Lead detective in UM star Bryan Pata's murder case accused in Instagram scandal

The lead detective who reexamined the 2006 cold case murder of University of Miami football player Bryan Pata has been accused by defense attorneys of breaking a court order by using an anonymous Instagram account to post about the accused killer’s trial.

In an emergency motion filed Thursday, defense attorneys for Rashaun Jones accused Juan Segovia, a detective for the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, of breaking a court order by actively commenting on online news coverage during Jones’ first trial.

The new allegations come as attorneys prepare to try Jones for Pata’s murder for a second time in front of a new jury. Jones has pleaded not guilty.

In the first trial in March, Segovia testified he took over the cold case and looked at the evidence with fresh eyes. He testified that the re-examination of the evidence pointed to Jones as Pata’s killer. 

Judge Cristina Miranda declared a mistrial after the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on whether Jones shot and killed Pata outside his southwest Miami-Dade apartment in November 2006. A new trial is set for May 18.  

Pata, who was found in a pool of blood near a parking lot outside his apartment, was 22 years old at the time and widely regarded as a rising football star with professional aspirations.

Despite the shocking nature of the crime, no arrest was made until 2021, 15 years later. Prosecutors allege Jones killed Pata out of jealousy over his success and popularity.

The motion filed Thursday accuses Segovia of using the anonymous Instagram @balanceof_justice and actively commenting on news coverage of the Jones trial and responding to members of the public, in violation of the “sequestration rule.”

In trial, a judge usually orders witnesses to avoid hearing other people’s testimony to protect the integrity of the proceedings.

The emergency motion requested that Judge Miranda directs Segovia to not delete content from the social media account. 

In the motion, defense attorney Sara Alvarez claimed her team privately investigated the account and concluded the phone number and an email associated with the Instagram page is registered to a Juan Segovia. 

“Defense counsel has investigated and uncovered substantial and concerning evidence establishing that Detective Juan Segovia, the State’s lead detective and most important investigative witness in this case, operated an anonymous Instagram account during the pendency of the defendant’s recent trial in direct violation of this Court’s sequestration order designed to ensure, in part, that witnesses are prevented from tailoring their testimony to match or contradict other witness testimony,” the motion stated. 

The motion filed also included some of the comments made by Instagram account on news coverage posts of Jones’ trial. One comment revealed in the motion read: “I’ve watched a lot of the trial, he’s guilty as sin.” Another comment the account allegedly made on a post said: “GUILTY.”

What’s Next? 

Defense attorneys are asking the judge to direct Segovia to preserve the Instagram content. They also want the judge hold Segovia in contempt of court. 

NBC6 has not independently verified the allegations. 

NBC6 has reached out to Segovia, through the Miami-Dade Sherriff’s Office for comment on the allegations, but we have not heard back. 

The retrial is set for May 18.

 No date has been set to hear the allegations laid out in this latest motion.