Third man charged in Jam Master Jay murder changes plea to guilty
One of the three men charged in the killing of hip-hop icon Jam Master Jay changed his plea to guilty in court on Monday.
Jam Master Jay, whose real name was Jason Mizell, was killed in 2002 inside a music studio in Hollis, Queens. He was known for being the DJ in Run-DMC. Karl Jordan Jr. and Ronald Washington were found guilty by a jury in 2024 for the murder, before Jordan was later cleared by a judge.
Jay Bryant was charged in 2023, three years after Washington and Jordan. Prosecutors said his DNA was found on a hat inside the music studio where the iconic DJ was killed. He changed his plea to guilty as an accomplice to Mizell's murder, after he originally pleaded not guilty to his earlier indictment.
A court docket revealed Thursday that Bryant intended to change his plea, and that his lawyers were negotiating the deal with federal prosecutors. Defendants can change their minds about pleading guilty even as they're sitting in court.
DNA found on hat inside studio
Prosecutors contended that Bryant slipped into the studio building and opened a back fire door so that Washington and Jordan could avoid buzzing up and could ambush the DJ.
Meanwhile, Bryant's uncle claimed that his nephew told him he shot Mizell after the artist reached for a gun. No other witnesses placed Bryant in the studio, however, and prosecutors differed with the uncle's account, even though he was their witness. Instead, they suggested that Bryant touched the hat, and then Jordan or Washington carried it into the studio and dropped it.
Neither Washington's nor Jordan's DNA was found on the hat, according to court papers. Prosecutors and trial witnesses said that Jordan shot the DJ while Washington blocked the door during the shooting and ordered one of Mizell's to get on the ground. Both men denied the allegations.
Jordan was Mizell's grandson, and Washington was one of Mizell's childhood best friends, but Bryant had little if any connection to the rap star. It was unclear if Bryant had ever met the DJ, but according to testimony during Jordan and Washington's trial, they had a mutual friend.
Who was Jam Master Jay?
Jam Master Jay was a hip-hop icon who was known for his role in Run-DMC, where he would craft beats and scratches that helped propel rap into the mainstream in the 1980s. The trio's hits included "It's Tricky" and a take on Aerosmith's "Walk This Way."
