A jury has found two men guilty of murder in the trial for the killing of Jam Master Jay.
Both Karl Jordan Jr. and Ronald Washington stood trial in the attack on the hip-hop icon who was killed at a recording studio in 2002. The two face at least 20 years behind bars and a maximum of life in prison.
Prosecutors claim Jay acquired 22 pounds of cocaine that he intended to have Washington and Jordan, among others, distribute.
Eventually, Jay informed Washington that he planned to cut him out of the deal and the defendant began hatching a scheme to kill him in response.
Washington and Jordan held Jay at gunpoint at the recording studio on October 30, 2002, and instructed him to lie on the floor. Jordan then executed him with two fatal gunshots at close range.
The state called a witness who was at the recording studio that night and they corroborated the story.
They claimed they were “confused and scared” to reveal Washington and Jordan’s identities in the years prior to the trial.
“It’s about greed, it’s about money, it’s about jealousy,” Assistant US Attorney Artie McConnell said in the prosecution’s closing arguments.
“And it’s about the actions of two men, Karl Jordan, Jr., and Ronald Washington, that the evidence proves are killers.”
Washington and Jordan’s defense centered around the case of Jay Bryant. They claimed he was the true killer. Bryant is set to go on trial on his own in 2026.
When the guilty verdict was read, the courtroom erupted into chaos according to CNN.
“Y’all just killed some innocent people. Get me outta here,” Washington shouted.
