Jason Mizell was shot to death in his studio in the New York borough of Queens on October 30, 2002, at the age of 37.
The murder has been unsolved, but prosecutors now believe they have come to the conclusion that the two suspects, 56 and 36 years old, together planned and carried out the murder due to a drug dispute.
- It was very important for us then and it remains important for us even now - to do justice to the victim, his family, friends and everyone who has cared so much about the case, says prosecutor Seth D. DuCharme.
In the indictment, prosecutors claim that Jason Mizell was involved in extensive drug trafficking from 1996 until his death and that a quarrel over ten kilos of cocaine led to the murder. The accused 56-year-old has been in prison for other crimes since 2007 and has not yet been heard in the case. The accused 36-year-old was arrested on Sunday and denies involvement in the murder.
The hip hop pioneers Run DMC were formed in 1981 by Darryl "DMC" McDaniels, Joseph "Run" Simmons and Jason "Jam Master Jay" Mizell. They split in 2002 after the assassination of Jazon Mizell. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009 and the two remaining members were temporarily reunited in 2012.