After decades of investigations and weeks of testimony, a federal trial concluded on Feb. 27 with a jury finding Karl Jordan Jr. and Ronald Washington guilty of the murder of legendary DJ Jam Master Jay of the iconic group Run-D.M.C. in 2002. The verdict brings closure to a case that has long haunted the hip-hop community, shedding light on a conspiracy driven by greed and revenge, Rolling Stone reported.

On Oct. 30, 2022, Jam Master Jay, 37, was brazenly gunned down in his Queens, NY, recording studio in front of witnesses. Until recently, those witnesses refused to cooperate with the investigation.

Jordan, 40, was Jam Master Jay’s godson. Washington, 59, was an old friend who was staying at the home of Jay’s sister. Both men were arrested in 2020 and pleaded not guilty.

The trial, held at the U.S. District Court in Brooklyn, New York, saw prosecutors presenting evidence linking Jordan and Washington to the murder of Jason Mizell, known professionally as Jam Master Jay. According to the Department of Justice, the defendants were charged with murder in connection with a narcotics trafficking conspiracy and firearm-related offenses.

“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,” United States Attorney Breon Peace said. “That the victim, professionally known as Jam Master Jay, was a hip-hop icon and Run-D.M.C.’s music was born in Hollis, Queens, in this very district, and beloved by so many, adds to the tragedy of a life senselessly cut short.”

Prosecutors alleged that Mizell, facing a decline in Run-D.M.C.’s popularity, turned to selling cocaine. When a drug deal soured due to Mizell’s refusal to involve Washington, the defendants plotted his murder as an act of retaliation, Variety reported.

Additional details emerged during the trial, including the involvement of Jay Bryant, accused of facilitating Jordan and Washington’s access to Mizell on the fateful day of the shooting. Bryant is scheduled to stand trial separately in January 2026.

Jam Master Jay Of Run-DMC, aka Jason Mizell, walks to the stage during the Together Forever Tour, July 29, 1987, at the Pine Knob Music Theater in Clarkston, Michigan. Credit: Ross Marino Archive / MediaPunch /IPX