Conviction overturned by judge in murder of Run-DMC’s Jam Master Jay
One of two men found guilty of the 2002 murder has been acquitted, with a judge noting there was “unsatisfactory” evidence
A New York judge has acquitted one of two men found guilty of murdering Run-DMC member Jam Master Jay in 2002, more than a year after he was convicted.
US District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall ruled that there was not sufficient evidence to prove that the pioneering rap star, whose real name is Jason Mizell, was murdered by Karl Jordan Jr – who is also Mizell’s godson.
Both Jordan Jr and Ronald Washington, a long-term friend of the rapper, were found guilty in February 2024 of murdering Mizell in a New York recording studio shooting.
A judge previously heard that they, along with a third man named Jay Bryant who is set to go to trial next year (per NBC), were engaged in a Baltimore drug trafficking operation worth around $200,000. They’re alleged to have shot and killed Mizell after being cut from the deal.
Mizell was declared deceased on October 30, 2002, at the age of 37. Both Washington and Jordan Jr were charged with murder in 2020 after almost two decades of investigations.
On Friday, December 19, Judge Hall made a rare decision to overturn the conviction of Jordan Jr, ruling that prosecutors did not satisfactorily prove their case, conditionally denying his motion for a new trial.
According to The Associated Press, the judge asked: “From what evidence could the jury have reasonably inferred that Jordan sought to retaliate against Mizell for the failure of the Baltimore deal? There was none.”
She did, however, deny Washington’s plea for acquittal and another trial. The third defendant indicted in the murder, Jay Bryant, faces a separate trial in May 2026.
In an email sent to CNN, one of Jordan Jr’s lawyers explained: “We are really happy for Mr. Jordan and his family that justice was served.”
Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Associate Digital Editor, follow her on Twitter
