Third suspect in Jam Master Jay killing expected to plead guilty

Jay Bryant, the third man charged in the 2002 murder of Run-DMC DJ Jam Master Jay, is expected to change his plea to guilty Monday, ABC7 Los Angeles reported.

Bryant's expected plea would mark a major development in a case that went unsolved for nearly two decades before federal prosecutors, aided by advances in DNA technology, charged three men in the killing of one of hip-hop's most celebrated figures.

Bryant, 52, was named in a superseding indictment in 2023 — three years after co-defendants Karl Jordan Jr. and Tinard Washington were first charged — according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

Federal prosecutors allege Bryant opened a back door to Jason Mizell's recording studio in Jamaica, Queens, allowing Jordan and Washington to enter and carry out the killing. DNA evidence, developed through advances in forensic technology, placed Bryant at the scene, the outlet reported.

Jordan and Washington were tried together in 2024. Jordan's murder conviction was subsequently overturned, and federal prosecutors are currently appealing his release on bail.

Prosecutors have tied the murder to a federal drug conspiracy. Bryant had been scheduled for trial before the anticipated change of plea, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

Mizell, a founding member of Run-DMC, was shot and killed at his Jamaica, Queens studio in 2002. His murder went unsolved for nearly two decades before federal charges were eventually filed.