Colorado anti-violence activist receives 51-year murder sentence

Lumumba Sayers Sr., a former anti-violence activist and MMA fighter, was sentenced to more than five decades in prison for the August 2024 murder of Malcolm Watson at his son’s birthday party in Commerce City, a killing prosecutors say was revenge for Sayers Sr.’s own son Lumumba Sayers Jr.’s death. He received 48 years for second-degree murder and 18 months for each of two tampering-related counts, with the sentences to run consecutively for a total of 51 years. The case highlighted the paradox of a man once leading a youth-violence prevention group, Heavy Hands, Heavy Hearts Center, while allegedly seeking vengeance against someone he believed connected to his son’s killing. The victim’s family and community members described the act as brutal and heart-wrenching, emphasizing the damage to children who witnessed the shooting. Court records and reporting noted that Sayers Jr. had been involved in anti-violence efforts, underscoring the stark shift from advocacy to a revenge-driven crime.