Tay-K Gains Temporary Pause in Murder Case Appeal
Tay-K has secured a temporary win in his appeal against his conviction in a San Antonio murder case, which resulted in an 80-year prison sentence.
The 26-year-old rapper, whose real name is Taymor McIntyre, requested last month that his appeal be briefly put on hold so the original trial court could provide written explanations regarding a major issue in the case. On Thursday (July 23), the court granted his request.
Tay-K’s legal team challenged a search warrant used to examine an iPhone found inside a vehicle that authorities believed was connected to the murder of photographer Mark Anthony Saldivar. During his initial trial, the rapper attempted to block evidence obtained from the search, but the court ruled that police had sufficient probable cause to obtain the warrant.
The rapper’s attorneys asked the trial court to “make written findings of fact and conclusions of law” explaining the basis for approving the search warrant, allowing them to better address the matter in the appeal.
On Thursday, Texas’ Fourth Court of Appeals approved the request and gave the trial court 10 days to provide its findings and conclusions. After that process is completed, Tay-K’s appeal will resume, with a deadline for his legal team to submit their arguments set once the case officially restarts.
Tay-K’s attorneys first filed the appeal in May 2025, one month after he was sentenced for the murder of photographer Mark Anthony Saldivar. They argued that Joana Reyes, one of the alleged accomplices who testified against him, was not a reliable witness.
Reyes testified that Tay-K fired the shot that killed Saldivar. In the appeal, his attorneys claimed prosecutors misrepresented aspects of Reyes’ criminal history, leaving the jury with a “total misimpression” of her credibility.
Tay-K rose to fame with his 2017 hit “The Race,” which he recorded while on the run from authorities and released on the same day he was captured.
In addition to Saldivar’s death, Tay-K was separately convicted and sentenced to 55 years in prison for his role in a 2016 home invasion that resulted in the death of Ethan Walker. According to state prison records, his projected release date is August 8, 2099.
