Run-DMC's Jam Master Jay's Family Finally Gets Justice With Two Guilty Verdicts

Jason William Mizell, better known by his stage name Jam Master Jay, can finally rest in peace as his killers have been brought to justice.

The late rapper shook up the Hip-hop world as a member of the famed 80s group Run-DMC until he was brutally murdered on October 30, 2002. More than two decades later, the men responsible for ending his life at 37 will pay for their crime, giving Mizell's grief-stricken family the closure they deserve.

The long-awaited conclusion to the mystery behind Mizell's death arrived on Tuesday, February 27. A federal jury in Brooklyn slammed gunmen — Karl Jordan Jr. and Ronald Washington — with a guilty verdict for the rapper's murder. 

The duo were charged with murder while engaged in a narcotics trafficking conspiracy and firearm-related murder for the fatal shooting of Mizell inside the victim's recording studio in Hollis, Queens.

The guilty verdict comes at the heels of a four-week trial umpired by United States District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall. When sentenced, Jordan Jr. and Washington face a minimum of 20 years behind bars and a maximum term of life imprisonment.

According to a press release from the US Department of Justice, the verdict was announced by the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace. In his statement, the legal practitioner noted the judgment was long overdue, saying:

"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."

The United States Attorney continued by praising Jam Master Jay as a Hip-hop icon whose achievements with Run-DMC originated from their Queens district. He described his death as another "tragedy of a life senselessly cut short" before thanking everyone who participated in getting him justice.

ATF Special Agent-in-Charge John B. DeVito echoed similar sentiments, noting: "Today's guilty verdicts provides proof that the passage of time provides no safe harbor to those who commit murder."

The law enforcer threw a special shout-out to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), saying: "For us in ATF, our memory is long, and our resolve is steadfast. We have no tolerance for those who would take a life, and we are committed to seeing justice done."

Mr. DeVito also thanked everyone involved in the case and sent his well wishes to the "It's Tricky" rapper's loved ones. In his words: "We offer our hope to the family, friends, and fans of Jason Mizell that today's verdict gives some closure."

NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban similarly applauded his department's detectives for their help in securing the guilty verdict despite the passage of time. "A cold case is never a forgotten case," he argued, adding:

"In the decades since Mr. Mizell was brutally murdered, the greatest detectives in the world followed every lead until arrests could be made and a solid case could be brought to our partners in the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York."

Commissioner Edward continued: "Mr. Mizell's loved ones – who long-expected and deserved justice to be delivered – were patient, too, and we hope the jury's decisions today advance a small measure of closure."

The press release revealed the trial uncovered a shocking truth about Jam Master Jay. Between the 1990s and 2002, the late rapper was involved in arranging the sale of kilogram-quantities of cocaine in the Eastern District of New York and other locations.

In August 2002, Mizell reportedly acquired approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine on consignment from a supplier based in California. The cocaine was to be distributed in Maryland by Washington, Jordan, and other co-conspirators until a dispute between the group forced the deceased to cut out his killers.

Washington and Jordan felt betrayed by the snub as the drug deal was worth almost $200,000. The duo continued their part in the larger narcotics conspiracy, waiting for the right moment to strike down Mizell, and that came on October 30, 2002.

On the fateful day, a co-conspirator allowed the criminals into Jam Master Jay's studio through a fire escape exit door. Then the trio approached the rapper, who had been gaming with a friend on the couch while talking business with his manager.

Jordan fired two shots at close range, with one hitting Mizell in the head and killing him instantly. The second shot struck the Hip-hop icon's friend in the leg while the manager tried to flee the scene but was stopped by Washington's gun in her face and told to lay on the floor.