Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised.
“Off the Record” is an episode of ID’s true-crime series Death by Fame and will be aired on ID on Monday, March 11, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET. It will delve into the murder of Jam Master Jay, further following the conviction of Karl Jordan Jr. and Ronald Washington that came nearly two decades after the crime occurred.
Jam Master Jay died on October 30, 2002, after two men entered the 24/7 recording studio on Merrick Boulevard in Jamaica, Queens, at around 7:30 p.m. Both the men were reportedly armed and fatally shot Jay. The murder shook the hip-hop community and remained unsolved for nearly two whole decades. Later, Karl Jordan Jr. and Ronald Washington were arrested in August 2020 in relation to the murder.
ABC News reported that Karl Jordan Jr. and Ronald Washington were convicted on one count of firearm-related murder for the fatal shooting of Jam Master Jay and one count of murder while engaged in narcotics trafficking. According to prosecutors, they killed Jay after he was planning to cut them out of a cocaine distribution deal. The deal involved at least 10 kilograms of cocaine, which a supplier from the Midwest brought in.
Jam Master Jay was born Jason Mizell and reportedly grew up on 203rd Street. His mother was a school teacher, and his father was a social worker. According to NBC News, they moved to the then-middle-class neighborhood of Hollis. Jay reportedly fell into a group that was burglarizing and spent some time in juvenile detention before he got out and became a founding member of Run-DMC.
When did the police charge Karl Jordan Jr. and Ronald Washington?
In August 2020, the US attorney for the Eastern District of New York charged Karl Jordan Jr. and Ronald Washington with conspiring to kill Jam Master Jay in retaliation for a drug dispute, CNN reported. In May 2023, Jay Bryant, a third defendant, was also charged with murder. The charges were also related to narcotics trafficking and firearms. He allegedly allowed the convicted men into the studio through the fire escape door. He has pleaded not guilty and will reportedly stand trial in January 2026.
The men reportedly killed Jam Master Jay after he decided to exclude them from a drug deal worth around $200,000. The guilty verdict convicted Karl Jordan Jr. and Ronald Washington after the men pleaded not guilty. This was after a series of eyewitnesses willingly came forward and testified, per AP News.
Karl Jordan Jr. and Ronald Washington were both related to Jay. While the former was his godson, Washington was Jay’s childhood friend. NBC News reported that Jordan’s father and Jam Master Jay were close childhood friends living across the street. Their families were also closely acquainted after their mothers had met at church. Although he advocated against substance abuse publicly, the recent trial revealed that Jay was involved in drug deals to make ends meet.
Death by Fame’s “Off the Record” will dig deeper into what led to Jam Master Jay’s murder. It will also explore his life prior to his death. The episode will air on ID, on Monday, March 11, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET.
