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Jam Master Jay\u00a0<\/strong>was one of the most important figures in the world of rap music. The DJ, whose real name was Jason William Mizell, rose to fame for playing the turntables in the major group Run-DMC. He also played instruments on the group\u2019s records in the studio. When the rappers would perform live, Jay was always in the background spinning the turntables. He also had his own record label that signed major rappers, like\u00a050 Cent.<\/strong> A documentary about the group\u00a0Kings From Queens: The Run-DMC Story<\/em> was released on Peacock on February 1, 2024.<\/p>\n Jay was shot and killed in October 2002. He was 37-years-old. While an investigation began immediately, there were no arrests made until 2020. His murder was also the subject of the Netflix investigative documentary\u00a0ReMastered: Who Killed Jam Master Jay?\u00a0<\/em>As the murder trial has begun, get to know more about the DJ\u2019s death.<\/p>\n Jam Master Jay was shot and killed in his studio in Jamaica, Queens on October 30, 2002. He was shot in the head while playing video games when two people burst in and fired. There were multiple other people in the studio, and another person was shot in the leg, per The New York Times<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em>An investigation began but the killers were not identified at the time.<\/p>\n Following Jay\u2019s death members of the hip hop community paid tribute to the DJ and spoke about what a massive loss his death was.<\/p>\n There were three men charged with Jam Master Jay\u2019s murder. The first two suspects were charged with plotting to kill the DJ in 2020. The two suspects are Karl Jordan Jr.\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Ronald Washington.\u00a0<\/strong>Jordan was Mizell\u2019s godson, and Washington was a childhood friend. They planned the murder because the DJ had cut Ronald out of a drug deal, according to People<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em>The two of them were arrested, and their trial began in January 2024.<\/p>\n A third suspect\u00a0Jay Bryant\u00a0<\/strong>was charged as an accomplice in May 2023, per\u00a0The Associated Press.<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>Bryant was seen entering the building, and his DNA was recovered from the crime scene. He will face a separate trial from Jordan and Washington.<\/p>\n In February 2024, Washington and Jordan were found guilty in Jam Master Jay\u2019s murder. The jury reached the guilty verdict in the Brooklyn, New York City court. Each man faces up to 20 years in prison. Per NBC<\/a>, the prosecution denied seeking the death penalty.<\/p>\n Washington and Jordan\u2019s trial in front of a federal jury began in Brooklyn on Monday, January 29, 2024. Each has pleaded not guilty.\u00a0 Both of them can face a minimum sentence of 20 years if found guilty, per People.\u00a0<\/em>Prosecutors filed documents saying that the defendants and others close to them had attempted to intimidate witnesses ahead of the trial, according to\u00a0The Times.\u00a0<\/em>A judge also ruled that Jordan\u2019s rap lyrics, where he has boasted about violence and drug dealing, can\u2019t be used against him in the trial.<\/p>\n Uriel Rincon,\u00a0<\/strong>who had been shot in the leg during the murder, identified Jordan as the shooter who killed Jam Master Jay as he took the witness stand on Wednesday, January 31, 2024. He claimed that the DJ\u2019s godson entered the studio while Jay was playing video games. \u201cHe kind of walked directly to Jay and gave \u2014 like, half a handshake, with an arm. And at the same time, that\u2019s when I hear a couple of shots,\u201d he said, via\u00a0The Associated Press.\u00a0<\/em>\u201cAnd then I see Jay just fall.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/jam-master-jay-murder-trial-embed.jpg?quality=100&w=620\")
How Did Jam Master Jay Die?<\/h2>\n
Who Are the Suspects?<\/h2>\n
Ronald Washington & Karl Jordan Jr.\u2019s\u00a0Trial<\/h2>\n