A Colorado anti-violence advocate charged with killing a man at a child’s birthday party two years ago took the stand in his own defense during his murder trial Wednesday to deny that he carried out the fatal shooting.
Lumumba Sayers Sr., 47, testified that he did not kill 28-year-old Malcolm Watson at a pool party for Watson’s son in Commerce City’s Pioneer Park on Aug. 10, 2024. Sayers Sr. is charged with first-degree murder, menacing and two counts of tampering with evidence in the slaying.
Prosecutors alleged that Sayers Sr. shot and killed Watson to avenge the death of his son, Lumumba Sayers Jr. — who was killed in a shootout in Five Points in 2023 — because Sayers Sr. believed Watson was connected to his son’s death.
Sayers Sr. testified Wednesday that he had no problem with Watson and that he did not shoot him.
“Me and Malcolm was cool,” he said. “He had nothing to do with my son.”
Sayers Sr. arrived at the park where Watson was killed at 4:55 p.m., then parked and walked toward Watson seconds before the man was shot five times. Surveillance video showed Sayers Sr. approach Watson, but did not capture the attack, which was just out of frame.
Multiple witnesses testified earlier in the trial that Sayers Sr. walked up to Watson and said, “What’s up, homie?” Watson responded, “What’s up?” and then Sayers Sr. shot Watson multiple times from a close distance, witnesses said.
Sayers Sr. testified Wednesday that he addressed Watson with a nickname, saying, “What’s up, little PM?” and that Watson responded, “What’s up?” and then Sayers Sr. heard a third voice say, “What’s up (racial slur)?” immediately before the shots were fired.
“I heard the shots and I stumbled back, and he fell, and then I pulled my protection out of my pocket,” Sayers Sr. said, referring to his gun.
Sayers Sr. was unable to identify the third voice and said he did not see where the shots came from.
On cross-examination, Sayers Sr. admitted that he had not told any detectives about the third voice during the initial investigation, even though he had described greeting Watson, Watson’s response, and the sound of gunshots.
“You never mentioned there was a third person,” prosecutor Laura Anderson said.
“I just told them what was on my mind right then,” Sayers Sr. testified.
“And this third party was not on your mind right then?” Anderson asked.
“It was so — I just watched Malcolm get shot. I literally just watched this kid get shot. I literally had to live through that. I’m still processing the fact that this happened,” Sayers Sr. said.
Sayers Sr. testified he began carrying a gun after his son’s death because he was concerned for his own safety as he carried out anti-violence work through his Aurora organization, the . He was illegally carrying the gun in his pocket on the day of the killing without a concealed carry license, he acknowledged on the stand.
Sayers Sr.’s gun was never fired that day. Investigators believe Watson’s killer used an untraceable 3-D-printed or kit-built “ghost gun” to carry out the attack. That weapon has never been found.
Prosecutors allege Sayers Sr. shot Watson, then passed the gun to another man who left the crime scene with the weapon. Surveillance video shows the man running up to Sayers Sr. after the shooting, having a brief conversation with Sayers Sr. at his vehicle and then running away carrying what appears to be a covered-up object, testimony revealed.
Sayers Sr.’s defense attorney, Megan Downing, alleged that the other man shot Watson and ran away with the weapon. Earlier in the trial, she pointed to a bystander who, according to a police report, heard that other man shout, “I got you, (expletive)!” after the shooting.
On the stand, the bystander, who did not know anyone involved in the shooting, said she actually heard the man shout, “We got you, (expletive)!”
The other man was never charged with a crime in connection with the homicide. Detectives investigated him for potential charges related to tampering with evidence, but could not develop enough evidence to support charges, testimony at trial revealed.
On the stand Wednesday, Sayers Sr. also explained to jurors his actions after the killing.
Two witnesses testified that they saw Sayers Sr. attempt to rub an ammunition magazine on Watson’s hand after the shooting. Audell Thomas, who had two children with Watson and was standing beside him when he was killed, recorded Sayers Sr. kneeling over Watson’s body and rifling through his clothing moments after the attack.
Thomas got into a scuffle with Sayers Sr. when he tried to take the phone from her, she testified.
Sayers Sr. testified Wednesday that he rifled over Watson’s body because he was looking for a $15,000 gold necklace that Thomas grabbed from his neck during that scuffle. He testified he found the necklace under Watson’s hand and believed Thomas had planted it there.
Sayers Sr. also testified that he had no idea Thomas was recording him, even though she stood feet away and told him he was on video and that he was going to go to jail. He said he tried to take the phone from her because he mistakenly believed it was his own phone.
Earlier in the trial, Thomas offered surprise testimony that Sayers Sr. invoked his son’s name after the killing.
“I said, ‘You killed my baby dad,’ and he responded and said, ‘What about Lumumba?'” she testified during her cross-examination.
Thomas testified that she’d told investigators about that detail before the trial. But the lead detective on the case later testified that her statements in court were the first time she’d made that claim.
Sayers Sr.’s testimony will continue at 9:30 a.m. Thursday in Adams County District Court.
