You are reading

Two Queens Men Indicted in 2002 Killing of Run-DMC’s Jam Master Jay

Photo via Creative Commons Jeff Pinilla, Run DMC

Aug. 18, 2020 By Christian Murray

Two Queens men have been indicted for the 2002 killing of hip hop artist Jam Master Jay–in what federal prosecutors say puts an end to one of the city’s most notorious cold cases.

Ronald Washington, 36, and Karl Jordan Jr., 56, were both charged with murder for the fatal shooting of the hip hop artist inside his recording studio on Oct. 30, 2002 in Jamaica, Queens.

Jam Master Jay, one of the founding members of Run-DMC and whose real name was Jason Mizell, was shot in cold blood at his Merrick Boulevard recording studio following a dispute over a drug deal, according to federal prosecutors.

According to investigators, Mizell acquired approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine from a narcotics supplier in the Midwest. The cocaine was intended to be distributed in Maryland by Washington, Jordan and other co-conspirators.

Mizell, however, cut Washington out of the deal following a dispute, which precipitated the murder.

Jordan, who is from Hollis, was identified by prosecutors as the triggerman. He allegedly shot Mizell at close range in the head.

“The gunshots that rang out in a recording studio in Queens nearly 18 year ago, taking this pioneering rap artist’s life, have been answered,” said Dermot Shea, the NYPD commissioner in a statement.

Jordan pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in Brooklyn federal court on Monday and was ordered to be held without bail. Meanwhile, Washington, also from Hollis, is set to be arraigned later this week.

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

NY Hall of Science debuts CityWorks, its largest exhibition in over a decade

The New York Hall of Science in Corona opened its largest interactive exhibition in more than a decade on Saturday, May 3. The exhibition explores the often invisible inner workings of the built urban environment.

CityWorks is housed in a 6,000 square foot gallery, and the exhibit was created by a team of NYCSI exhibit developers, researchers, and educators over the past five years. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the intricate systems and engineering that enable cities to function, including how they break, evolve, and endure.

Twenty people indicted in Queens-based $4.6M vehicle theft ring after three-year probe: DA

Twenty individuals were indicted and variously charged in a wide-ranging scheme to steal cars in Queens, throughout New York City and its suburbs, following a three-year investigation by the Queens District Attorney’s Office, the NYPD, and the New York State Police dubbed “Operation Hellcat,” into the criminal enterprise based in Queens.

Some of the vehicles were stolen from owners’ driveways, some with the keys or key fobs inside. The stolen vehicles were often sold through advertisements on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. The defendants are charged in nine separate indictments for a total of 373 counts, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced on Thursday.