Jam Master Jay murder conviction overturned by judge
A judge has overturned the conviction of one of the people found guilty of killing Jam Master Jay in 2002.
The rap legend (real name Jason Mizell) was a member of Run-DMC alongside Joseph ‘Run’ Simmons and Darryl ‘DMC’ McDaniels.
He lost his life on October 30th, 2002, after he was shot and killed at his music studio in Queens, New York, at the age of 37.
It wasn’t until 2020 that Karl Jordan Jr and Ronald Washington were arrested for his murder, with the pair being convicted in 2024.
However, according to the Associated Press, US District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall acquitted Jordan Jr on December 19th.
Jordan Jr’s lawyer, John Diaz, said in a statement, “We are really happy for Mr Jordan and his family that justice was served. Despite the verdict, he remains in prison on drug charges.
As well as overturning the conviction, the judge denied Ronald Washington’s request for acquittal or a new trial after it was decided the evidence was stronger against him.
“A jury could reasonably infer that Washington was excluded from a potentially lucrative Baltimore deal and sought to retaliate against Mizell for his exclusion,” she said. “From what evidence, then, could the jury have reasonably inferred that Jordan sought to retaliate against Mizell for the failure of the Baltimore deal? There was none.”
Run-DMC are one of the most influential hip-hop groups of all time. They’re best known for hit singles like ‘It’s Tricky‘, ‘It’s Like That’, and ‘Walk This Way’ with Aerosmith.
Their 1986 album, Raising Hell, reached number three on the Billboard 200 chart, with the follow-up, 1988’s Tougher Than Leather, peaking at number nine. Both albums are certified platinum by the RIAA.