Third man charged in 2002 fatal shooting of Run-D.M.C.’s Jam Master Jay

NEW YORK — A third man has been arrested in the 2002 fatal shooting of hip-hop star Jam Master Jay of Run-D.M.C., federal prosecutors said on Tuesday.

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Jay Bryant, 49, of the New York City borough of Queens, was charged by prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York in the Oct. 30, 2002, death of Jason “Jay” Mizell, WPIX-TV reported. Mizell, 37, was killed in his recording studio in Queens, according to the television station.

Federal prosecutors filed a superseding indictment on Tuesday, The Associated Press reported. Bryant was being held on federal drug charges in an unrelated case and is waiting for arraignment, according to WABC-TV. He will be arraigned on the murder charge at a later date, the television station reported.

Karl Jordan and Cesar DeCastro were charged in August 2020, WPIX reported. Their trials are scheduled to begin in January 2024.

The two men will not face the death penalty if they are convicted, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn told WABC. Instead, they could face life in prison, according to the television station.

Mizell was part of Run-D.M.C. with Joseph “Run” Simmons and Darryl “D.M.C.” McDaniel during the early 1980s, according to the AP.

The group is credited with bringing hip-hop music into the mainstream and produced several hits, including a remake of Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way,” “King of Rock” and “It’s Tricky,” the news organization reported.

The group’s third album, “Raising Hell,” went platinum, NPR reported.

Mizell was known for his Adidas wardrobe, black hat, leather jacket and large, gold chain, WPIX reported.

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