Former anti-violence activist receives max sentence in ‘revenge’ murder

A hushed cheer fell over the packed Adams County District courtroom as former MMA fighter Lumumba Sayers Sr. was sentenced to 48 years in prison for the murder of 28-year-old Malcolm Watson on July 24.

“Goodbye,” family members taunted as Sayers Sr. — appearing in an orange-and-white striped jumpsuit — was handcuffed and moved out of the courtroom. 

District Judge Jeffrey Ruff sentenced the man to the maximum 48 years on a count of second-degree murder and one and a half years on each count of tampering with evidence. The sentences will run consecutively, adding up to 51 years, with a mandatory five years of parole. 

The ironic tale twisted over the last three years, ultimately ending with a former anti-violence activist behind bars.

Father’s revenge

Sayers Sr.’s life had been surrounded by violence, but only within the ring.

The longtime fighter started the Heavy Hands, Heavy Hearts Center in Aurora in 2015, attempting to pull kids off the street with events, camping trips and school supply donations. The organization’s fundraising was aimed directly at preventing youth violence, garnering media attention throughout its lifespan.

His son, Lumumba Sayers Jr., followed suit. The young fighter created the Glovez Up Gunz Down, a nonprofit with the mission of getting youth to use their voices to solve problems instead of guns.

Things shifted on Aug. 19, 2023, when Sayers Jr., Audell Thomas, Sayers Jr.’s sister and Gulian Musiwa were shot in Denver. Sayers Jr. and Musiwa later died from their injuries.

After his son’s death, Sayers Sr. openly discussed the tragedy and how his anti-violence mission was more important than ever.

Nearly a year later — Aug. 10, 2023 — Sayers Sr. walked up to Watson and Watson’s then-five-year-old son outside of a public pool in Commerce City and shot Watson in the head. It was the child’s fifth birthday party.

After the shooting, Sayers Sr. rubbed a gun on Watson’s hand and placed it next to his lifeless body. Surveillance video showed him going back to his vehicle and handing the gun he used to shoot Watson to someone else, who then left the scene. The murder weapon was never found.

Throughout the court process, family members painted a story of revenge.

Thomas, a close friend of Sayers Jr. and father of Watson’s children, said Watson was cousins with a man connected to the death of Sayers Jr.

“He truly believed that he wanted revenge,” Thomas said during her testimony.

During the sentencing hearing, Watson’s mother, Tijuana McKinley, claimed that Sayers Sr. killed Watson because Watson always stood up to the father and son, not allowing them to “bully him.”

She called him a clown, a coward. Sayers Sr. stared ahead.

“To parade around our community acting like a big anti-gun-violence pillar of the community as a result of his loss, then to show up to a child’s birthday to elicit the same harm he pretended to our community to be against is the height of hypocrisy,” Deputy District Attorney Aaron Brunskill said. 

Sayers Sr.’s defense attorney, Megan Downing, argued throughout the trial that the defendant pulled his gun as an act of self-defense, placing the actual murder on a mysterious third person called “Rico.” They asked for the charges to be dropped completely. 

Ultimately, that defense fell on deaf ears. While Sayers Sr. was initially charged with first-degree murder, the jury found him guilty of second-degree murder after the two-week trial back in April, deciding that while Sayers Sr. did kill Watson, there wasn’t enough evidence to prove it was deliberate.

Heated hearing

The entire two-year case involved a palpable amount of raw emotion.

Ruff called the first bond hearing back in 2024 “unbelievable, untenable” after court attendees screamed at each other, shot threats across the aisle and barged in and out of the room.

While Friday’s sentencing hearing wasn’t nearly as emotionally charged as the beginning of the process, a heavy air still hung above the dimly lit courtroom. 

“There has not been one court date where this courthouse was big enough to hold their love for Malcolm Watson. It radiates off of them,” Brunskill said of the family. 

While a slideshow of Watson and his children played in the background, family members described him as a strong human, the protector and glue of the family and a loving father.

“Malcolm turned his entire life around for his children,” Thomas said.

“They still ask about their dad. Every day they wonder if he’s coming back. It’s gotten to the point that they never want to have a birthday party or celebration again,” she continued, adding that her son said he didn’t want another birthday party because he didn’t want to see her die, as well. 

Meanwhile, each took a verbal swing at Sayers Sr.

“He is a monster who doesn’t deserve to be anywhere besides hell, but for now, I’ll take prison,” Denesha Stevenson, Watson’s sister, said.

A few professional acquaintances spoke in favor of Sayers Sr., asking for a lower sentence due to his past helping the community. 

“I know I’ve seen him do a lot of good over the years. This is all out of character from the person I knew,” Pat Long said of his friend.

Since the murder, pastor Victor Nellum said has witnessed the “consolation of his heart. The prayers, the remorse. That tends to line up with the individual I’ve seen over the years as he’s presented himself in the community and the lives of many people.”

Sayers Sr. did not speak at the hearing. He did throw his hands up and shake his head when Ruff mentioned that Sayers Sr. had not shown remorse throughout the trial. Ruff didn’t like that.

“It’s my job to send a message to the community that this is not acceptable,” he said to the court before handing down the sentence. “It takes a whole bunch of courage to go to therapy. I keep thinking whether or not therapy might have put us all on a different path here.”

Ruff noted that while Sayers Sr. may have helped many in the past, everything changed when he decided to murder a father in front of his children, in front of his community, in daylight.

Now, the man will likely serve the rest of his life in prison.