Paula Levine

Manny wanted to make something similar for the Miami Herald.

But in Manny's version, the celebrities would be University of Miami football players, the Hurricanes.

The two guys head to Brian's apartment complex.

It's called The Colony.

where several other University of Miami players live.

It's classic Florida, with corridors on the outside of the building, like a motel.

It seems that way, listening to the recording, hearing Brian's enthusiasm, his giddiness, except for one thing.

A few weeks later, Brian Pata would be dead.

Michael Jackie, Miami-Dade Police confirming tonight Brian Pata, UM's defensive lineman, was shot and killed tonight.

We are told his body was found in the...

From the outside looking in, it was the kind of case that police should have been motivated to solve quickly.

A star player on a major college football team murdered near campus, just a few months shy of the NFL draft.

But that is not what happened.

Instead, weeks turned into months, which eventually turned into years, and Brian's murder remained unsolved.

But almost 20 years later, someone is finally set to stand trial for the murder of Brian Pata.

I'm Paula Levine.

From 30 for 30 podcast, this is Murder at the U. The story of how two University of Miami teammates found themselves on opposite ends of a murder investigation and what happened when a team of ESPN reporters brought that investigation into the light.

As a reporter, I try to stay out of the story.

But sometimes the work you do to get the story and what you uncover changes it.

That's exactly what happened here.