Third man charged in 2002 killing of Run-DMC’s Jam Master Jay
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A federal jury indicted a third man this week in the killing of a New York hip-hop legend, whose murder case remains open two decades after a drug deal turned deadly at his studio. Prosecutors formally charged Jay Bryant for his role in the shooting of Run-DMC member Jason Mizell — known to fans as “Jam Master Jay” — in 2002. Ronald Washington and Karl Jordan Jr. were indicted in August 2020 in the DJ’s death. The three face murder and drug charges, according to court filings.
Mizell was the DJ for rappers Joseph “Run” Simmons and Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, together forming a seminal 1980s hip-hop ground that helped bring the nascent New York movement into the mainstream. Their collaboration with Aerosmith to re-create “Walk This Way” is a crucial moment in expanding the reach of the genre that is now the dominant sound of pop music.
Prosecutors announced in August 2020 that the investigation had revealed that the motive for the killing was Mizell getting about 10 kilograms of cocaine that Washington and Jordan were going to sell in Maryland. But that didn’t happen, prosecutors wrote in the announcement: “Mizell had recently informed Washington that the defendant would not be involved in distributing the narcotics in Maryland, which precipitated the murder conspiracy.”
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Court documents filed Tuesday allege that the three defendants — Washington, Jordan and Bryant — entered the DJ’s studio in the Hollis neighborhood of Queens about 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 30, 2002. Investigators wrote that Washington at gunpoint ordered someone in the studio to get on the ground before Jordan shot Mizell twice at close range, with one shot fatally hitting the DJ in the head.
Prosecutors wrote that Bryant was seen entering the building just before the shooting and that an article of clothing at the crime scene contained Bryant’s DNA. “He later admitted to participating in the murder,” according to the court document. The document added that Bryant also claimed that he was the shooter, but authorities wrote that all evidence points to Jordan being the shooter.
Bryant’s attorney, César de Castro, told The Washington Post in an email Wednesday that his client plans to plead not guilty. “We also only learned yesterday that he had been charged but had been informed that they were considering it,” he wrote.
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The attorney added: “However, we remain confused why, after more than 20 years and charging two individuals three years ago, does the government now allegedly think that they have sufficient evidence to charge Mr. Bryant.”
John Marzulli, spokesman for the Eastern District of New York, declined to answer The Post’s questions about why the case remains open or what led to Bryant being charged.
Bryant — who is being held on an unrelated drug charge — is set to appear in this case Thursday, according to court records.
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Source: The Washington Post
