A US judge has overturned a murder conviction in the murder trial of rap star Jam Master Jay. Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall acquitted defendant Karl Jordan Jr. Due to a lack of evidence of a motive, “the charges cannot be sustained,” she said in her justification. However, she confirmed the verdict against co-defendant Ronald Washington.
Jam Master Jay from the hip-hop band Run-DMC, whose real name was Jason Mizell, was shot in his recording studio in the New York borough of Queens in October 2002. Jordan was accused of shooting the rapper in the head over a dispute over a drug deal.
The public prosecutor’s office is reviewing the decision
Jordan and co-defendant Washington were convicted of murder in February 2024. The sentence in the case has not yet been imposed. Jordan is already in prison on drug charges unrelated to Mizell’s death. A spokesman for the public prosecutor’s office announced that it would examine the court’s new decision.
The murder of Jam Master Jay shocked Run DMC fans worldwide. The hip-hop band known for hits like “It’s Tricky” and “Christmas in Hollis” had repeatedly spoken out against gang violence. This became increasingly associated with rap and hip-hop in the 1990s. Murders of famous rappers had already shocked the USA back then. The victims included superstars such as Tupac Shakur and The Notorious BIG
