Nearly a decade ago, rapper Tay-K (born Taymor Travon McIntyre) went viral with his breakout track “The Race,” which dropped on SoundCloud on June 16, 2017. He recorded both the song and its music video while on the run from authorities, awaiting trial. Just two weeks after its release, Tay-K was arrested at the age of 17.
In 2019, he was convicted of murder in the 2016 killing of 21-year-old Ethan Walker during a home invasion involving Tay-K and six others. He also pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated robbery. For his role in the crime, he was sentenced to 55 years in prison.
Now, eight years later, he’s been found guilty of a murder that occurred in 2017 and was sentenced to an additional 80 years in prison. Find out everything about the recent trial below.
Tay-K sentenced to 80 years in prison
In 2017, while still on the run, an arrest warrant was issued for Tay-K in connection to the death of 21-year-old photographer Mark Anthony Saldivar in San Antonio. According to the warrant, Tay-K and his group had arranged a photoshoot with Saldivar, but instead allegedly robbed him at gunpoint for his equipment before fatally shooting him.
The case had been on the docket since 2019, with delays attributed to the defense receiving new evidence from the state earlier this year and awaiting a ballistics report on a firearm allegedly linked to the crime.
“If it could not be ruled out as the firearm, that would be a material aspect of Mr. McIntyre’s defense…An essential one,” defense attorney John Hunter said.
One of the witnesses called to testify in the case was Tay-K’s ex-girlfriend, Joanna Reyes, who claimed that she didn’t report the 2017 incident after the rapper threatened her and her family.
Nevertheless, the rapper’s legal team defended him until the end. They argued the case relied heavily on self-serving witness testimony from individuals who were in the car at the time of the shooting.
“Taymor McIntyre is not guilty of capital murder, murder, or manslaughter, and the reason for that is very simple…You have to do it right. You have to do the work. And this case clearly demonstrates the work wasn’t done,” Hunter said during closing arguments last week.
Despite the efforts of his defense, Tay-K was ultimately found guilty of murder. However, he was acquitted of the more severe charge of capital murder, which would have carried a mandatory life sentence. On Tuesday, April 16, he was sentenced to 80 years in prison. Combined with his 55-year sentence from 2019, Tay-K faces 100+ years in jail.
