NEWSJam Master Jay Murder: Third Man Charged in the 2002 Shooting Death of Run-DMC Star
May 30 2023, Published 10:13 p.m. ET
A third man named Jay Bryant has been charged in connection with the 2002 shooting death of Run-DMC star Jam Master Jay, prosecutors revealed on Tuesday, May 30.
According to Billboard, federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York filed a superseding indictment, charging the 49-year-old in the death of Jason "Jay" Mizell. He is currently being held in unrelated federal drug charges and will be arraigned on the murder charge at a different time.
Two other men, Ronald Washington and Karl Jordan Jr., were indicted in August 2020 for the death of Jay. (He was shot in the head in his studio on October 30, 2002.)
“This is a case about a murder that for nearly two decades has gone unanswered,” Seth D. DuCharme, the acting U.S. attorney in Brooklyn, said at the time. “Today we begin to answer that question of who killed Jason Mizell and why.”
“Securing an indictment in a secret grand jury, applying an extremely low burden of proof, is one thing. Proving it at trial is another matter,” Bryant's attorney, César de Castro, said in an email after Bryant's alleged involvement was revealed.
When the other two men were indicted, authorities said Jay's death occurred due to a drug deal gone bad.
In a letter filed with the court on Tuesday, prosecutors said Bryant and two other men entered a building that evening Jay was shot, but they later fled the scene of the alleged crime. They say Bryant went back into the building, where his DNA was later found.
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Jay was part of Run-DMC with Joseph “Run” Simmons and Darryl “DMC” McDaniel in the '80s.
The group had a slew of hits, including "King of Rock," "It's Tricky" and a remake of "Walk This Way."
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Jay's older brother, Marvin Thompson, previously spoke about the night of his sibling's death.
“I’d like to know the truth,” he said. “You hear so many different speculations — drugs, jealousy. I need to know who and why. That’s the major answer right there. Then I can have peace in my spirit.”
