Trending Now - Suspect Admits Guilt in 2002 Murder of Jam Master Jay

WHO:

CNN - Jay Bryant, 52, pleaded guilty to a federal murder charge.

CNN - Jam Master Jay, born Jason Mizell, was a member of the rap group Run-DMC.

CNN - Other individuals involved include Karl Jordan Jr. and Ronald Washington, who were previously convicted in connection with the case.

WHAT:

CNN - Jay Bryant admitted in court to helping others ambush Jam Master Jay in his recording studio.

CNN - Bryant stated, “I knew a gun was going to be used to shoot Jason Mizell.”

CNN - A jury convicted Jordan and Washington in 2024, but a judge later cleared Jordan.

CNN - Bryant's DNA was found on a hat at the crime scene.

WHERE:

CNN - The murder occurred in a recording studio located in Queens, New York.

WHEN:

CNN - Jam Master Jay was killed in October 2002.

CNN - Jordan and Washington were arrested in 2020.

CNN - Bryant was added to the murder indictment nearly three years after the arrests.

WHY:

CNN - Prosecutors alleged that Jordan and Washington were motivated by bitterness over a failed cocaine deal that Mizell had attempted to arrange.

CNN - Mizell had been involved in the cocaine trade in his later years to cover expenses.

HOW:

CNN - Bryant was reportedly enlisted to open a back fire door to allow Jordan and Washington to enter the studio without alerting Mizell.

(UPDATED April 27, 2026 19:23 UTC)

Jay Bryant, age 52, has pleaded guilty to a federal murder charge for his role in the ambush of Jam Master Jay, a member of the iconic rap group Run-DMC, in a Queens recording studio. In court, Bryant admitted he knew a gun would be used against Jason Mizell and acknowledged that his DNA was found on a hat at the crime scene, while other individuals, Karl Jordan Jr. and Ronald Washington, were previously convicted in connection with the case. Prosecutors alleged that the motive behind the murder stemmed from bitterness over a failed cocaine deal that Mizell had attempted to arrange.