Murder at The U: "The Teammate" (February 19, 2026) – Detailed Episode Summary

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode delves into the most explosive and divisive theory in the Bryan Pata murder case: that his killer was not a stranger, but his University of Miami teammate Rashawn Jones. Through interviews with former players, coaches, Pata’s family, and Jones’ friends and girlfriend, the ESPN reporting team reconstructs the rumors, relationships, and evidence that fueled suspicion—and explores the tangled motives and lack of hard proof that make this case still so haunting and unresolved.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Rumor: A Teammate as the Suspect

• From the beginning, the Pata family suspected the killer was from within the University of Miami football team, specifically implicating Rashawn Jones.

  • “Brian, our brother, was not killed from somebody from outside. It was killed from University of Miami.” – Dan Aruda quoting Edric Pata (00:40)
  • “I'm saying…I don't want to put it out there, but it was a teammate.” – George Timmons (00:47)

• Family suspicions began after conversations with other players, who expressed that “the players know” who did it.

  • “Said he's in this grimy. He said he used these words and grimy out there. I know somebody in the goddamn school know who. Who killed Brian. Them cats know. Them players know.” – Eric Houston (01:40)

• The team investigates if it’s truly possible one teammate could have committed the crime—or if Jones is the victim of circumstantial suspicion.

2. Who Is Rashawn Jones? (Background & Character)

• Rashawn grew up in Lake City, Florida, a tight community where “everybody comes together for their sports.” (05:12)

• Childhood friend George Timmons paints Jones as deeply attached to his grandmother, well-loved in his hometown, and a talented, fun kid.

  • “She was like Rashawn’s world.” – Josh Holmes (05:39)

• As a UM football player: talented but troubled, often suspended, didn’t reach potential.

  • “He was just kind of in and out of trouble…And that probably led to his demise as a University of Miami football player.” – Eric Houston (07:18)

• Known as good-looking, witty, and very interested in women—rubbing some teammates the wrong way.

  • “That’s all he really did when he was at UM was just, you know, try to fuck girls like he wasn’t trying to play football.” – Dan Aruda (08:27)

• Multiple sources allege he pursued teammates’ girlfriends, including Brian’s.

  • “He tried to mess with Jada while they were together. That’s why they didn't like each other.” – Eric Houston (09:05)

3. The Conflicts: Fights Between Pata and Jones

• Multiple run-ins, especially related to Rashawn’s pursuit of women.
  • “One was a locker room scuffle after Rashawn said something about Jada to Brian…another argument in the cafeteria…” – Dan Aruda (09:43)
• A detailed dorm fight escalates to violence and threat:
  • “Brian get on top of this dude and headbutts him five times.” – Eric Houston (11:24)
  • “Rashawn was like, well, you might as well go ahead and clip up.” – Eric Houston (11:28)
• Afterward, relationship soured completely.
  • “After hearing that fight, they never. They weren't like, fucking cool after that. They fucking did not speak anymore.” – Chris Zellner (11:57)

4. Establishing Motive, Means, and Opportunity

• Motive: Dislike over women, specifically over Jada; longstanding friction.
• Means: Multiple teammates report seeing Rashawn with a gun matching the type used in the murder (a revolver, .38 caliber).
  • “At least two of Rashawn’s teammates say they saw him with a gun.” (12:44)
  • “The gun Dave said Rashawn pointed at him was a revolver…” (13:09)
• Opportunity: Rashawn failed a drug test and was suspended that day; thus, he missed practice (but would have known when Brian would be coming home). He was the only player absent from the mandatory post-murder team meeting that evening.
  • “All the players showed up for that meeting except Rashawn.” – Paula Levine (15:07)
  • “Everybody was looking for him. Where’s Rashawn?” – Eric Houston (15:07)

5. Alibis & Phone Records: The Night of the Murder

• Rashawn’s story: claimed he was home, or said he was at the meeting (his account changed over time).

• Phone records show he got a new number the afternoon of the murder, and that he was making calls that night (including to a baseball player), but there’s a key one-hour gap over the time of the murder when his phone is off/unused.

  • “There’s one notable gap…For one hour between 6:40 and 7:40pm…that was the time of Brian’s murder.” – Paula Levine (42:51)

• Che Scott, assistant chaplain, overheard a call from Rashawn to a student athlete after the murder that sounded like Jones seeking money to leave town.

  • “It sounds like Rashawn is asking Mike for money…I think Scott believed that Rashawn was trying to gather money up so he can get out of town.” – Dan Aruda (17:35)

• Rashawn’s then-girlfriend, Sherry Abramson, describes trying to track him down that night, but insists his disappearance was due to being upset after his suspension.

  • “He loved going for drives alone. He would just go. Always. He liked to smoke…So it's not surprising to me, it wasn't out of character.” – Sherry Abramson (24:45)
  • “If he needed money…to get out of town, it would have been me.” – Sherry Abramson (25:31)

• She claims Rashawn was not the type to commit murder and that the timing was a “terrible coincidence.” (29:10)

6. Rumors, Divided Opinions, and Team Response

• Many on the team immediately suspected Rashawn because of his absence. For others, the idea of a teammate committing murder was unthinkable.

  • “I feel like the whole situation, it really got blown out of proportion…I don't think Rick did it. I really don't.” – George Timmons (31:40)

• Some teammates and friends defend him, saying Pata had other enemies, and Rashawn "would never."

• Others (like Chris Zellner and Eric Moncour) recount how the rumor started that very night:

  • “So none of you guys after Brian's death ever thought to yourselves or talked amongst each other and said, I wonder if Rashawn did it? Yeah, you guys did.” (35:31)

• Not every player (or coach) heard these rumors, and institutional reaction was cautious—no proof, so “innocent until proven guilty.”

  • “What do you do as a coach when you have no substantiated proof?” – Pastor Steve Caldwell (39:07)

• Rashawn was allowed to return to play after a two-week suspension.

7. Circumstantial Evidence and the Limits of the Case

• Rashawn had: tension with Brian, possible motive, opportunity, a gun, no alibi. Evidence is all circumstantial: no forensics, eyewitnesses, murder weapon, or video.

  • “There wasn't any security camera footage, and there was no record of any physical evidence linking Rashawn to the crime.” – Paula Levine (42:51)

• Late in reporting, police inform the podcast team of an eyewitness (a resident) who saw a man—later ID’d as Rashawn—running away from the complex that night.

  • “He would later identify Rashawn as the person he saw.” – Paula Levine (43:38)
  • This revelation felt dramatic for the reporting team and wasn’t previously disclosed.

8. Rashawn’s Refusal to Participate

• After many attempts by the reporting team, Rashawn declines to go on record, saying "there is no his side" and nothing he could say would change anyone’s mind.
  • “If God Almighty came down and asked me to sit down, I would not do it.” – Dan Aruda quoting Rashawn (45:16)
• His wife backs him up; their position is that this is long finished—if police thought he did it, they would have arrested him years ago.

9. Police and Family Theories Going Forward

• Police, at the time of the episode’s events, indicate they have a strong belief who’s responsible (implying Jones).
  • “Does MDPD know who killed Brian Potter? Yeah, we have a strong belief as to who's responsible for his death.” – Dan Aruda (48:21)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (With Timestamps)

• “Brian, our brother, was not killed from somebody from outside. It was killed from University of Miami.” – Edric Pata (00:40)
• “He tried to mess with Jada while they were together. That’s why they didn't like each other.” – Eric Houston (09:05)
• “Brian get on top of this dude and headbutts him five times.” – Eric Houston (11:24)
• “So then it. You really start saying to yourself, like, yo, did he? Could it. Could it really be.” – Chris Zellner (15:23)
• “It sounds like Rashawn is asking Mike for money…I think Scott believed that Rashawn was trying to gather money up so he can get out of town.” – Dan Aruda (17:35)
• “There’s one notable gap…For one hour between 6:40 and 7:40pm…that was the time of Brian’s murder.” – Paula Levine (42:51)
• “If God Almighty came down and asked me to sit down, I would not do it.” – Dan Aruda quoting Rashawn (45:16)
• “He would later identify Rashawn as the person he saw.” – Paula Levine (43:38)

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:40 – Pata family’s early suspicions about a teammate
• 08:17-08:34 – Teammate opinions about Rashawn’s personality
• 09:43-11:28 – Detailed account of fight between Brian and Rashawn; threats made
• 12:44-13:41 – Evidence of Rashawn possessing a gun, gun’s match to murder weapon
• 14:35—15:23 – Rashawn's absence from the team meeting after the murder
• 16:03—18:25 – Chaplains and phone call; Rashawn’s attempt to get money, suspicious behavior
• 22:06—29:10 – Sherry Abramson interview: Rashawn’s behavior, her defense of his innocence
• 31:40—33:36 – George Timmons and Trish Morgan defend Rashawn; some play down motive
• 35:31-36:27 – Team rumors and divergent responses
• 39:25—40:16 – Coach Coker refuses to believe team member could do it, despite rumors
• 42:51—43:38 – Phone record analysis and the crucial one-hour gap; eyewitness identifies Rashawn
• 45:16—47:41 – Rashawn’s and his wife’s refusal to participate
• 48:21 – Police: “we have a strong belief as to who’s responsible”

Tone & Language

• The tone is investigative, tense, and empathetic, with host Paula Levine and reporter Dan Aruda careful to balance the gravity of accusation and presumption of innocence. The perspectives alternate between suspicion and defense, weaving in the raw emotions of teammates, family, and friends.

Conclusion

This episode confronts—and complicates—the prime suspicion about Bryan Pata’s murder: that it was an act of betrayal from inside the Hurricanes locker room. It lays out the cumulative circumstantial evidence against Rashawn Jones: motive, means, opportunity, lack of alibi, and the impression of guilt that followed him for years. Yet defenders provide alternate narratives, emphasizing his character and the possibility that Pata’s murder remains unsolved in the truest sense. With Jones now facing trial, the episode sets the stage for a possible conclusion to one of college football’s most haunting cold cases.

Next Episode Preview:
Police investigators claim they know who killed Bryan Pata—a major development teased for the following episode.

Note:
This summary omits advertisements and focuses exclusively on the episode’s investigative content.