A grand jury indicted a third man for Jam Master Jay’s murder.
According to court documents obtained by AllHipHop, prosecutors charged a man named Jay Bryant in the Jam Master Jay murder case. Bryant’s co-defendants Karl Jordan Jr. and Ronald Washington were accused in 2020.
Bryant was charged with murder while engaged in drug trafficking and murder involving firearms. Prosecutors said he helped Jordan and Washington kill Jam Master Jay, whose real name was Jason Mizell.
Prosecutors claimed Bryant admitted to participating in the fatal shooting.
“On Wednesday, October 30, 2002, Mizell was present at his recording studio located on Merrick Boulevard in Queens, New York,” said US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace. “At approximately 7:30 p.m., Washington, Jordan, and Bryant entered the building. Washington pointed a firearm at one of the individuals located inside the studio and demanded that the individual be in ground. Jordan approached Mizell, pointed his firearm at him and fired two shots at close range. One of those shots struck Mizell in the head, killing him. The second shot struck another individual in the leg. The three accused fled the scene of the crime.”
Peace added: “Bryant was observed entering the building immediately before the shooting and a piece of clothing left at the crime scene contained Bryant’s DNA. He later admitted to participating in the murder, stating to an associate that he was the shooter.”
Prosecutors believed Bryant posed a danger to witnesses in the Jam Master Jay murder case. He was considered a flight risk because of his history of running from authorities.
“Bryant is a convicted felon with a criminal record spanning more than two decades in multiple states,” Peace said. “During that time, he has used more than a half-dozen aliases, failed to appear at court dates, and evaded bail and other forms of court supervision.”
He continued: “Bryant’s significant criminal history demonstrates that he presents an acute danger to potential witnesses in the present case, a significant danger to the community at large, and a substantial flight risk if released on bail.”
AllHipHop reported that a third suspect may be brought into the case. We also reported that DNA evidence from a third party was found inside the study.
Bryant’s indictment changed the dynamics of the Jam Master Jay murder case. Earlier this year, prosecutors tried to speed up the trial against Jordan and Washington.
Trial delays allowed time to file charges against Bryant. Prosecutors believe they found a third party responsible for Jam Master Jay’s murder.
“The seriousness of the charges is obvious and there is compelling evidence of Bryant’s guilt, including witness testimony, DNA evidence, and the defendant’s own statements to third parties where he admits, among other things, his relationship with his co-defendants and his participation in Mizell’s murder,” said Pau.
Bryant, Jordan and Washington await trial. Jordan and Washington face life in prison if convicted of Jam Master Jay’s murder.
Prosecutors previously wanted the trial to begin in November. Jordan and Washington were the only defendants when the start date was suggested.
Jay Bryant Accused of Jam Master Jay Murder
” data-image-caption=”” data-medium-file=” data-large-file=” decoding=”async” loading=”lazy” width=”628″ height=”628″ alt=”Jay Bryant accused of Jam Master Jay Murder” class=”ezlazyload wp-image-6068182″ data-ezsrcset=” 628w, 300w, 170w, 1w, 24w, 48w, 96w, 150w, 800w” sizes=”(max-width: 628wpx, 100w) 628px ” ezimgfmt=”rs rscb35 src ng ngcb35 srcset” data-ezsrc=”/>
