Jay Bryant pleaded guilty on April 27 to his role in the 2002 murder of Run-D.M.C. DJ Jam Master Jay. The 52-year-old faces at least 15 years in prison for helping the killers enter the Queens recording studio where Jason Mizell was shot. His plea came days before a scheduled trial.
Jay Bryant changed his plea to guilty on a federal murder charge during a hearing in Brooklyn Federal Court on Monday. Originally indicted in May 2023 and having pleaded not guilty, Bryant admitted knowing a gun would be used against Mizell. “I knew a gun was going to be used to shoot Jason Mizell,” he told the judge. “I knew that what I was doing was wrong and a crime.” When sentenced, he faces a minimum of 15 years and up to 20 years behind bars. His trial had been set to begin on May 4. Bryant confessed to slipping into the studio and opening a back door, allowing the suspects to surprise Mizell, though he did not identify the others involved. Prosecutors say the killing stemmed from a failed drug deal in October 2002, when Mizell, 37, was shot execution-style. Bryant's DNA was found on a hat at the scene, and witness Tana Davis placed him there. In 2024, a jury convicted Ronald Washington and Karl Jordan Jr., Mizell's godson, but a judge later voided Jordan's conviction over lack of motive proof, while Washington has appealed. Conflicting accounts emerged: prosecutors alleged Jordan as the shooter with Washington blocking the door, but defenses claimed Bryant fired the shots, citing testimony from his uncle Raymond Bryant that his nephew confessed, “He said he did it.” Bryant's attorney declined to comment. United States Attorney Joseph Nocella praised the investigation: “More than two decades after the cold-blooded, execution-style killing of Mr. Mizell, an exhaustive investigation revealed Bryant’s role and today he finally admitted his guilt.” The plea marks progress in a case that lingered for over 20 years. Jam Master Jay, born Jason Mizell, co-founded Run-D.M.C. with Joseph Simmons and Darryl McDaniels, shaping 1980s hip-hop with hits like “It’s Tricky” and “Walk This Way.” Public Enemy's Chuck D described him as “the center of Run-D.M.C.,” a precise DJ who “made no mistakes.”