Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised.
“Off the Record” is an episode of Death by Fame that will be aired on ID on Monday, March 11, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET. It will revolve around the 2002 killing of Run DMC’s Jam Master Jay. The murder remained unsolved for over 20 years before two men were convicted of the murder in 2024.
Jam Master Jay was a disc jockey of Run-DMC who was shot dead in his recording studio in Queens on October 30, 2002. Born as Jason Mizell, Jay was raised on the 203rd street. His mother was a school teacher, and his father was a social worker. He was one of three siblings. According to NBC News, Darren “Big D” Jordan was his closest friend who lived across the street from him.
Darren Jordan and Jam Master Jay’s families were well-acquainted with each other. Jay was even the godfather of Karl Jordan Jr., Jordan’s son. When Jay’s family moved to Hollis, he got carried away by a group of people who were burglarizing homes. He then had to serve time in juvenile detention. When he got out, he became one of the founding members of Run-DMC.
After the fatal shooting that resulted in Jam Master Jay’s death on October 30, 2002, no arrests were made until Karl Jordan Jr. and Ronald Washington were arrested in 2020. They were charged with the murder almost two decades after the murder. Ronald Washington was Jam Master Jay’s childhood friend, while Karl Jordan Jr. was reportedly his godson. They alleged that the accused were armed when they entered the 24/7 recording studio on Merrick Boulevard in Jamaica, Queens. They entered at around 7:30 p.m. on the day of the killing, per ABC News.
Who was convicted of Jam Master Jay’s murder?
Karl Jordan Jr. and Ronald Washington were both found guilty of the 2002 killing of Jam Master Jay. Ronal Washington, aka “Tinard,” and Karl Jordan Jr., who is popularly known as “Little D” and “Noid,” were found guilty of one count of murder while engaged in narcotics trafficking. They were also found guilty of one count of firearm-related murder for the shooting of Jam Master Jay, ABC News reported.
Prosecutors alleged that the murder followed after Jam Master Jay decided he was going to cut both Washington and Jordan out of a cocaine distribution deal. The deal involved around 10 kilograms of cocaine that were procured from a narcotics supplier in the Midwest.
As per CNN, the verdict came after a series of witnesses came forward to give testimonies against Karl Jordan Jr. and Ronald Washington. For nearly two decades since the shooting, not a single arrest has been made about the case.
According to the prosecutors, Jam Master Jay was involved in managing the sale of large quantities of cocaine between the 1990s and 2000s. Among the many deals, a drug deal worth almost $200,000 led to a dispute that led to his murder.
The Death by Fame episode “Off the Record” will air on ID on Monday, March 11, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET. It will reportedly delve into the secret double life of Jam Master Jay, who apparently advocated against substance abuse. It will also explore the circumstances that surrounded his mysterious murder.
