Five Years Later, A Possible Break In Jam Master Jay Case

According to the Boston Herald, an unnamed witness has told police that Ronald “Tinard” Washington, a career criminal who is currently in a Brooklyn prison, has confessed to being present at the 2002 slaying of Jason Mizell, also known as Run-DMC’s Jam Master Jay, as well as the 1995 slaying of Tupac associate Randy “Stretch” Walker. Washington, for his part, is denying the allegations:

“They want to blame me for all the blood in rap,” Washington said in an exclusive interview from a Brooklyn prison. “They are trying to pen me up for these murders.”

Washington, who was convicted on April 5 of six armed robberies for holdups he committed in November 2002, just weeks after Mizell’s murder, denied any involvement in either slaying.

“It’s all lies. [The witness] is telling them that I was mad at Jay because he is doing better than I am, that I killed Stretch because he owed me something and I wanted it. She is making up lies because they threatened to deport her,” he said.

This news is serving as a prelude to a federal indictment that’s supposed to be released soon; according to the Herald, the Feds are preparing a “a sweeping indictment charging multiple rap artists for a slew of violent acts,” and Washington is expected to be charged as well. The 1997 slaying of the Notorious B.I.G., which is also still unsolved, is reportedly also part of this investigation.

Convict expects charge in Jam Master Jay slay: Feds target industry violence [Boston Herald, via MTV News]