April 16, (THEWILL) – American rapper Taymor Travon McIntyre, popularly known as Tay-K, has been sentenced to 80 years in prison for the 2017 murder of 23-year-old photographer, Mark Anthony Saldivar, in San Antonio, Texas.
A jury in Bexar County handed down the sentence on Tuesday, after finding the rapper guilty of fatally shooting Saldivar during an attempted robbery.
According to prosecutors, the then 16-year-old McIntyre had contacted Saldivar under the pretext of arranging a photoshoot for an upcoming music project, only to attempt to steal his camera and shoot him inside a vehicle.
McIntyre, now 23, is already serving a 55-year sentence for his involvement in the 2016 murder of Ethan Walker, a 21-year-old father, during a home invasion in Mansfield, Texas.
While McIntyre was spared a capital murder conviction—which would have carried an automatic life sentence without the possibility of parole due to his age at the time of the crime—he will remain in the custody of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to serve the cumulative prison terms.
Tay-K rose to notoriety with his 2017 breakout track “The Race”, released while he was on the run from law enforcement.
The song peaked at No. 44 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and drew further attention for its viral music video, which featured the rapper posing next to his own wanted poster.
Evi Ben Ezaga writes on entertainment, culture, and trending stories.
