Former MMA fighter found guilty of killing man at child's party

A Colorado jury has found Lumumba Sayers Sr., a well-known anti-violence advocate and former MMA fighter, guilty of murdering a man at a children's birthday party.

The Adams County District Attorney’s office announced on Monday that the 47-year-old was convicted of second-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence, and attempted tampering with physical evidence.

The charges stem from the fatal shooting of 28-year-old Malcolm Watson in August 2024.

The incident occurred in the parking lot of a water park in Commerce City, where Watson was celebrating his young son's birthday.

Prosecutors presented evidence that Sayers Sr. executed the attack as a retaliatory act for the 2023 killing of his own son, Lumumba Sayers Jr. Believing Watson was involved in that homicide, Sayers Sr. allegedly tracked him to the park.

Witnesses testified to the defendant's growing obsession with vengeance, with one individual claiming he heard Sayers Sr. declare that a specific group "all got to die" following his son's death.

Despite the defence's argument that Sayers Sr. was merely a bystander visiting friends at the park, the jury favoured the prosecution's account of a premeditated revenge plot.

This conviction marks a tragic fall for a man who founded the Heavy Hands Heavy Hearts Centre, an organisation dedicated to curbing urban violence.

Following the verdict, Sayers Sr. was remanded in custody. He is scheduled to return to court for sentencing on 24 July, where he faces a significant prison term for his role in the fatal confrontation.