Rapper Tay-K, whose real name is Taymor McIntyre, was found guilty of murder but cleared of capital murder charges today in a Bexar County courtroom. The verdict stems from the 2017 killing of 23-year-old photographer Mark Anthony Saldivar, a case that has gripped fans and followers of the controversial artist. While the 24-year-old avoids life without parole, he now faces a hefty prison sentence that will add to his existing 55-year term for a separate 2016 murder.
The trial, which wrapped up after weeks of intense testimony, centered on a botched robbery at a Chick-fil-A parking lot near North Star Mall in San Antonio. Prosecutors painted a vivid picture of a planned heist gone wrong. They alleged Tay-K and his accomplices targeted Saldivar for his high-end camera equipment, a scheme that turned deadly when the photographer tried to flee. A single gunshot ended Saldivar’s life, and the prosecution argued Tay-K pulled the trigger.
What made this case particularly twisted was the testimony of Joanna Reyes, Tay-K’s ex-girlfriend, who took the stand late in the trial. Reyes dropped a bombshell, claiming she drove the getaway car and watched Tay-K shoot Saldivar. She described a chilling scene: the group had scoped out the location days earlier, plotting to steal the gear and sell it for quick cash. Reyes’ account suggested Tay-K wasn’t just a participant but the mastermind, a detail that swayed jurors despite the defense’s pushback. The defense called her credibility into question, pointing out inconsistencies in her story and her own legal troubles at the time.
Another layer of intrigue came from lesser-known details about the planning. Court documents revealed the group used burner phones to coordinate, a tactic prosecutors said showed premeditation. Yet, the jury stopped short of a capital murder conviction, possibly due to murky surveillance footage that failed to clearly show Tay-K firing the shot. This grainy video, played repeatedly in court, became a sticking point, with the defense arguing it left too much doubt.
Tay-K’s legal saga is far from new. He was already on the run in 2017, having cut off his ankle monitor while out on bond for the 2016 murder of Ethan Walker in Mansfield, Texas. That case landed him a 55-year sentence, served since 2019. His arrest in New Jersey, just days after dropping his viral hit “The Race,” cemented his image as a fugitive rapper. The song, with its brazen lyrics about dodging the law, hit number 44 on the Billboard Hot 100, but his freedom was short-lived.
The courtroom drama wasn’t without its odd moments. The prosecutors reportedly proposed to use Tay-K’s lyrics as evidence in his trial . They argued that the lyrics from his song “The Race” provided insight into his mindset and actions during the time he was evading law enforcement. The court approved the use of these lyrics as evidence, allowing them to be presented to the jury. The analysis of Tay-K’s lyrics revealed several key points: the lyrics included lines that seemed to describe his involvement in criminal activities, such as
“I was tryna beat a case, but I ain’t beat that case, bitch I did the race”;
the song contained references to violent actions, which prosecutors used to argue that Tay-K had a propensity for such behavior; and the lyrics were seen as mirroring real-life events, including his attempts to evade capture and his involvement in robberies.
What’s next for Tay-K? Sentencing is set for the coming weeks, and the judge will decide how many years he’ll serve for Saldivar’s murder. Legal experts predict a term of 20 to 40 years, likely stacked onto his current sentence. This all but ensures he’ll spend decades behind bars, derailing a music career that once showed promise. His debut project, Santana World, still streams heavily, but new music seems impossible for now.
The verdict leaves lingering questions. Why did the jury spare him the harshest charge? Did Reyes’ last-minute testimony tip the scales? And what drove a rising star to such a dark path? For Saldivar’s loved ones, the guilty verdict brings some closure, but the pain of loss remains. For Tay-K, it’s another chapter in a life defined by bars both musical and metal.
