Tay-K recently dropped new music from behind bars, but his legal team is also making a significant move in his ongoing appeal of his murder conviction. The latest development stems from the 2017 fatal shooting of photographer Mark Saldivar, a case in which the rapper was found guilty of murder.
According to court documents reportedly obtained, Tay-K’s attorneys have asked the court to temporarily pause the appeal process. The request centers on a search warrant used to access an iPhone recovered from a vehicle allegedly connected to Saldivar’s killing. During the original trial, the defense argued the warrant lacked probable cause and filed a motion to suppress the evidence, but the court denied the request.
Now, the rapper’s legal team is asking the appeals court to direct the trial court to issue a more detailed explanation of its ruling, including formal “findings of fact and conclusions of law.” Once those findings are provided, the defense plans to determine how they will factor into the appeal.
“The need for detailed findings of fact and conclusions of law is essential to this case,” the motion reportedly states. “Although the trial court made some off hand comments about the existence of probable cause, Counsel respectfully submits these remarks are insufficient for full and fair appellate review of [Tay-K’s] suppression claims. Without concise, written findings of fact and conclusions of law, it is impossible to adequately brief the suppression issues raised by this appeal.”
According to the Texas rapper’s legal team, the request is not expected to delay the filing of their main appellate brief, which remains due on July 1. Instead, they are seeking additional time to fully address the more detailed legal issues tied to the appeal.
If the court declines to order the requested findings, the attorneys have proposed an alternative: a two-week extension to finish preparing the brief. The appeal in Tay-K’s San Antonio murder case was filed about a month after he was sentenced to 80 years in prison. His lawyers have also argued that one of the trial’s key witnesses—who was allegedly involved in the killing alongside Tay-K—lacked credibility.
Tay-K is also serving a separate 55-year prison sentence, which is running concurrently, for his role in a 2016 home invasion that resulted in the death of Ethan Walker. He was arrested on June 30, 2017, the same day the music video for his breakout single “The Race” was released. Previous attempts to appeal that conviction were unsuccessful, and he is reportedly not eligible for parole until 2049.
