Nearly 25 years after the fatal shooting of rap icon Jam Master Jay from Run-DMC, a man confessed in court on Monday to being involved in the long-standing unresolved murder case. Jay Bryant admitted guilt to a federal murder charge, acknowledging his role in facilitating the ambush of the DJ, born Jason Mizell, in a recording studio.
Bryant did not disclose the identities of his accomplices. In 2024, two other men, Karl Jordan Jr. and Ronald Washington, were convicted, but Jordan was subsequently acquitted. Washington has contested his conviction, with his lawyer, Susan Kellman, citing evidence linking Bryant to the crime scene through DNA and witness statements implicating Bryant in firing the gun.
Expected to receive a sentence ranging from 15 to 20 years for the murder, along with unrelated drug and gun charges to which he previously pleaded guilty, Bryant, aged 52, left the court after giving a thumbs-up to an individual in the audience. Prosecutors did not provide immediate comments on the matter.
Jam Master Jay, a member of the influential Run-DMC trio, was shot and killed at 37 in his Queens studio in 2002. The case remained unsolved for years until Jordan and Washington were arrested in 2020, allegedly motivated by a dispute over a failed cocaine deal involving Mizell.
Despite Run-DMC’s anti-drug stance, it was revealed that Mizell engaged in the drug trade in his later years to maintain his financial stability. Prosecutors and witnesses claimed that Jordan shot Mizell while Washington blocked the door during the incident. Both defendants denied the allegations, asserting their innocence.
Subsequently, Bryant was linked to the murder investigation three years after the initial arrests, with prosecutors citing his DNA found on a hat at the crime scene. Bryant admitted in court that he assisted in granting his associates access to the studio to carry out the attack on Mizell. Prosecutors alleged that Bryant facilitated the entry of the assailants by opening a back door, allowing them to bypass security measures.
