More from the bulging CMU file marked Unsolved Hip Hop Shootings And Murders. The Boston Herald has reported that an unnamed female witness has claimed that one Ronald Tinard Washington confessed to her his involvement in the 1995 fatal shooting of producer and Tupac Shakur associate Randy 'Stretch' Walker and the 2002 fatal shooting of Jam Master Jay. The witness seemingly made the allegations during investigations into Washington's involvement in six armed robberies, for which he was convicted last week.
Walker was shot in November 1995, a year to the day after Tupac was shot five times during an apparent robbery that the legendary rapper seemed sure was a murder attempt. Walker was with Tupac at the time of the 1994 shooting, but was later implicated as being involved in setting up the fake robbery, and his murder a year later was alleged to be a gangland killing in response to his alleged role in the attempt on Shakur's life. Run DMC DJ Jam Master Jay was, of course, killed while working in a New York studio in October 2002.
Washington was certainly close to Jam Master Jay at the time of his murder, but Washington has always claimed that he was at the studio with Jay at the time because the Run DMC DJ had requested "protection" because he was, for reasons not known, in fear for his life
Washington is more than aware of the new allegations against him, and has told reporters he expects to be charged as an accessory to both murders, but he continues to claim innocence in relation to both crimes. US media quote his thus: "They want to blame me for all the blood in rap. They are trying to pen me up for these murders ... it's all lies. She's [the unnamed witness] telling them that I was mad at Jay because he [was] 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".
Reports suggest Washington will be formerly charged as part of what is being billed as a "massive indictment" due to be announced by the US federal government soon, which is expected to name a number of hip hop types, including some name rappers, in relation to a number of unsolved violent crime cases involving the hip hop community, including the Jam Master Jay, Tupac Shakur and Notorious BIG murder cases. Some say that said indictments could rock the mainstream hip hop industry that is now courted, owned and tied up with the major music companies.