MIAMI — A huge twist has emerged in the murder case of former Miami Hurricanes football player Bryan Pata — just weeks before the trial is set to begin.
A witness prosecutors once told the court was dead has been found alive, raising serious questions about how the case has been handled.
Former University of Miami football player Rashaun Jones has been in jail for the past four years, accused of killing Pata, his 22-year-old teammate, on Nov. 7, 2006 in Kendall.
Jones, 40, appeared in court for another hearing on Friday, this one focused on a bombshell report published Thursday by ESPN.
“ESPN released an article whereby they made contact with our eyewitness in this case, Paul Connor,” prosecutors told the judge.
Connor, a retired writing instructor, was found living in Louisville, Kentucky. Prosecutors had previously informed the court they believed he was dead.
Connor lived in the same apartment complex as Pata at the time of the murder. He had picked Jones out of a lineup after telling detectives he saw someone jogging away from the parking lot entrance the night of the killing.
Connor, now 81, told ESPN he does not recall what happened.
Defense attorney Sara Alvarez that the defense relied on a database search that listed Connor as deceased.
Accepting that information, the court had previously ruled prosecutors could use Connor’s prior testimony at trial.
Prosecutors told the court they believed they had done their due diligence in locating the witness.
“Everything had pointed to this one address. Once they went out there and they were sure he did not live there, they relayed that information to us,” they said.
Despite the revelations, the judge ruled the case will still move forward, setting trial for Oct. 6 and making clear no further delays will be granted.
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