For almost two decades, justice seemingly evaded Jason Mizell, better known as DJ Jam Master Jay, who was murdered in New York. Today, two men have finally been charged for the crime.Mizell, who was a member of the hip-hop group Run-DMC alongside Joseph “Run” Simmons and Darryl “DMC” McDaniel, was murdered in Queens, October 30, 2002. According to reports, the DJ was shot at point-blank range with a .40-caliber handgun in his recording studio, by a masked assailant. Over the years, the shooting has been considered one of New York’s most notorious unsolved killings.In 2007, police publicly identified Ronald Washington and Karl Jordan as potential suspects as the city, along with Mizell’s loved ones, offered $60,000 in reward money for any information that could lead to an arrest. Unfortunately, witnesses were still unwilling to come forward at the time.Reports indicated that Washington had been living on Mizell’s couch and, on the day of his murder, allegedly waved a handgun around and ordered people in Jay’s Queens recording studio to lie on the ground while another man killed him.Today, the official indictment reveals that both Washington and Jordan have been charged with the murder while engaged in cocaine trafficking. In an effort to further understand the motive for the crime, investigators report that Mizell “sought to exclude Washington from a large multi-state drug deal. In retaliation, Washington and Jordan conspired to murder Mizell.” This came as no surprise to fans mourning the artist’s death, as Mizell was commonly celebrated for his anti-drug stance.[video_embed id='2014527']LL Cool J and Darryl 'DMC' McDaniels on the political power of hip-hop[/video_embed]In a press conference announcing the arrests, acting U.S. Attorney Seth DuCharme said, "This is a case that has been around for a long time”.
Washington, who was also reportedly linked to the shooting of Randy Walker (a “close associate” of the late Tupac Shakur) is currently serving a federal prison sentence following a string of robberies committed while on the run after Mizell’s murder. Jordan is also charged with engaging in an alleged cocaine distribution conspiracy in 2017, and is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday via teleconference.If convicted, both men will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison, or the death penalty. Prosecutors have reportedly requested that both men be jailed while awaiting trial.[video_embed id='1995717']BEFORE YOU GO: OVO Sound R&B group dvsn are finding inspiration in the troubled times[/video_embed]
