NEW YORK.- Two decades after murder of Jam Master Jay, the trial begins this Monday against two alleged murderers of the famous DJ of the American group Run-DMC, who left an indelible mark on the rap.
The first stage, jury selection, began on January 22, but the initial arguments will only take place on January 29.
After two decades without a resolution to the crime, in August 2022 the Prosecutor’s Office indicted Ronald Washington, now 59 years old, and Karl Jordan Jr., 40, the alleged perpetrator of the shot to the head that occurred on October 30, 2002. caused the death of Jason “Jay” Mizell in his studio in the Queens district.
The musician was then 37 years old and the father of three children.
In May 2023, the public power also indicted a third defendant, Jay Bryant, now 50 years old and who will be prosecuted in another parallel process, according to a court spokesperson.
the murder
Both Washington and Jordan, who was 18 years old at the time of the alleged crime, are charged with homicide involving drug trafficking and murder with a firearm, for which they could be sentenced to death. Jordan also faces several additional charges of narcotics distribution.
All three defendants hailed from Hollis, Queens, where Run-DMC originated.
According to court documents, the motive for the murder of rapper It was related to Mizell’s acquisition of cocaine for distribution in Maryland by a group that included Washington and Jordan.
An internal dispute led Mizell to exclude Washington from the deal, which prosecutors say led to his murder.
The homicide had a great impact due to the international success of Run-DMC, a hip hop group born in the early 80s and known for hits such as It’s Tricky, Christmas In Hollis, Can You Rock It Like This, My Adidas o Walk this Way.
The trio regularly lashes out at violent gang culture, which in the early 1990s became increasingly associated with rap music.
Over the years, investigators have considered a number of possible motives, including that the fatal shooting occurred out of resentment toward 50 Cent, another Queens-born rapper and protégé of Jam Master Jay. That theory was later discarded.
Jam Master Jay’s death followed a wave of murders that shocked the rap community in the 1990s, including those of rap superstars Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G.
FUENTE: AFP
