Jam Master Jay Murder Trial Ends in Conviction for Run-DMC DJ’s Godson and Childhood Pal

A federal jury in Brooklyn has found two men guilty of the murder of Jam Master Jay, the trailblazing hip-hop artist and a member of the legendary trio Run-DMC who was gunned down in his recording studio in October 2002. The verdict on Tuesday brings to an end a weekslong trial but not the case as a whole, with at least one more defendant still set to be tried. Ronald Washington, a childhood friend of Jay’s, and Karl Jordan Jr., the rapper’s godson, were convicted of murder while engaged in narcotics trafficking and firearm-related murder, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York announced. Jordan was also found guilty of several other counts of narcotics distribution. More than three dozen witnesses were called by the prosecution over the course of the trial, which kicked off on Jan. 29, with prosecutor Miranda Gonzalez telling the court that Jay’s murder had been “motivated by greed and revenge.” Federal prosecutors argued that Washington and Jordan killed Jay, real name Jason Mizell, after being boxed out of a 10-kilogram cocaine deal that might have otherwise netted them hundreds of thousands of dollars. Investigators believe that the two men entered Mizell’s studio around...