A federal grand jury has issued two indictments in the murder of hip-hop legend Jam Master Jay, according to CNN. The founding member of Run-DMC, whose real name was Jason Mizell, was killed in 2002. He was 37-years-old.
The unsolved murder has plagued the music industry for nearly two decades.
The indictment was originally sealed but the US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York made it public. It contains the prosecutors’ theory that Jordan Jr. and Washington worked together to kill Mizell as retaliation for his part in what they considered a botched drug deal.
Allegedly Mizell was engaging in cocaine transport between 1996 and 2002. The indictment reports in July of 2002 he procured 10 kilograms to be distributed by his killers and other co-conspirators but an incident with Washington and another distributor caused him to dismiss Washington from the operation.
The indictment states he was killed as a result of this on October 30.
Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Seth D. DuCharme said that the case remained a priority. “It was important to us then and remains extremely important to us now to bring just for the victim, his family, friends and the community that cared so much about those events,” he said.
Jordan, 36, was arrested on Sunday. He entered a plea of not guilty during a digital court session on Monday.
Washington, 56, is in federal custody due to his conviction on separate violent charges. His arraignment for the charge of Mizell’s murder is expected to be scheduled at a later date.