Two men are to stand trial in connection with the murder of Run DMC star Jammaster Jay more than 20 years ago.
The DJ was gunned down in his recording studio in 2002 in one of New York City’s most infamous unsolved cases.
It took until 2020 Two men will be charged.. The third was Arrested and charged in 2023..
Here’s what you need to know about the trial — and what happened in 2002.
Who was Jam Master Jay and what happened to him?
The musician, whose real name was Jason Meisel, was a DJ for the hip-hop group Run DMC, one of the most popular rap acts of the 1980s.
He was shot in the head inside his recording studio in Queens, New York. He was 37 years old.
Run DMC’s hits include King of Rock, It’s Tricky and Aerosmith’s Walk This Way.
For years, the star’s death remained a cold case, with witnesses reluctant to talk despite offers of reward money.
Who is on trial?
Two men arrested in 2020 are on trial: Carl Jordan Jr., 40, who allegedly shot and killed Maisel when she was 18, and Ronald Washington, 59.
Washington was reportedly living on a couch in Meisel’s home in the days leading up to his death.
In 2007 he was publicly named as a possible suspect or witness.
Both defendants are being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
A third man, Jay Bryant, arrested in 2023, will be tried separately in 2025 or 2026.
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What was his alleged involvement in Jam Master Jay’s death?
At the time of the 2020 arrests, prosecutors said the alleged motive for the killings was a drug deal.
Sky’s US partner NBC News reported that prosecutors argued the two men entered Mizell’s studio looking for 10 kilograms of cocaine they wanted to sell in Maryland.
Prosecutors said Mizell, who allegedly had the drugs in his possession at the time, told Washington he would not be involved in the deal “which led to the assassination plot.”
What do we know about the trial?
Both men are charged with murder while involved in drug trafficking and firearms related murder.
Death penalty is not being sought for any of the accused.
A jury has been selected and the trial is expected to last about four weeks.