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.
Two other men were charged in 2020 with the fatal shooting. At the time, prosecutors linked the murder to a failed drug deal.
For a long time, the case was classified as a cold case, as the investigation was characterized by witnesses who did not want to participate. But it may now be close to a solution.
In documents filed with the court on Tuesday, prosecutors allege that the third man, who is now 49 years old, was seen entering the house where Mizell was shot and fled after the shooting. DNA traces from the 49-year-old have been linked to the crime scene.
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 murder of Jazon Mizell. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009 and the two remaining members temporarily reunited in 2012.