2 Men Convicted Of Murder Of Run-DMC’s Jam Master Jay
Two men have been convicted for the murder of Run-DMC’s Jam Master Jay nearly 22 years ago. According to the Associated Press, Karl Jordan Jr. and Ronald Washington have been “found guilty of murder while engaged in a narcotics trafficking conspiracy and firearm-related murder for killing the pioneering DJ over what prosecutors characterized as revenge for a failed drug deal.”
Jam Master Jay, born Jason Mizel, was the DJ for the iconic hip-hop group. He was shot and killed in his studio in 2002.
“Twenty years is a long time to wait for justice,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Artie McConnell had told jurors in a closing argument, adding, “Don’t let this go on for another minute.”
Jordan and Washington were arrested in 2020 and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Run-DMC had a “drug-free” message in their music with the lyrics “We are not thugs, we don’t do drugs” on “It’s Tricky,” But according to McConnell, Mizel “…was a man who got involved in the drug game to take care of the people who depended on him.”
Run-DMC Documentaries
Back in 2018, Netflix centered a documentary on the death of the DJ on ReMastered: Who Killed Jam Master Jay? There were six witnesses to the death of the Run-DMC member, but it wasn’t until 2020 that law enforcement was able to pin down the two men who were convicted in the murder of the hip-hop icon.
“Virtually every witness changed their testimony 180 degrees,” one of Washington’s lawyers, Susan Kellman, told the judge.
Witnesses contested that they were “scared for their lives” about speaking out about the murder, according to The Associated Press.
A third defendant, Jay Bryant, was charged last year after DNA on a hat which was found at the studio matched his. He will go on a separate trial at a later date that has not been yet announced. He has pleaded not guilty.
King From Queens: The Run DMC Story, the group’s three-part documentary, is out now on Peacock. Take a look at the trailer below:
5 Documentaries on Hip-Hop Artists To Stream Now
