Ralph Mullgrav, a convicted drug dealer, confirmed he refused to work with one of Jam Master Jay’s alleged killers in the late DJ’s murder trial on Monday (February 5). Mullgrav provided details that supported the prosecution’s case, which claimed the killers were motivated by greed and revenge.
Prosecutors said Karl Jordan Jr. and Ronald Washington murdered Jam Master Jay for cutting the two out of a lucrative drug deal. The Run-DMC member allegedly sought Mullgrav’s help to distribute 10 kilos of cocaine in Baltimore in August 2002.
According to Mullgrav, Jam Master Jay planned for Washington to be involved in the distribution. Mullgrav balked at working with Washington, who’s also known as Tinard.
“[Jam Master Jay] wanted me to work with Tinard,” Mullgrav testified, per the Associated Press. “I told him no.”
The witness referred to Washington as a “problem.” Mullgrav admitted he wanted to shoot Washington in the past.
Mullgrav said Jam Master Jay, whose real name was Jason Mizell, typically enlisted the drug dealer to sell “maybe 1 or 2 kilos, here or there.” But Mullgrav downplayed the Run-DMC DJ’s involvement in the drug trade.
“Jason wasn’t a drug dealer,” Mullgrav told jurors. “He just used it to make ends meet.”
Mullgrav served 12 years in prison for a federal drug conviction. He was released in 2013.
The Jam Master Jay murder trial began in January. Uriel Rincon, an eyewitness who was wounded in the 2002 shooting, identified Jordan as the gunman. Rincon said Washington stood by the door and ordered another witness to get on the ground during the attack.
Jordan and Washington pleaded not guilty to murder charges. They face at least 20 years in prison if convicted.
A third man, Jay Bryant, was also charged for his alleged role in the murder. He will be tried separately.
