the Pata family and the community waiting for the “foreseeable future” that never seems to arrive.