More than two decades after hip-hop legend Jam Master Jay died, two men have been convicted in a Brooklyn court of causing his death. Here’s what’s known about how Jay was killed, and what the motive was for his murder.
Jam Master Jay, born Jason Mizell, was the DJ for the early rap pioneers RUN DMC, and in 2002, Jay was killed at the age of 37 in his Brooklyn studio. The crime remained unsolved for nearly twenty years, but there was a break in the case in 2020 when Mizell’s godson, Ronald Washington, and Karl Jordan Jr., were charged in connection with the DJ’s death, Sky News reported.
A short time later, a third man, Jay Bryant, was also charged with Jay’s murder, and with that, one of the most infamous hip-hop cold cases in history seemed close to a resolution.
Why did Jam Master Jay die?
According to the prosecution, Jam Master Jay was murdered over a drug deal gone wrong. Ronald Washington and Karl Jordan Jr. reportedly stood to make around $200,000 on the cocaine deal with Jay at the center, but one of Mizell’s associates refused to work with Washington. Outraged, Washington and Jordan Jr. ambushed Jay in the studio, shooting him at close range and killing him. Another man was injured, while another man was ordered by the shooters to lay on the floor, and remained unharmed.
On why it took so long to pin Washington and Jordan Jr. with the crime, Brooklyn federal prosecutor Breon Peace said everyone inside the studio knew the assailants, and were afraid of retaliation if they cooperated with law enforcement. Washington and Jordan Jr. pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from Jay’s death, but on Feb. 27, 2024, a New York jury declared both men guilty.
What about Jay Bryant?
When Ronald Washington and Karl Jordan Jr.’s Jam Master Jay convictions were handed down, the trial of Jay Bryant, the third man charged in connection to the murder, had yet to begin. Bryant also pleaded not guilty. According to the prosecution, Bryant snuck into the building first, and let Washington and Jordan Jr. inside through an emergency entrance. Bryant’s DNA was found on a hat recovered at the scene. Bryant was also seen on security cameras the night Jay died.
The prosecution has described Bryant as being involved in the crime, but not the man who pulled the trigger. According to Washington’s defense attorney, Michael Hueston, however, Bryant killed Jay, and his client is innocent. “Jay Bryant is literally reasonable doubt in this case,” Hueston said.
Washington and Jordan Jr. now face 20 years to life in prison, according to CNN. The New York Times reports that Bryant’s trial is set to begin in 2026.
