Rashaun Jones has spent the last four and a half years in a Miami-Dade jail cell — arrested in 2021 on a charge of second-degree murder, held on an $850,000 bond he could never afford, waiting for a trial that the state took years to bring. Last Monday, that trial ended without a verdict. Five of six jurors were ready to acquit. And yet, Rashaun is still locked up.

On March 4, his attorneys went back to court and asked for a bond his family could realistically pay — $50,000, a $5,000 premium. The judge said no. Instead, the bond was lowered to $500,000, requiring a $50,000 premium to secure his release. The retrial is set for May 18, 2026. That gives us just over 10 weeks.

That’s where you come in. The Free Rashaun Jones campaign is raising $50,000 to post bond and bring Rashaun home to his family while he fights this case from the outside. Right now, we’re just getting started — and we need momentum.

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What Happened at Trial

The case against Rashaun Jones dates back to November 7, 2006 — the night Bryan Pata, a 22-year-old University of Miami defensive lineman, was shot and killed outside his Kendall apartment. The case went cold for 15 years before Jones was arrested in 2021. He has maintained his innocence throughout.

After days of testimony, jurors sent the judge a note that said they were deadlocked with “no one willing to move.” Three jurors later spoke to ESPN. All three said the prosecution failed to prove its case. The evidence was overwhelmingly circumstantial — no weapon was ever recovered, the lone eyewitness identification was contested, and phone records actually made it harder, not easier, to place Jones at the scene.

Another juror put it plainly: “A lot of speculation, a lot of things that pointed to him. In order for us to get there, we had to make a lot of assumptions.” The jury voted 5–1 in favor of acquittal. Rashaun was not convicted. And yet he remains in custody.

He Thought He Was Going Home

When the mistrial was declared Monday, Rashaun Jones believed he was walking out. His attorney told reporters: “He thought he was going to go home yesterday.” He had spent four and a half years locked up — waiting, hoping. Instead, he was taken back to his cell.

His defense team filed immediately to reduce his bond. On Wednesday, they stood before the judge and asked for something reasonable — something a working family could afford. The request was denied. The bond was reduced, but $500,000 is still an impossible number for most families. To get Rashaun out, someone has to post $50,000 in cash.

That is what this campaign is for.

What Happens Next

Prosecutors have signaled they intend to retry the case. Under Florida law, they have 90 days from the mistrial to bring Jones back to court — and a new trial date of May 18 has been set. That means Rashaun faces another trial in roughly 10 weeks. His legal team says they will fight just as hard the second time, and may seek to introduce additional evidence.

But fighting a retrial from behind bars is a fundamentally different battle than fighting it from home. Rashaun deserves the chance to prepare his defense surrounded by family, to support himself and the people who love him, and to face this case as a free man who has not been convicted of anything. A jury of his peers — five out of six — said the state didn’t prove its case. He should not still be locked up.

Timeline of the Case

How to Help

The Free Rashaun Jones campaign is raising funds through a verified PayIt2 fundraiser. Every dollar raised goes toward posting the bond that will allow Rashaun to go home while his retrial is prepared. No amount is too small. Share this page. Tell your friends. And if you can give anything at all — please do it today.

Donate Now — payit2.com/f/freerj

8 donors have given $865 so far. Help us reach $50,000 before May 18.