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A third suspect has been charged over the murder of Jam Master Jay.
A third suspect has been charged over the murder of Jam Master Jay
Run-DMC icon Jason ‘Jay’ Mizell was shot dead aged 39 inside his bustling recording studio in New York City on October 30, 2002, and the new development in the case has emerged three years after two other suspects were identified.
The latest suspect, Jay Bryant, 49, was initially apprehended on unrelated drug charges but was recently accused of involvement in Jay’s death.
According to reports from ABC affiliate station KABC-TV, Bryant was allegedly seen entering the building on the evening Mizell was killed, and his DNA was purportedly recovered from the crime scene.
In 2020, Karl Jordan and Ronald Washington were charged with murder in relation to the case.
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Federal prosecutors believed Mizell, who played a pivotal role in bringing hip hop to the mainstream through his group Run-DMC, was targeted due to a $1.7 million cocaine deal.
It was alleged Jordan and Washington carried out the murder after Mizell excluded Washington from the transaction.
Additional details have come to light as state attorneys join the investigation. Mizell had reportedly obtained 10 kilos of cocaine with the intention of selling it in Maryland, as reported by TMZ.
Washington, who had been connected to the murder since 2007, was found to have been residing on Mizell’s couch in the days leading up to the fatal incident.
He was also linked to the 1995 fatal shooting of Randy Walker, a close associate of the late rap legend Tupac Shakur.
Run-DMC soared to the top of the charts in the 1980s with their hit singles ‘Walk this Way’ and ‘It’s Tricky,’ helping define the hip hop genre alongside contemporaries such as the Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, and Public Enemy.
In 1989, Mizell established his own record label, Jam Master Jay Records, which signed artists such as 50 Cent and Onyx, but it closed following Mizell’s murder.
All three suspects are currently in custody and could potentially face life imprisonment if convicted.
