Tay K avoids death sentence but faces 99 years in prison

Tay-K is likely to spend the rest of his life behind bars after he was found guilty of the 2017 murder of Mark Anthony Saldivar.

The rapper was facing capital murder charges for killing the 23-year-old photographer while he was under house arrest.

Prosecutors alleged that Tay attempted to steal Saldivar’s photography equipment after detaching the GPS tracker from his leg and fleeing the house.

Last week, Tay's former girlfriend Joanna Reyes appeared as a key witness, revealing that she helped the 24-year-old lure Saldivar after reaching out to the photographer on Instagram.

However, Reyes claimed that she was not aware Tay intended to rob Saldivar, as she was under the impression that he was having a photoshoot.

According to multiple news outlets, The Race hitmaker was found guilty on Monday but avoided capital murder charges, which could have resulted in the death penalty.

Tay reportedly dodged the death sentence due to conflicting evidence and eyewitness testimonies, in spite of Reyes' detailed account of the incident.

The verdict came as Tay is already serving a 55-year sentence for another murder conviction that stemmed from a home invasion incident in 2016.

Court proceedings are set to continue on Tuesday with the sentencing phase, which could result in a sentence of between five and ninety-nine years.

When was Tay-K found guilty of the murder of Ethan Walker?

In 2019, Tay was found guilty of taking the life of Ethan Walker in a 2016 home invasion in Mansfield, Texas. He is currently serving a 55-year sentence in prison for the murder.

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