19-year-old Texas rapper Tay-K has entered split pleas on the charges against him in the robbery and murder of 21-year-old Ethan Walker, according to a report from the Fort Worth Star Telegram. Tay-K, real name Taymor McIntyre, was arrested in 2016 at the age of 16 for allegedly participating in a plot with six others to burglarize Walker’s home, shooting him fatally during their escape attempt. Tay-K rose to fame with the release of the video for his song “The Race,” recorded while he was eluding police after he fled from house arrest. The trial started yesterday.
Tay-K has pled guilty to two counts of aggravated robbery by threats in the case, but pleaded not guilty to capital murder and a separate robbery charge for shooting Walker’s roommate, Zachary Beloate. Tay-K is the last of the seven defendants to stand trial; the others have all been found guilty or took plea deals. Tay was only 16 when the shooting took place, but was certified to stand trial as an adult. The penalty for capital murder in the state of Texas is life in prison with the chance of parole. Tay’s lawyers are pushing for a conviction on the lesser crimes with the hopes of securing probation. Since he’s been incarcerated, he was charged with possession of a prohibited item for having cellphone and accused of trying to start his own jail gang.
