Photo: KSAT 12
Taymor "Tay-K" McIntyre was sentenced to 80 years in prison shortly after a jury in Texas found him guilty of murdering photographer Mark Anthony Saldivar in 2017.
The 24-year-old rapper appeared in front of District Court Judge Stephanie Boyd on Tuesday, April 15, and learned his fate following his second murder trial. Tay-K was convicted of a lesser charge of murder on Monday after he was acquitted of capital murder, which would've resulted in a life sentence with no parole. His 80-year sentence will run concurrent to his previous sentence of 55 years, which stems from his 2019 murder conviction. A jury found him guilty of murdering Ethan Walker in 2016.
Tay-K's legal troubles started in 2016 after he was arrested on murder and robbery charges following a home invasion in Mansfield, Texas. He was only 16 when he fired the deadly bullets that killed Walker and injured another man. He was placed on house arrest while he awaited trial, but escaped in March 2017 after he cut off his ankle monitor.
While he was on the run, Tay-K made an attempt to rob Mark Anthony Saldivar's photography equipment while they were at a Chik-Fil-A in San Antonio. He tried to lure Saldivar into a black SUV, but the victim escaped and tried to call for help. Tay-K tried to hit Saldivar with his car but he jumped on top of the hood instead. That's when Tay-K shot him once and killed him.
Tay-K recorded his hit song "The Race" and released it shortly before he was captured by New Jersey police in June 2017. The song blew up and was later included on his debut album Santana World. In 2019, a jury convicted the rapper of murder and aggravated robbery. "The Race" was used as evidence during the sentencing portion of his trial. He was sentenced to 55 years for murder, 30 years for one count of aggravated robbery, and 13 years each for the other two counts of aggravated robbery. He was ordered to serve each sentence concurrently.
Tay-K has yet to speak out about his latest conviction and sentencing. However, he did address fans in 2023 in a hand-written letter that was posted his Instagram page.
"Now that I'm older, I know how important focusing on leading by example is," he wrote. "I love my fans, and I don't want anyone to think I'm promoting or really recommending violence. That's why I really dedicate a lot of my time in here to using the success of my music to have a positive impact on other young artists even if it's something small like taking a phone call or writing a letter to keep them inspired, regardless of my situation the movement is Eternal."
Watch the punishment phase of his trial below.