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A federal jury this week indicted a third man in the murder of a New York City hip-hop legend, whose murder case remains open two decades after the deadly drug deal at his studio.
Prosecutors have formally charged Jay Bryant for his role in the 2002 shooting of Run DMC member Jason Mizell – known to fans as “Jam Master Jay”. Ronald Washington and Karl Jordan Jr. were charged in the DJ’s death in August 2020. According to court documents, the three are accused of murder and drug offenses.
Mizell DJed rappers Joseph “Run” Simmons and Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, and together they founded a seminal 1980s hip-hop scene that helped propel the nascent New York movement into the mainstream. Their collaboration with Aerosmith to re-imagine “Walk This Way” is a pivotal moment in expanding the reach of the genre that is the dominant sound in popular music today.
Prosecutors announced in August 2020 that the investigation determined the motive for the murder was that Mizell had obtained approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine for Washington and Jordan to sell in Maryland. But that didn’t happen, prosecutors wrote in the announcement: “Mizell had recently informed Washington that the defendant would not be involved in the distribution of the narcotics in Maryland, which accelerated the murder conspiracy.”
Court documents filed Tuesday allege that the three defendants – Washington, Jordan and Bryant – entered the DJ’s studio in the Hollis neighborhood of Queens around 7:30 pm on October 30, 2002. Investigators wrote that Washington ordered someone in the studio at gunpoint to go to the ground before Jordan shot Mizell twice at point-blank range, with one shot fatally hitting the DJ in the head.
Prosecutors wrote that Bryant was seen entering the building shortly before the shooting and that an article of clothing at the scene contained Bryant’s DNA. “He later admitted involvement in the murder,” the court document said. The document added that Bryant also claimed he was the shooter, but authorities wrote that all evidence pointed to Jordan being the shooter.
Bryant’s attorney, César de Castro, told The Washington Post in an email Wednesday that his client intends to plead not guilty. “Also, just yesterday we learned that charges had been brought against him but they were told they were considering it,” he wrote.
The lawyer added, “However, we remain puzzled as to why, after more than 20 years and the indictment of two individuals three years ago, the government now allegedly believes it has sufficient evidence to charge Mr Bryant.”
John Marzulli, spokesman for the Eastern District of New York, declined to answer the Post’s questions about why the case remains open or what led to the indictment against Bryant.
According to court documents, Bryant, who is being held on an unrelated drug-related offense, is scheduled to appear in the case on Thursday.