Jam Master Jay death: ‘Brazen murder’ of Run-DMC star was fuelled by greed and revenge, prosecutors say
Run DMC star Jam Master Jay was killed by his godson and a childhood friend who were both motivated by greed and revenge, say prosecutors, as the defendants’ murder trial began.
The 37-year-old DJ, whose real name was Jason Mizell, was fatally shot in the head in his New York recording studio in 2002.
He was part of one of the best-known rap acts of the 1980s.
A mural of Jam Master Jay in Queens. Pic: AP
In 2020, Karl Jordan Jr and Ronald Washington were charged with murder and on Monday their trial got under way in New York City.
Prosecutors said godson Jordan and childhood friend Washington became enraged after being cut out of a lucrative drug deal.
Mizell had allegedly acquired 10kg of cocaine which Jordan, Washington and others were planning to sell in Baltimore.
However, the dealer involved in the sale refused to work with Washington, removing the defendants from a possible $200,000 (£157,000) payday, prosecutors alleged.
On 30 October 2002, the two men allegedly entered the star’s studio in Queens in an “ambush”.
Prosecutors say Washington waved a gun and told one person to lie on the floor, while Jordan shot Mizell in the head at point-blank range, killing him instantly.
Another shot hit and wounded another man in the studio at the time, Mizell’s friend Uriel “Tony” Rincon, before the pair fled, prosecutors said.
Both men have pleaded not guilty to the charges. If convicted, they could face at least 20 years behind bars.
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All you need to know about the trial
Jam Master Jay at an anti-drug rally in New York in 1986. Pic: AP
The death penalty is not being sought for either defendant.
The jury was told they would hear from witnesses who were in the studio that evening and that the pair confessed to others about their involvement in the incident.
Miranda Gonzalez, prosecuting, said it was a “brazen murder” adding: “Each defendant was proud that they had taken down Jam Master Jay and got away with it.”
What does the defence say?
Jordan’s lawyer, John Diaz, said his client wasn’t even at the studio on the night of the shooting.
His legal team has said in court documents that Jordan, then 18, was at his pregnant girlfriend’s home at the time of Mizell’s death and witnesses could state that.
Washington’s lawyer Ezra Spilke argued the case was held together with “tape and glue” and stated prosecutors have “no clue” who killed the DJ.
Mr Spilke questioned why Washington would want to kill Mizell since Washington relied on the rap star financially.
“Why bite the hand that feeds?” Mr Spilke said. “Why kill the one man that was helping you?”
A third man, Jay Bryant, was arrested and charged in 2023 and he will be tried separately in 2025 or 2026.
Joseph ‘Run’ Simmons, Darryl ‘DMC’ McDaniels and Jason ‘Jam Master Jay’ Mizell. Pic: AP
Run-DMC stood against drugs in their lyrics, but Ms Gonzalez said as careers waned, Mizell became involved in them and could make “hundreds of thousands” of dollars with a few simple calls.
The group also included rappers Joe “Run” Simmons and Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, and they had hits such as King Of Rock, It’s Tricky and a reworking of Aerosmith’s Walk This Way.
Donald Trump has said he is considering “taking away” the US citizenship of actress and comedian Rosie O’Donnell, despite a Supreme Court ruling that expressly prohibits a government from doing so.
In a post on Truth Social on Saturday, the US president said: “Because of the fact that Rosie O’Donnell is not in the best interests of our Great Country, I am giving serious consideration to taking away her Citizenship.”
He also labelled O’Donnell, who has moved to Ireland, as a “threat to humanity” and said she should “remain in the wonderful country of Ireland, if they want her”.
O’Donnell responded on Instagram by posting a photograph of Mr Trump with Jeffrey Epstein.
“You are everything that is wrong with America and I’m everything you hate about what’s still right with it,” she wrote in the caption.
“I’m not yours to silence. I never was.”
Rosie O’Donnell moved to Ireland after Donald Trump secured a second term. Pic: AP
O’Donnell moved to Ireland with her 12-year-old son in January after Mr Trump had secured a second term.
She has said she’s in the process of obtaining Irish citizenship based on family lineage and that she would only return to the US “when it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America”.
O’Donnell and the US president have criticised each other publicly for years, in an often-bitter back-and-forth that predates Mr Trump’s move into politics.
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This is just the latest threat by the president to revoke the citizenship of someone he has disagreed with, most recently his former ally Elon Musk.
But the two situations are different as while Musk was born in South Africa, O’Donnell was born in the US and has a constitutional right to American citizenship.
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Amanda Frost, a law professor at the University of Virginia School of Law, said the Supreme Court ruled in a 1967 case that the fourteenth amendment of the constitution prevents the government from taking away citizenship.
“The president has no authority to take away the citizenship of a native-born US citizen,” he added.
“In short, we are nation founded on the principle that the people choose the government; the government cannot choose the people.”
A farmer who fell from a greenhouse roof during an anti-immigrant raid at a licensed cannabis facility in California this week has died of his injuries.
Jaime Alanis, 57, is the first person to die as a result of Donald Trump’s Immigration Compliance and Enforcement (ICE) raids.
His niece, Yesenia Duran, posted on the fundraising site GoFundMe to say her uncle was his family’s only provider and he had been sending his earnings back to his wife and daughter in Mexico.
The United Food Workers said Mr Alanis had worked on the farm for 10 years.
“These violent and cruel federal actions terrorise American communities, disrupt the American food supply chain, threaten lives and separate families,” the union said in a recent statement on X.
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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said it executed criminal search warrants at Glass House Farms facilities on Thursday.
Mr Alanis called family to say he was hiding and possibly fleeing agents before he fell around 30ft (9m) from the roof and broke his neck, according to information from family, hospital and government sources.
Agents arrested 200 people suspected of being in the country illegally and identified at least 10 immigrant children on the sites, the DHS said in a statement.
Mr Alanis was not among them, the agency said.
“This man was not in and has not been in CBP (Customs and Border Protection) or ICE custody,” DHS assistant secretary for public affairs Tricia McLaughlin said.
“Although he was not being pursued by law enforcement, this individual climbed up to the roof of a greenhouse and fell 30ft. CBP immediately called a medivac to the scene to get him care as quickly as possible.”
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Four US citizens were arrested during the incident for allegedly “assaulting or resisting officers”, the DHS said, and authorities were offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a person suspected of firing a gun at federal agents.
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In a statement, Glass House, a licensed Cannabis grower, said immigration agents had valid warrants. It said workers were detained and it is helping provide them with legal representation.
“Glass House has never knowingly violated applicable hiring practices and does not and has never employed minors,” it added.
Donald Trump has said he is considering “taking away” the US citizenship of actress and comedian Rosie O’Donnell, despite a Supreme Court ruling that expressly prohibits a government from doing so.
In a post on Truth Social on Saturday, the US president said: “Because of the fact that Rosie O’Donnell is not in the best interests of our Great Country, I am giving serious consideration to taking away her Citizenship.”
He also labelled O’Donnell, who has moved to Ireland, as a “threat to humanity” and said she should “remain in the wonderful country of Ireland, if they want her”.
O’Donnell responded on Instagram by posting a photograph of Mr Trump with Jeffrey Epstein.
“You are everything that is wrong with America and I’m everything you hate about what’s still right with it,” she wrote in the caption.
“I’m not yours to silence. I never was.”
Rosie O’Donnell moved to Ireland after Donald Trump secured a second term. Pic: AP
O’Donnell moved to Ireland with her 12-year-old son in January after Mr Trump had secured a second term.
She has said she’s in the process of obtaining Irish citizenship based on family lineage and that she would only return to the US “when it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America”.
O’Donnell and the US president have criticised each other publicly for years, in an often-bitter back-and-forth that predates Mr Trump’s move into politics.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Will Trump address parliament on UK state visit?
This is just the latest threat by the president to revoke the citizenship of someone he has disagreed with, most recently his former ally Elon Musk.
But the two situations are different as while Musk was born in South Africa, O’Donnell was born in the US and has a constitutional right to American citizenship.
Read more from Sky News:
Kate’s ’emotional’ words for tearful tennis star
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Amanda Frost, a law professor at the University of Virginia School of Law, said the Supreme Court ruled in a 1967 case that the fourteenth amendment of the constitution prevents the government from taking away citizenship.
“The president has no authority to take away the citizenship of a native-born US citizen,” he added.
“In short, we are nation founded on the principle that the people choose the government; the government cannot choose the people.”
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