NYPD has charged another individual with the murder of the former Run-DMC DJ, Jam Master Jay. Following his killing in 2002, the murder has remained unsolved for nearly two decades. However, as new evidence has come to light, the ongoing investigation has finally made progress, and police have brought in a third person.
Jam Master Jay (real name Jason Mizell) was shot and killed at his Queens recording studio in 2002 aged 37. For over two decades, the investigation hadn’t seen any progress. However, due to mounting evidence, the police now have sufficient grounds to arrest and charge another suspect for the cold-blooded killing.
The NYPD has identified the individual as Jay Bryant, a Queens native who they believe was involved in the drug-related murder of Jam Master Jay. Upon his arrest, Bryant was formally charged for his suspected role in the homicide.
In August 2020, two suspects named Ronald Washington and Karl Jordan Jr. were indicted in this case. Washington had previously been incarcerated, while Jordan Jr. had once gone to prison for shooting Mizell’s nephew. All three individuals have pleaded not guilty and will go to trial in 2024 for both murder and drug charges.
In a formal email sent to The Washington Post, Bryant’s lawyer César de Castro wrote, “Securing an indictment in a secret grand jury, applying an extremely low burden of proof, is one thing, but Proving it at trial is another matter.”
He continued: “However, we remain confused why, after more than 20 years and charging two individuals three years ago, does the government now allegedly think that they have sufficient evidence to charge Mr. Bryant.”
In 2020, The New York Times spoke with two unnamed detectives who had previously worked on the case. They revealed that NYPD had concluded that Mizell was financing a drug operation and that his murder resulted from an interaction that “didn’t go as planned.” According to NYPD records, Mizell’s post-mortem unveiled he was shot Mizell twice at close range, one of which was in the head.
