In the 2002 murder of Run-DMC member Jason Mizell, jury selection has begun for two men. Prosecutors say Ronald Washington, 59, and Karl Jordan, 40, killed Mizell after a failed narcotics transaction. Due to the famous DJ’s untimely death, the Brooklyn federal court trial has garnered attention.
Murder in a Queens Recording Studio
The incident unfolded on October 30, 2002, at Mizell’s 24/7 Studio in Queens. Prosecutors claim that Washington and Jordan entered the studio with firearms, demanding compliance from individuals present. Jordan allegedly fired two shots at close range, fatally striking Mizell in the head and injuring another individual.
Washington and Jordan are accused of murdering Jam Master Jay for cocaine trafficking. Federal prosecutors said Mizell’s purchase of 10 kilograms of cocaine from a Midwest supplier prompted the murder. Drug distribution in Maryland would implicate Jay’s alleged murders in a drug conspiracy.
Washington, already convicted of robbery, was indicted, while Jordan was arrested in 2020 for trying to sell cocaine to an undercover investigator. Both have denied murder and narcotics accusations.
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Additional Defendant and Severed Case
The jury selected for the trial will remain anonymous, reflecting the case’s high-profile nature. Scheduled to begin on January 29, the trial will unfold in Brooklyn federal court, with the chosen jurors tasked with assessing the evidence surrounding the murder of the influential hip-hop star.
In May 2023, a third person, Jay Bryant, was charged in connection to Jam Master Jay’s murder. However, his case has been severed from the trials of Jordan and Washington following a successful argument by his lawyer. Bryant, who pleaded not guilty, will face separate legal proceedings.
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