Third suspect in Jam Master Jay murder changes plea to guilty

NEW YORK -- Nearly a quarter-century after rap star Jam Master Jay of Run-DMC was shot to death, a man admitted in court Monday to a role in a killing that stymied investigators for decades.

Jay Bryant, 52, pleaded guilty to a federal murder charge, telling a judge that he helped other people get into a building so they could ambush the DJ, born Jason Mizell, in his recording studio.

"I knew a gun was going to be used to shoot Jason Mizell," Bryant told a federal magistrate. "I knew that what I was doing was wrong and a crime."

Bryant was scheduled to go to trial on the case on May 4, before deciding to enter into a plea agreement with the government.

If he had gone to trial and been convicted, he may have faced life in prison. Under the plea agreement, he will serve between 180 - 240 months in prison with a maximum of 10 years of supervised release.

The plea still has to be approved by the judge assigned to the case. She could choose to reject it, in which case Bryant would end up going to trial.

Bryant's admission brings some closure - but also adds complexity - to a knotty case.

Bryant didn't name the other people with whom he acted. But a jury in 2024 convicted two other men, Karl Jordan Jr. and Ronald Washington, yet a judge subsequently cleared Jordan.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)