Trial Begins in Murder Case of Run-DMC's Jam Master Jay

Defendants Karl Jordan Jr. and Ronald Washington Face Charges Over Alleged Drug Deal Dispute

Jury selection has begun in the trial of Karl Jordan Jr. and Ronald Washington, who are accused of the 2002 murder of Jam Master Jay, a member of the legendary hip-hop group Run-DMC.
The defendants are alleged to have killed the musician over a drug deal dispute, with prosecutors claiming that Jay had been involved in trafficking cocaine since the mid-1990s.
Despite the case remaining unsolved for nearly two decades, authorities arrested Jordan and Washington in 2020, with a third suspect, Jay Bryant, also arrested in 2023 and being tried separately.
Both defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges, with Jordan also facing additional gun and cocaine charges to which he has also pleaded not guilty.
If convicted, the men face at least 20 years in prison, with the government stating that the death penalty will not be sought.