On October 30th, 2002, the life of Jason William Mizell, better known as Jam Master Jay of the legendary Run DMC tragically ended after he was shot and murdered by an unknown assailant. However, his memory and legacy still lives on, however, as he and his group Run–D.M.C. became the first hip hop group inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame back in 2009.
Sadly, it was revealed today — fifteen years later — that the NYPD have officially declared the case of his murder as a cold case. Shot at point-blank range as he was exiting a Queens recording studio, there have been several leads in the years since yet nobody was formally charged with the crime. In 2007, authorities identified Ronald “Tenad” Washington as one of the gunmen who shot Mizell. Washington denied involvement, and ultimately he was never charged.
“It’s not resolved to the legal eye, but the street always talks,” Jeremy “JL” Lam, a friend of Jay’s family and currently a partner of the Queens studio where he was killed, said to the Associated Press.
Jay is survived by his wife, three sons (including TJ Mizell, who has since gone on to be an accomplished deejay in his own right), mother and siblings.
