Suspect in Jam Master Jay killing pleads not guilty
August 21, 2020
A man eyed for years as a possible suspect in the 2002 fatal shooting of hip-hop pioneer Jam Master Jay pleaded not guilty at his arraignment on Tuesday, and remained in federal custody where he is already serving a prison sentence for robbery.
Ronald Washington, 56, entered his plea remotely from Kentucky, while his attorney and the government’s lawyers appeared by teleconference because of coronavirus concerns.
Washington and Karl Jordan Jr., 36, face a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison, or the death penalty if convicted of murder in the death of Jason “Jay” Mizell, known professionally as Jam Master Jay.