Nationwide — A federal decide overturned the homicide conviction of Karl Jordan Jr., one in all two males discovered responsible of killing Run-DMC’s Jam Grasp Jay in 2002. The ruling cited inadequate proof that Jordan had a motive for the taking pictures.
The choice got here from U.S. District Choose LaShann DeArcy Corridor in Brooklyn, New York Metropolis, practically two years after the jury discovered Jordan responsible. In accordance with CNN, the decide upheld the conviction of co-defendant Ronald Washington however cleared Jordan, who had not but been sentenced for the homicide.
Jordan’s attorneys argued that the proof did not show a motive. Prosecutors claimed the killing was revenge over a failed drug deal, however the decide stated the document confirmed no cause Jordan would goal Mizell. Witnesses had testified that Jordan shot his godfather in his Queens studio, but the motive didn’t maintain up below assessment.
Washington’s function within the taking pictures appeared stronger. Testimony instructed he blocked the studio door and directed an aide to get on the bottom, whereas he might have acted out of anger over being minimize out of a cocaine deal. The decide famous the proof supported a motive for Washington, not Jordan.
Jam Grasp Jay, born Jason Mizell, was a key determine in Run-DMC, serving to hip-hop attain mainstream audiences with hits like “It’s Difficult” and “Stroll This Means.” His dying adopted the murders of Tupac Shakur and The Infamous B.I.G., marking a violent period for rap music within the late Nineteen Nineties and early 2000s.
The case stays open. One other suspect, Jay Bryant, was charged in 2023 after DNA linked him to the scene. Bryant has pleaded not responsible and is awaiting trial. In the meantime, prosecutors stated they’re reviewing the ruling and contemplating subsequent steps.
Jordan stays behind bars for unrelated drug fees, whereas Washington might pursue additional appeals. The choice provides one other twist to a case that has puzzled investigators and followers for over twenty years.
