A Miami-Dade judge declared a mistrial Monday after jurors deadlocked in the murder case against former Miami Hurricanes player Rashaun Jones, accused of killing teammate Bryan Pata in 2006. After six hours of deliberation over two days, the jury told Judge Cristina Miranda they were hopelessly deadlocked with no one willing to change their vote.

Jones, 40, faced charges in the shooting death of Pata, a promising 6-foot-4, 280-pound defensive lineman projected to be drafted in the 2007 NFL draft. The prosecution's case relied heavily on circumstantial evidence, including testimony from former instructor Paul Conner who claimed to have seen someone resembling Jones near the crime scene. Defense attorney Christian Maroni challenged Conner's credibility, citing poor lighting conditions and the seven-month delay before the lineup identification.

Under Florida law, prosecutors can retry the case with a new jury within 90 days. The deadlock came after five days of testimony featuring nearly two dozen witnesses, including former teammates and law enforcement. Jones had maintained his innocence and rejected plea deals that would have limited his prison time. The case remained unsolved for over 15 years before Jones was arrested in 2021, following renewed investigation sparked partly by ESPN's reporting on the family's frustration with the stalled investigation.