Jury selection begins Monday for 2 charged in Jam Master Jay's murder
NEW YORK (WPVI) -- Jury selection began Monday for two men charged with the murder of Jason Mizell - better known as Run DMC's Jam Master Jay.
Ronald Washington and Karl Jordan of Hollis, Queens, allegedly carried out the 2002 shooting death. It happened inside the hip-hop group's recording studio on Merrick Boulevard in Queens.
All three men are from Hollis, Queens.
ALSO SEE: 3rd man charged in murder of Run DMC's Jam Master Jay
On October 30, 2002, Mizell and several others were present at his recording studio, 24/7 Studio, located on Merrick Boulevard in Queens. According to prosecutors, at approximately 7:30 p.m., Washington and Jordan, armed with firearms, entered the studio. Each brandished a firearm.
Washington pointed his firearm at one of the individuals located inside the studio and demanded that the person lay on the floor. 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.
RELATED: 'Set the Record Straight: The Jam Master Jay Case'
For years, Mizell's death lingered as a cold case, with witnesses reluctant to speak up despite reward money being offered.
Jordan was arrested in 2020 after allegedly attempting to sell drugs to an undercover law enforcement officer. According to prosecutors, Jordan would typically sell cocaine and cocaine-base to a variety of different buyers on a weekly basis.
He would often be in possession of a firearm while doing so - one witness described to authorities the type and color of a firearm that Jordan kept in either the driver's side door pocket or the center console of his vehicle while engaging in narcotics transactions. Another witness described how one of Jordan's young children would be in the car when he would deliver narcotics.
Washington has a long and violent criminal history that spans four decades, including three violent felony convictions in New York, two convictions in Maryland and a federal robbery conviction for a string of gunpoint robberies.
The jury chosen in Brooklyn federal court to hear the case will be anonymous. There are 500 prospective jurors that attorneys will have to select from. Opening statements are scheduled for January 29.
