DENVER — Lumumba Sayers Sr., a former mixed martial arts fighter and anti-gun violence activist, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday in an alleged revenge killing case.
Sayers Sr. is a former MMA fighter who started the Heavy Hands Heavy Hearts boxing gym in Aurora, which aims to steer young people away from violence through structured training and a sense of belonging. He operated a foundation with the same name.
His son, Lumumba Sayers Jr., was also an MMA fighter and was heavily involved in the boxing gym and foundation. Sayers Sr. said his son was a leader in the Denver metro area “Gloves Up, Guns Down” program. Similar organizations exist in cities nationwide.
Sayers Jr. was gunned down in Denver’s Five Points neighborhood in 2023.
According to an arrest affidavit, Sayers Sr. is accused of shooting a man in the head during a child’s birthday party on Aug. 10, 2024, at Pioneer Park in Commerce City. The victim, identified as Malcolm Watson, is believed to be a friend of the man once thought to have killed Sayers Sr.’s son.
Watson, 28, was pronounced dead at the scene with three gunshot wounds.
Sayers Jr. and another man were killed in a quadruple shooting near the intersection of 28th and Welton streets on Aug. 19, 2023.
The suspect in that case at the time, Tyrell Braxton, was arrested a month later and charged with murder. Court records show the murder case has since been dismissed. By law in Colorado, records are sealed when a case is dismissed. Braxton was still facing a federal charge of illegal possession of ammunition, according to court records.
The arrest affidavit does not detail the alleged relationship between Watson and Braxton but suggests a connection between the two cases.
"This murder was probably in retaliation or revenge" for Sayers Jr.'s death a year ago, according to a witness account cited in the arrest affidavit.
Sayers Sr. was charged with first-degree murder after deliberation, two counts of felony menacing and two counts of tampering with evidence in connection with Watson's death. He pleaded not guilty to all charges during his arraignment on Wednesday.
Denver7 spoke with Sayers Sr. after his son's death in August 2023. In that interview, he was distraught at the fact that his son’s life was taken by the very form of violence both men worked to prevent.
“This coward shot my son. The community that we protect, you know, we try to provide for, the community that he tried to help guide in a different direction that he grew up in, they killed my son,” he said.
Sayers Sr.'s jury trial is set to begin on Sept. 2.
Denver7's Landon Haaf and Katie Parkins contributed to this report.
Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what's right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.
