Two men convicted of the 2002 killing of Run-DMC’s Jam Master Jay.
According to reports, Ronald Washington, Jay’s childhood friend, and Karl Jordan Jr., Jay’s godson, were convicted of murder while “engaged in narcotics trafficking and firearm-related murder.”
Both Jordan and Washington face a minimum sentence of 20 years in prison, but they will be able to fight the verdict in two stages, one with a judge and the other in federal appeals court.
“Today, a federal jury in Brooklyn returned a guilty verdict against Karl Jordan, Jr., and Ronald Washington for the October 30, 2002, murder of Jason Mizell, also known as ‘Jam Master Jay,’ a member of the famed hip hop group Run-DMC,” read a statement from the Eastern District of New York (EDNY) on Tuesday (February 27).
“More than two decades after they killed Jason Mizell in his recording studio, Jordan and Washington have finally been held accountable for their cold-blooded crime driven by greed and revenge,” said United States Attorney Breon Peace, in a statement provided by the EDNY. “That the victim, professionally known as Jam Master Jay, was a hip hop icon and Run-DMC’s music was born in Hollis, Queens, in this very district, and beloved by so many, adds to the tragedy of a life senselessly cut short.”