Rapper Tay-K, Infamous for Releasing Music While on the Run, Has Been Found Guilty of Murder
Rapper Tay-K is facing up to 99 years in prison after being found guilty of a brutal murder that occurred in 2016.
The 19-year-old was involved in a home invasion and robbery in Mansfield, Texas that resulted in the death of 21-year-old Ethan Walker, who was fatally shot in the stomach, NBC 5 reported. Another person was wounded, but survived.
Although Tay-K, né Taymore McIntyre, didn’t pull the trigger, prosecutors argued that he was just as responsible considering he knew the plan to steal drugs and money from the house where Walker was, CBS Dallas-Forth Worth reported. Prosecutors said Tay-K also knew the incident would end with someone being shot.
A 15-year-old girl has been accused of devising the plan. Earlier this week, her friends testified that she reached out to Tay-K in hopes that he could get guns for the robbery, according to CBS Dallas-Forth Worth.
Tay-K told her he did not have guns, but his friends did and he knew someone in particular who was “trigger happy.”
Walker was gunned down after he told the group of robbers, including Tay-K, that he didn’t have any drugs or money, according to CBS Dallas-Forth Worth. Tay-K and six other people were first arrested in July 2016 on capital murder charges.
He was later placed on house arrest until his hearings. However, before that, he cut off his ankle monitor and went on the run in 2017, CBS Dallas-Forth Worth reported.
As a fugitive, he released “The Race,” on which he raps “F— a beat, I was tryna beat a case / But I ain’t beat that case, bitch I did the race (skrt, skirt).”
The music video for the track shows Tay-K posing next to a wanted poster of himself.
The song debuted at No. 70 the Billboard Hot 100 chart and received nods from many artist, including Travis Scott, who tweeted, “DO THE DASH THEN GO OUT THE WAY,” quoting the lyrics.
Also while on the loose, Tay-K allegedly robbed and fatally shot 23-year-old Mark Saldivar at a Chick-fil-A in San Antonio on April 23, 2017, Forth Worth Star-Telegram reported. Tay-K is facing a second capital murder charge for the 2017 shooting in Bexar County, Texas, Complex reported.
He was eventually captured on June 30 in New Jersey and was brought back to Forth Worth, Forth Worth Star-Telegram reported.
In addition to being found guilty of Walker’s death, jurors also found Tay-K guilty of aggravated robbery in the robbery and shooting of the surviving victim of the 2016 incident, Zachary Beloate, Forth Worth Star-Telegram reported.
On Monday, Tay-K pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated robbery related to two other victims inside the house.
Tay-K had previously pleaded not guilty to capital murder, and had he been convicted, he would have been sentenced to life in prison with a possibility of parole after 40 years, Forth Worth Star-Telegram reported.
“It wasn’t part of the plan. The robbery was. Not killing,” Tay-K’s defense attorney Jeff Kearney told the jury, according to Forth Worth Star-Telegram.
Tay-K’s sentencing is expected to be determined by Monday.
Kearney did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
