Tay-K has been found guilty of murder stemming from the 2017 shooting of San Antonio photographer Mark Anthony Saldivar.
According to News 4 San Antonio, prosecutors argued that the rapper, 24, who was a minor at the time of the shooting, fatally shot Saldivar after stealing his photography equipment. Tay-K, whose real name is Taymor McIntyre, faces 5-99 years in prison. Tay-K also faced a capital murder charge, which he was found not guilty of. If not acquitted, the rapper would have faced the death penalty.
The defense rested its case on Thursday (April 9) without calling other witnesses. Earlier last week, Tay-K's ex-girlfriend, Joanna Reyes, testified that the rapper killed Saldivar. She testified that the rapper and three others attempted to steal Saldivar's camera equipment, which led to him eventually being shot. She also testified that they bragged about the killing afterwards.
"Jaylen applauded [Tay-K] and gave him a high-five. They high-fived each other," she said on the stand. "You caught your first body.'"
Reyes claimed that she didn't initially report the incident out of fear that Tay-K would harm her and her family members, which he allegedly threatened. In 2019, Tay-K was sentenced to 55 years for the 2016 murder of Ethan Walker during a home invasion. The rapper's biggest hit, "The Race," which has 416 million Spotify streams to date, was recorded while he was on the run after the shooting.
