Run-DMC DJ Jam Master Jay was ‘killed over a cocaine deal’ as two charged over 2002 ‘murder’
HIP Hop star DJ Jam Master Jay was killed in a 2002 cocaine deal gone awry, said prosecutors on Monday after two men were indicted in the cold case.
The DJ, whose real name was Jason Mizell, was shot to death inside a Queens recording studio in October 2002.
Now two men - Ronald Washington and Karl Jordan, Jr - have been indicted on charges of murder while engaged in drug trafficking in relation to the case, .
Federal prosecutors say Jordan and Washington murdered the rap star after he cut Washington out of the deal. Mizell had acquired 10 kilos of cocaine to sell in Maryland, .
What made the murder so peculiar - and sparked countless theories about who was guilty - was that there were reportedly five people in the studio on the night the legendary DJ was killed.
Yet none of them could tell authorities who pulled the trigger.
Washington has reportedly been suspected of having some involvement as far back as 2007, . He was reportedly living on Mizell's couch in the days leading up to the murder.
He was also linked to the 1995 fatal shooting of Randy Walker, a close associate of late rap legend Tupac Shakur.
Over nearly two decades, there has been much speculation about who would want to kill Mizell, a 37-year-old father of three.
He was well-liked and respected in the hip-hop community. Mizell, Joseph “Run” Simmons and Darryl “DMC” McDaniel became massive stars in the 1980s with hits like "It's Tricky" and "Walk This Way."
His murder even became the subject of a Netflix documentary, Remastered: Who Killed Jam Master Jay?
Some speculated that Mizell was killed as a result of a feud involving 50 Cent and a drug-peddling gang lord, while others thought it may be another rapper or some sort of disgruntled secret enemy.
A number of Queens residents had also claimed to know who killed the DJ, but would not disclose who it was to police for fear of retaliation, reports claim.
The new charges could put to rest dozens of theories about the killing.
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The two suspects are both in custody.
Washington is currently in federal prison on robbery charges, while Jordan was taken into custody Sunday, the Times reported.
The announcement about the charges from federal prosecutors as well as members of the NYPD is expected on Monday afternoon.