Third man charged in death of Run-DMC's Jam Master Jay, 21 years later

NEW YORK (WPIX) — A third man has been arrested in connection with the 2002 murder of Jam Master J of Run-DMC, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.

An indictment was filed against Jay Bryant, 48, of Queens, who was being held on federal drug charges in an unrelated case, officials said.

The hip-hop star, whose real name is Jason Mizell, was shot and killed in his head at his recording studio in Queens on October 30, 2002. He was 37 years old. leg and the next bullet hits Jai in the head, killing him.

Mizell’s fellow group members, Joseph “Run” Simmons and Daryl “DMC” McDaniel, were not in the second-floor studio on Merrick Boulevard in Jamaica when the shots rang out.

When authorities indicted two other men, Carl Jordan Jr. and Ronald Washington, in August 2020, they said a drug deal was involved in Mizell’s death.

In a letter filed with the court on Tuesday, prosecutors said Bryant and two other men entered the building that evening and then fled after the shooting. They said Bryant was seen entering the building and his DNA was recovered at the scene.

For years, Jay’s death hung as a cold case, with witnesses reluctant to speak despite being offered reward money.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.