Two suspects have been indicted in the 2002 killing of hip hop artist Jam Master Jay, which until now had been one of New York City’s most notorious unsolved killings, two law enforcement officials told the Associated Press on Monday.
The officials were not authorized to speak publicly and did so on condition of anonymity. Federal prosecutors were expected to announce the charges at a news conference Monday afternoon.
Jason “Jay” Mizell, known professionally as Jam Master Jay, was a member of 1980s hip-hop sensation Run-DMC, behind hits such as “It’s Tricky” and the Aerosmith remake collaboration “Walk This Way”.
The 37-year-old Jay was shot once in the head in his Queens recording studio by a masked assailant, police said at the time. He left behind a wife and three children.
According to The New York Times, Ronald Washington and Karl Jordan, Jr. have been indicted on charges of murder while engaged in drug trafficking, though it is not yet clear what involvement the men had in the killing.
One anonymous official told the paper, “There was a beef — it didn’t go as planned.”
Jordan was taken into custody on Sunday, while Washington has already been serving a federal prison sentence for robbery.
~ With files from ET Canada
