Man pleads guilty to 2002 death of Jam Master Jay
The Run-D.M.C. star was killed in a recording studio in October 2002.
A man has pleaded guilty to the 2002 shooting death of Run D.M.C.'s Jam Master Jay.
Jay Bryant, 52, who was one of three men charged in Jam Master Jay's death, pleaded guilty in Brooklyn federal court.
He faces between 15 and 20 years in prison.
According to a press release from the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York, Jam Master Jay, whose real name was Jason Mizell, was at his recording studio located on Merrick Boulevard in Jamaica, Queens, when "Bryant entered the building containing the recording studio and opened a locked fire escape exit door" to allow Karl Jordan, Jr. and Ronald Washington "to enter the building" without being seen by Jam Master Jay.
The press release says that "Washington pointed his firearm at an individual and demanded she lay on the floor, and Jordan approached Mizell and fired two shots at close range, striking Mizell once in the head and killing him."
The press release adds that court filings say that two months prior, Jam Master Jay acquired approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine on consignment from a supplier. The cocaine was intended to be distributed in Maryland by Jordan, Washington and others.
Prosecutors say that Mizell cut Washington and Jordan out of the deal, worth almost $200,000, and following the betrayal, Washington and Jordan murdered him.
Jordan and Washington were arrested in 2020 and convicted in 2024. A judge overturned Jordan's conviction, and prosecutors are currently challenging that decision.
Joseph Nocella Jr., the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a press release shared online that an "exhaustive investigation revealed Bryant's role and today he finally admitted his guilt."
"The prosecutors in our Office and our law enforcement partners never give up, no matter how long it takes, in the pursuit of justice for the victim and the victim’s family," Nocella added.
ATF New York Special Agent in Charge Bryan DiGirolamo added in a statement shared in the press release, "Today’s guilty plea reflects the dedication of law enforcement and prosecutors who never stopped working to bring accountability for the victim and his family. We are grateful for the partnership of ATF NY’s Joint Firearms Task Force–Long Island, ATF Philadelphia Allentown Office, NYPD, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.”
Jam Master Jay's death follows the killings of Tupac Shakur in 1996 and Notorious B.I.G. in 1997, which authorities also struggled with for years.
Shortly after Jam Master Jay's death, Run-D.M.C., which included members Joseph Simmons and Darryl McDaniels, announced that they were retiring the group name out of respect for Jam Master Jay.
The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009 and received a Grammy Award for lifetime achievement in 2016.