The trial for a former Miami Hurricanes player accused in the 2006 murder of his teammate has been put on pause. Opening statements were set to start Tuesday morning for the trial of now 40-year-old former Canes defensive back Rashaun Jones, accused of killing his teammate Bryan Pata. However, those statements have been put on hold after the defense presented new information received Friday, saying that there may be another hit man that could allegedly be another suspect in this case. Following that claim, the judge decided to further delay the trial, as they have many questions that need to be answered before the case is presented to a jury and opening statements begin. Dozens of Pata’s family members walked into into court Tuesday as opening statements were expected to begin. Pata’s mother Jeanette, now wheelchair-bound, wouldn’t let this delay stop her from facing her son’s accused killer. Pata, a defensive lineman and a projected top NFL draft pick at that time, was shot in the back of the head outside of his Kendall apartment after a team practice back in November of 2006. He was 22. It is a tragedy that led his family to embark on a decades-long quest for justice. “Before he sleeps, he makes sure to call Mommy,” said Jeanette in an older interview. Investigators said the case went cold for several years, until 2021, when new evidence surfaced, and a key witness who was believed to be dead turned up alive. That discovery led to Jones’ arrest, but the defense has since accused the state of misrepresentations of evidence, claiming documents are lost and that the case has a string of holes. Prosecutors said Jones rejected a plea deal and has spent the last five years behind bars maintaining his innocence. The case will move into its next phase when resumed, as prosecutors and the defense prepare to present their versions of what happened the night Pata was killed. ...read more read less