Informant Will Testify Against Man Involved In The Murder Of Jam Master Jay

Almost 20 years after his murder, a jailhouse informant is expected to take the stand at a federal trial next year to implicate the person charged with killing RUN-DMC DJ and music executive Jam Master Jay (Jason Mizell).

According to the Daily News, Ronald “Tinard” Washington allegedly bragged to an informant about taking part in the October 30th, 2002, murder. Washington’s defense lawyer Susan Kellman knows about the claim and gives it no credence.

“My client has made 50 different statements about this murder,” Kellman said. “What idiot doesn’t do stuff like that in jail? My client is broken. His brain is like cheesecloth. He says all kinds of stupid things,” Susan Kellman said.

As reported by AllHipHop.com, in August 2020, Washington was indicted for the murder, along with an additional person named Karl “Lil D” Jordan Jr. The motive of the single-shot killing alleges the DJ was also a drug dealer who cut the duo out of a multi-kilo cocaine deal. 

Law enforcement accuses Jordan, who was around 18 years old, of being the gunman. The elder Washington, 57, was supposedly the lookout as Jordan allegedly shot Jay in his Jamaica, Queens-based recording studio.

Jam Master Jay was a member of the legendary rap group Run-DMC with his childhood friends Joseph “Run” Simmons and Darryl “DMC” McDaniels. 

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers are credited with revolutionizing Hip-Hop music and becoming the first rappers on MTV in 1984.

Their song “Rock Box” debuted on the network that only played white acts. This fact is sometimes disputed by those who consider Blondie’s video for “Rapture.” Still, she was considered a rock star with a rap song, not a rapper.

Ronald “Tinard” Washington and Karl Jordan Jr., are slated to have their trial in February 2023.