‘I knew a gun was going to be used’: Man pleads guilty in Jam Master Jay’s 2002 murder

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Over two decades after Run-DMC’s Jam Master Jay was fatally shot in a New York recording studio, a man has confessed to being involved in the crime.

Fifty-two-year-old Jay Bryant admitted in federal court to assisting others in entering the building where hip-hop artist Jason Mizell – known as Jam Master Jay – was fatally shot in 2002. He pleaded guilty to a federal murder charge before Magistrate Judge Peggy Cross-Goldenberg.

According to the Associated Press, Bryant told the judge he had prior knowledge that Jason Mizell would be shot with a gun. He also admitted he knew his actions were illegal and constituted a crime.

Bryant kept the identities of those he assisted confidential. However, in 2024, Karl Jordan Jr. and Ronald Washington were found guilty of Mizell’s murder, bringing to a close a case that prosecutors had pursued for many years.

“Y’all just killed two innocent people,” Washington yelled at the jury at the time of the verdict.

Last year, Mizell’s godson, Jordan Jr., successfully appealed his conviction after a judge determined the prosecution hadn’t presented a strong enough case. The judge specifically found no evidence to support the claim that Jordan Jr. acted out of anger over being excluded from a $200,000 drug transaction. Earlier this month, Judge LaShann DeArcy approved a $1 million bond allowing him to be released.

Washington has challenged his conviction as well.

Prosecutors told Courthouse News that both Washington and Jordan admitted to the murder. This admission came to light through witness accounts stating the two men discussed their involvement in the shooting of Mizell while incarcerated.

I was shocked to learn that Roy Bryant’s own uncle, Raymond Bryant, finally admitted in 2024 that Roy confessed to murdering Emmett Till. He apparently just plainly stated he ‘did it.’ It’s a chilling detail to come to light after all these years.

As a huge Kobe fan, it was really unsettling to hear that police found a hat with his DNA at the place where the crime happened. It basically put him at the scene, and honestly, it was a shock to learn that.

Bryant testified in court on Monday that he collaborated with individuals involved in a drug deal with the DJ, and he admitted to helping them enter the recording studio where the killing took place. The Associated Press reported that Bryant gave a thumbs-up to someone in the courtroom before he left.

Bryant could face 15 to 20 years in prison for his involvement in the murder, and he’s already admitted guilt to separate charges related to drug dealing and illegal firearms.

As a long-time follower of true crime, I was really struck by the news today. It’s been over twenty years since the brutal murder of Mr. Mizell, and finally, after a thorough investigation, they’ve connected Bryant to the crime. He’s apparently confessed, which is a huge step towards closure for the victim’s family, according to the U.S. Attorney, Joseph Nocella.

For over twenty years, authorities have relentlessly worked to find justice in the murder of Jam Master Jay. According to Bryan DiGirolamo, the special agent in charge of the ATF’s New York field office, the defendant played a key role by helping the killers gain access to the victim.

Despite being known as the “master of the disco scratch” and promoting a positive, drug-free image for hip-hop, authorities say Mizell began dealing drugs after his group’s popularity faded. Prosecutors claim he started coordinating the sale of large amounts of cocaine – measured in kilograms.

In August 2002, Mizell received 10 kilograms of cocaine from a supplier. Prosecutors claimed that Jordan Jr. and Washington intended to sell the drugs in Maryland, but a disagreement resulted in them being excluded from the $200,000 transaction.

On October 30, 2002, Mizell was at his recording studio in Queens, New York, playing video games with a friend. Prosecutors say that around 7:30 p.m., Bryant went into the building and unlocked a fire escape door, letting other people enter without Mizell noticing.

Two gunshots were fired. One hit and killed a man named Mizell, striking him in the head. The other shot wounded someone else in the leg.

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2026-04-28 03:01