Jam Master Jay's godson and pal guilty of murdering Run-DMC star over drug deal
The decades-long unsolved case of Jam Master Jay' s murder has finally come to a close, as defendants Karl Jordan Jr and Ronald Washington have been found guilty of all charges.
Music icon Jam Master Jay was gunned down in 2002 and it's taken over two decades for his killers to be brought to justice. A federal jury reached a verdict on Tuesday, finally bringing a close to the unsolved murder case, that had angered the music industry and fans alike.
Ronald Washington, a childhood friend of Jam Master Jay, and Karl Jordan Jr, Jay's godson, had pleaded not guilty to all charges of murder while engaged in fire-arm related murder and narcotics trafficking.
Jordan also pleaded not guilty to a number of counts of narcotics distribution. Jam Master Jay, whose real name was Jason Mizell, was fatally gunned down at a recording studio in Jamaica, Queens in New York in 2002.
READ MORE:Forrest Gump star Gary Sinise's son Mac dies aged 33 after rare cancer battle
Taylor Swift seen looking cosy with Matty Healy's mum Denise Welch months ago
Run DMC helped usher in the Golden Age of Hip-Hop (Mirrorpix)Years went by after the murder with no arrests being made, as fans demanded answers. But then in August 2020, the US Attorney for the Eastern District unsealed a criminal indictment alleging Washington and Jordan conspired to kill the beloved musician in relation to a drug dispute.
A third defendant, Jay Bryant, was charged in May 2023 with murder while engaged in narcotics trafficking and firearm-related murder. He also pleaded not guilty and his trial is slated for January 2026.
Jam Master Jay's home (AP)Washington and Jordan Jr's Defence Lawyers said during their closing argruments that the real killer was Bryant. A hat found at the crime scene contained only Bryant's DNA, and according to lawyers, he was the only defendant seen on security cameras.
Michael Hueston, Jordan’s attorney, said: "Jay Bryant is literally reasonable doubt in this case."
Jam Master Jay was the DJ of the group"This is an attempt to make a mockery of the judicial system. They know who killed Jam Master Jay. They know it was Jay Bryant, said Susan Kellman, Washington’s attorney. "They have no case against anybody except Jay Bryant," she added.
Addressing the court during their closing arguments, Assistant US Attorney Artie McConnell said: "It’s about greed. It’s about money. It’s about jealousy."
They continued: "And it’s about the actions of two men, Karl Jordan, Jr., and Ronald Washington, that the evidence proves are killers," CNN reported.
Ronald Washington is a childhood friend of Jam Master Jay (ABC 7)
Karl Jordan Jr is Jam Master Jay's godson (ABC 7)Jam Master Jay was a Hip-Hop music legend and the DJ behind the hugely popular group Run-DMC, which also featured Joseph "Run" Simmons and Darryl "D.M.C" McDaniels.
Alongside the likes of the Beastie Boys and DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince they helped usher in the golden age of Hip-Hop with tracks such as Walk This Way and It's Tricky.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
