Third Person Charged In 2002 Murder Of Run-D.M.C.’s Jam Master Jay

Matthew Peyton/Getty Images

Third Person Charged In 2002 Murder Of Run-D.M.C.’s Jam Master Jay

Matthew Peyton/Getty Images

Jam Master Jay, the longtime DJ for the iconic rap group Run-D.M.C., was murdered in his Queens recording studio in 2002. He was 37. For many years, the case of JMJ’s murder was cold. In 2020, though, federal prosecutors charged two men, Ronald Washington and Karl Jordan Jr., with Jay’s murder. Now, they’ve also indicted a third.

The Associated Press reports that federal prosecutors have filed a superseding indictment against 49-year-old Jay Bryant, who’s already in federal custody for unrelated drug charges. Authorities believe that Jam Master Jay’s murder was the result of a drug deal that went bad.

Jam Master Jay, whose real name was Jason Mizell, served as Run-D.M.C.’s DJ from 1982 until his death. He also helped discover and mentor Queens rap artists like 50 Cent and Onyx.

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