Tuesday, a Brooklyn federal court convicted two men in the 2002 shooting death of Jam Master Jay.
After decades of investigations and weeks of testimonies, Ronald Washington, 59, Jay’s childhood friend, and Karl Jordan Jr., 40, Jay’s godson, were found guilty of murdering the 37-year-old DJ, whose given name is Jason Mizell. Prosecutors called the slaying “a crime motivated by greed and revenge” and that the two men turned on the rap pioneer over a cocaine deal.
According to prosecutors, Mizell had attempted to exclude Washington from a significant narcotics transaction involving multiple kilograms. In response, Washington and Jordan Jr. conspired to retaliate, resulting in Jay’s murder.
The Run D.M.C. DJ was gunned down on October 30, 2002, at his recording studio in Jamaica, Queens. The crime remained unsolved for years, leaving a haunting void in music history. However, in August 2020, a significant breakthrough occurred when the US attorney for the Eastern District of New York unsealed a criminal indictment implicating Ronald Washington and Karl Jordan in a conspiracy to murder Jam Master Jay, allegedly linked to a drug dispute.
Adding another layer to the complex saga, a third defendant, Jay Bryant was charged in May 2023 with murder linked to narcotics trafficking and firearm-related offenses. He maintains his innocence and is scheduled to stand trial separately in January 2026.
Washington and Jordan are facing between 20 years to life behind bars.
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