Tay-K 47’s Trial: Woman Testifies Against Him in Murder Case

Rapper Tay-K 47, whose real name is Taymor McIntyre, is standing trial for a 2017 capital murder. On Monday, a woman who was allegedly involved in the crime took the stand, offering emotional testimony that identified McIntyre as the gunman who killed photographer Mark Saldivar.

Joanna Reyes, a key witness for the prosecution, described how McIntyre was responsible for the murder on April 23, 2017, during what was meant to be a photoshoot. Reyes, who was dating McIntyre at the time, said he asked her to help find a photographer. She reached out to Saldivar, whom she knew from Instagram.

Reyes testified that she picked up Saldivar, along with McIntyre and two other men, Jalen Bell and Jeremiah Rodriguez. After Saldivar requested a ride to North Star Mall and asked to reschedule the photoshoot, Reyes agreed. But as they drove, at a stoplight on McCullough Avenue, McIntyre allegedly pulled a gun on Saldivar and demanded his backpack. When Saldivar refused, the group began hitting him.

Reyes said that Saldivar tried to climb onto the hood of the car in an attempt to escape. McIntyre allegedly pointed the gun at Reyes and demanded that she get him off the car. When she couldn’t, Reyes testified that McIntyre opened the door and shot Saldivar outside a Chick-fil-A.

“He opened the door and leaned out on one leg,” Reyes said through tears. “He shot him.”

After the shooting, Reyes said they fled the scene. She claimed that Bell later congratulated McIntyre, saying, “You caught your first body,” and gave him a high five.

Reyes admitted in court that she didn’t report the crime initially because McIntyre had threatened to kill her and her family if she did. She also revealed that McIntyre and Bell took Saldivar’s backpack when they left the scene.

In exchange for her testimony, Reyes accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to a lesser charge of tampering with evidence. She is set to serve 10 years of probation but has not yet been sentenced. The defense argued that the plea deal gives Reyes a reason to testify against McIntyre, questioning her credibility and whether her testimony can be trusted.