Two men indicted over killing of Run-DMC star Jam Master Jay

2 Indicted In The Murder Of Jam Master Jay Of Run-DMC
2 Indicted In The Murder Of Jam Master Jay Of Run-DMC

US prosecutors say they have solved one of New York City's most enduring unsolved killings, charging two men with the 2002 murder of hip hop star Jam Master Jay while suggesting the artist may have been ambushed over a cocaine deal.

The suspects were identified in court papers as Ronald Washington, who is currently serving a federal prison sentence stemming from a string of robberies he committed while on the run from police after Jay's 2002 death, and Karl Jordan Jr, who is also charged with engaging in an alleged cocaine distribution conspiracy in 2017.

"This is a case that has been around for a long time," acting US attorney Seth DuCharme said at a news conference announcing the charges.

Washington, who had reportedly been living on a couch at Jay's home in the days before the killing, was publicly named as a possible suspect or witness as far back as 2007.

Prosecutors allege he waved a handgun around and ordered people in Jay's Queens recording studio to lie on the ground, providing cover while Jordan shot him in the head on October 30 2002.

"They walked in and murdered him in cold blood," Mr DuCharme said.

Washington and Jordan were engaged in a conspiracy to distribute 5kg of cocaine at the time of Jay's killing, according to their indictment. Prosecutors did not say if Jay had any role in the conspiracy.

If convicted, Washington and Jordan face a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison, or the death penalty. Prosecutors said in court papers that attorney general William Barr had not yet decided whether to seek the death penalty.

Run DMC at the Respect anti-racist festival at Finsbury Park
Run DMC at the Respect anti-racist festival at Finsbury Park (Helen Valentine/PA)

Jordan is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday by videolink because of coronavirus-related precautions. Washington, who is imprisoned in Kentucky, will be arraigned later this week, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors have asked that both be jailed pending trial.

Jason "Jay" Mizell, known professionally as Jam Master Jay, was a member of 1980s hip-hop pioneers Run-DMC, with Joseph "Run" Simmons and Darryl "DMC" McDaniel. Their hits included It's Tricky and the Aerosmith remake collaboration Walk This Way.

Jay was shot once in the head with a .40-calibre bullet by a masked assailant at his studio in Hollis, the Queens neighbourhood where he grew up, police said at the time. He left behind a wife and three children.

Police identified at least four people in the studio with Jay, including the two armed gunmen. The city and Jay's friends offered more than 60,000 dollars in reward money, but witnesses refused to come forward and the case languished.

Jay's acquaintance with Washington upset his family. Before sleeping on Jay's couch, Washington had been linked to the fatal 1995 shooting of Randy Walker, a close associate of the late Tupac Shakur.

Advertisement