Twenty-five years after the murder of Run-DMC's Jam Master Jay, a third suspect has admitted to his role in the killing. Jay Bryant, 52, pleaded guilty in a federal court hearing on Monday, acknowledging that he helped the gunmen gain access to the locked recording studio in Queens, knowing they intended to kill Jason Mizell, the 37-year-old DJ for the iconic New York rap group, on October 30, 2002.
“I knew there was going to be a gun used to kill Jason Mizell. I knew what I was doing was wrong and a crime,” Bryant said in Brooklyn federal court. Reading from a prepared statement, he added, “In 2002, in Queens, New York, I agreed with others who were known drug dealers and involved in a drug deal with Jason Mizell, to possess and distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine.” He continued, “On October 30th, 2002, in Queens, New York, I helped them kill Jason Mizell by helping them gain entry into the recording studio.” He did not identify the killers.
Magistrate Judge Peggy Cross-Goldenberg, who presided over the guilty plea hearing, said she would recommend Bryant serve an agreed-upon prison sentence of 15 to 20 years, with three years credit for time served. “I find that Mr. Bryant acted knowingly and fully understands the charges against him,” Cross-Goldenberg said in court. “I find that there is a factual basis for guilty.”
Bryant’s admission marked the first time anyone has publicly acknowledged responsibility for organizing the killing of Mizell, who helped pioneer Run-DMC’s sound in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In 2020, Mizell’s godson, Karl Jordan Jr., and childhood friend Ronald Washington were charged with killing him in a drug deal gone wrong. Prosecutors alleged they broke into Mizell’s recording studio on Merrick Boulevard in Jamaica at around 7:30 p.m. on the night of the murder. Jordan was accused of shooting Mizell while Washington blocked the door.
Bryant’s DNA was found on a hat left behind at the crime scene, leading to his addition to the murder indictment in 2023. He was already in jail at the time on federal drug and gun charges, to which he has since pleaded guilty. He will be sentenced at a later date by U.S. District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall, who has been overseeing the case.
