San Antonio, Texas — In a high-stakes trial, the fate of Texas rapper Taymor “Tay-K” McIntyre hangs in the balance as a Bexar County jury deliberates over charges of capital murder related to a deadly 2017 confrontation outside a local Chick-Fil-A. McIntyre, 24, hailing from Arlington, risks a life sentence if found guilty.
The incident unfolded on April 23, 2017, when 23-year-old Mark Anthony Saldivar was found deceased in the restaurant’s parking area. According to prosecutors, McIntyre, along with a group of associates, was in a vehicle with Saldivar shortly before his death. The narrative from authorities paints a chilling scene where Saldivar was allegedly shot and killed by McIntyre, following an attempt to rob him, soon after Saldivar was invited to photograph the rapper for a new single.
Eyewitnesses brought forth during the two-week trial provided harrowing accounts. They recalled spotting a black car halted at a traffic signal near Loop 410 and McCullough Avenue on the city’s North Side where, from their vantage point, an altercation involving the front-seat passenger brandishing a firearm at Saldivar ensued. The dispute escalated, ending with Saldivar being forcibly ejected from the vehicle.
Further testimony detailed how the car, in the ensuing chaos, sped toward the Chick-Fil-A, with Saldivar clinging to its hood until he eventually fell off as the vehicle raced away. Compellingly, surveillance footage corroborated these claims, capturing the moment Saldivar collapsed atop the car in the fast food outlet’s parking lot.
Throughout the proceedings, McIntyre’s legal representation criticized the police investigation, labeling it as negligent and flawed. John Hunter, the defense attorney, argued that the case against his client was disproportionately based on coerced statements from those present in the vehicle, rather than concrete evidence. Notably, the driver, Joanna Reyes, who faced an initial charge of capital murder, later saw her charges reduced in exchange for her testimony against McIntyre. Hunter contended that her testimony was incentivized and, thereby, less credible.
Among the contentious points raised by the defense was the portrayal of Saldivar as a passionate photographer, an assertion they claim is unsupported by tangible evidence like a recovered camera or backpack — items allegedly central to the prosecution’s robbery motive.
McIntyre, better known by his stage name “Tay-K” or “Tay-K 47,” previously garnered national attention following the viral success of his 2017 track “The Race.” Released coincidentally on the same day of his apprehension by U.S. Marshals in New Jersey for an unrelated 2016 murder charge, the song went on to chart on Billboard’s Hot 100. Prior to this trial, the rapper was convicted in a separate 2016 case involving a home invasion that resulted in the death of 21-year-old Ethan Walker in Tarrant County, for which he received a 55-year prison sentence.
As deliberations continue, the outcome of this case will undoubtedly add a significant chapter to McIntyre’s tumultuous legal saga, spotlighting not only his career but also broader issues of justice and accountability.
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