Guilty! Brooklyn Jury Convicts Two Men in Connection with the 2002 Murder of Run-DMC Star Jam Master Jay

After a three-week trial, a jury in Brooklyn has convicted two suspects in connection with the 2002 shooting death of Run-DMC star Jam Master Jay,

Karl Jordan, Jr., 40, and Ronald Washington, 59, were charged in August 2020 with killing the legendary rapper. Prosecutors accused the pair of murdering Jam Master Jay because he had cut them out of a cocaine deal, according to Billboard.

Both Jordan and Washington face at least 20 years behind bars when they are sentenced.

A third man, Jay Bryant, 49, was charged last May in the case, and he is expected to face trial later this year, Billboard reported.

On Oct. 30, 2002, the hip-hop trailblazer was shot in the head in his studio, as Front Page Detectives previously reported.

Bryant was already in custody on unrelated federal drug charges when he was arrested, officials said.

In a letter submitted to the court on May 30, prosecutors alleged Bryant and the two other defendants had entered the building that evening and fled after the shooting. Officials said Bryant was seen re-entering the building, and claimed his DNA was recovered at the crime scene.

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Jay was part of Run-DMC with Joseph “Run” Simmons and Darryl “DMC” McDaniel in the early 1980s. The group had a slew of hits, including “King of Rock,” “It’s Tricky” and “Walk This Way.”

For years, Jay’s death lingered as a cold case. Witnesses were hesitant to speak up despite reward money being offered, officials said.