A former mixed martial arts athlete, who once championed the cause of reducing gun violence through his nonprofit organization, now finds himself at the center of a tragic irony. Earlier this week, Lumumba Sayers was found guilty of murder in connection with a fatal shooting in Colorado.

The verdict, delivered by a jury, found the 47-year-old guilty of second-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence, and an attempt to tamper with physical violence. This was confirmed by a statement from the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

Sayers faces a sentencing hearing scheduled for July 24, where he could receive a prison term ranging from 16 to 48 years, as dictated by Colorado’s sentencing guidelines for second-degree murder.

The shocking incident unfolded on August 10, 2024, when Sayers, after attending an anti-violence event, made his way to a children’s birthday party at a local water park. It was there that he approached Malcolm Johnson and fatally shot him multiple times, as detailed in a report by Colorado Public Radio.

The arrest of Sayers, documented in his mugshot provided by the Adam’s County Sheriff’s Office, has sent ripples through the community, adding a grim chapter to his paradoxical journey from a violence prevention advocate to a convicted murderer.

Sayers admitted to having a weapon on him at the time of the murder, but that was not the weapon used to KILL Johnson, the Macomb Daily reported. Prosecutors said an untraceable 3-D printed gun, or “ghost gun,” was used in the shooting. It was never found.

They said it was handed off to another man, never to be seen again. There was no surveillance video of the murder.

The murder was carried out in revenge after Sayers’ son, Lumumba Sayers Jr., was gunned down in August 2023, prosecutors said. A man named Tyrell Braxton was charged in that case, but the case was eventually dismissed.

Lumumba Sayers has his hands taped backstage at the Pearl at the Palms in Las Vegas on Nov. 18, 2011. (Todd Lussier/Forza LLC)

Sayers reportedly believed Johnson was involved in his son’s murder. Prosecutors also said that Sayers attempted to plant the gun on Johnson after the killing. Sayers contended he was simply removing his gun and putting it down before police arrived on the scene.

The now-convicted murderer ran Heavy Hands Heavy Hearts, a nonprofit that describes itself as a “non-profit organization dedicated to transforming lives through education, mentorship, and community.” It is heavily focused on physical training, and reportedly received state and federal grants for its “Glovez Up, Gunz Down Movement” program.

Lumumba Sayers makes weight during the Strikeforce weigh-in at Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, Calif., on Aug. 17, 2012. (Esther Lin/Forza LLC)

“At Heavy Hands Heavy Hearts, we foster a culture of accountability, both in and out of the gym,” the organization’s site says. “Through training, individuals learn discipline, respect, and self-control, promoting responsible behavior and healthy relationships.”

Sayers competed in Strikeforce MMA in 2011 and 2012, where he fought against future UFC contenders, according to MMA Junkie. Strikeforce was acquired by a different company and eventually absorbed completely into UFC.

Sayers’ attorney did not immediately return a request for comment.

A teenager from France is now facing charges of mischief and public nuisance in Singapore following the release of a social media video in which he is seen licking a straw from an orange juice vending machine before returning it to its place.

The individual, identified as 18-year-old Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien, was formally charged on April 24. According to The Straits Times, Singapore’s leading English-language newspaper, he has not yet entered a plea.

The incident allegedly took place in a shopping mall on March 12, and the video quickly gained widespread attention upon its release, as reported by the newspaper.

On Wednesday, the court allowed the teen to travel to Manila from May 2 to May 25 for a required school trip necessary for his graduation, according to The Straits Times. He is expected to return to court on May 29.

If found guilty of mischief, the teen could face up to two years in prison, a fine, or both. The public nuisance charge is less severe, carrying a potential penalty of up to three months in jail, a fine, or both.

IJooz, the company operating the juice vending machine, filed a police report, and sanitized the dispenser while replacing all 500 straws in the machine.

It said it would upgrade its machines to include measures such as individually packaged straws and straw compartments that unlock only after the transaction is completed.

Lawyers for the teen, who is studying in a French business school in Singapore, declined to comment on the case when contacted.

Singapore, a small, densely populated city-state, tightly regulates public behavior and cleanliness. This includes restrictions like limits on chewing gum and strong penalties for littering and vandalism.

In a fiery exchange, President Trump lashed out at former FBI Director James Comey, labeling him a “dirty cop.” Trump suggested that Comey might have misled the FBI by using language reminiscent of organized crime to threaten the president.

James Comey found himself in legal hot water as he appeared at the federal courthouse in the Eastern District of Virginia on Wednesday. He faces federal charges related to accusations of threatening the president and using interstate commerce to transmit a threat.

The controversy revolves around an Instagram post Comey shared last May. The post included seashells arranged to spell “8647,” a configuration that has gained traction among radical critics of President Trump. Trump and his supporters interpret this as an ominous message implying a call for his assassination.

The number 86 is often used in slang to signify removing or getting rid of something, though it can also carry the more sinister connotation of killing. The number 47 refers to Trump as the 47th President, adding to the charged interpretation of the message.

The number 86 is slang for removing or getting rid of something, though it can also mean to kill. Trump is the 47th President. 

‘”86″ is a mob term for “kill him,”‘ Trump said on Wednesday night. ‘They say 86 him! 86 47 means “kill President Trump,”‘ he said on Truth Social.

Trump added: ‘James Comey, who is a Dirty Cop, one of the worst, knows this full well! EIGHT MILES OUT, SIX FEET DOWN!’

The president then pondered whether Comey had lied to investigators about his familiarity of the phrase.

‘Didn’t he also lie to the FBI about this??? I think so!’

President Donald Trump hit out at former FBI Director James Comey on Wednesday night

Comey is facing federal charges of threatening the president and transmitting a threat in interstate commerce

Trump argued on his Truth Social page that Comey was using ‘mob’ terminology to threaten him, and accused the former FBI director of lying to Congress

But Comey declared his innocence in a video posted to Substack on Tuesday. 

‘I’m still innocent, I’m still not afraid and I still believe in the independent federal judiciary, so let’s go,’ Comey said. 

His defense team is now planning to file motions accusing the Department of Justice of selectively and vindictively prosecuting him at Trump’s order – something Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has denied.

Comey posted the controversial photo last year with the caption: ‘Cool shell formation on my beach walk.’ He later deleted the post the same day and apologized.

But Trump’s allies quickly claimed the post called for Trump’s assassination. Then-homeland security secretary Kristi Noem said the Secret Service would investigate the former FBI director.

Secret Service agents conducted an hours-long interview with Comey soon afterward. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard at the time said he should be ‘put behind bars for this’ and that she was ‘concerned’ Trump’s life was in danger. 

The Justice Department now argues in an indictment that Comey ‘knowingly and willfully’ made threats against the president’s life and transmitted the threat on social media.

Prosecutors do not spell out what the numbers mean in the indictment, but it claims that a ‘reasonable recipient who is familiar with the circumstances’ would interpret the photo as a ‘serious expression of intent to do harm to the President of the United States.’ 

‘You cannot threaten to kill the President of the United States. Full stop,’ Blanche said at a press conference on Tuesday.

When he was then asked later on Wednesday whether everyone posting ‘8647’ would be charged, Blanche responded: ‘Every case is different; every threats case is different.’ 

Comey surrendered himself at a federal courthouse in the Eastern District of Virginia on Wednesday 

The charges stem from an Instagram post the former FBI director made last May featuring seashells arranged to spell out ‘8647’ 

But legal experts, including some conservatives who typically defend the Trump administration’s actions, expect the case to be dismissed long before it goes to trial.

‘As one of his longest and most vocal critics, I would frankly prefer to crawl into one of Comey’s conversant shells than write this column,’ scholar Jonathan Turley posted on his blog on Wednesday.

‘However, here we are. This indictment is unconstitutional and will not likely survive constitutional challenge.’ 

Blanche’s push to indict Comey comes just one month after Trump fired his predecessor, Pam Bondi, for failing to pursue his perceived enemies aggressively enough.

Trump accidentally posted a message on Truth Social in September, pressuring Bondi to prosecute his political enemies, including Comey.

Days later, Comey was indicted on charges of making a false statement to Congress and obstructing a congressional proceeding, related to his 2020 Senate Judiciary Committee.

A federal judge dismissed the indictment in November, however, ruling that the prosecutor who brought the case, Lindsey Halligan, had been unlawfully appointed. 

But by then, the Justice Department had dropped its investigation into the seashells posts, according to The New York Times. 

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has denied that President Trump ordered him to indict Comey, arguing that Comey ‘knowingly and willfully’ made threats against the president’s life and transmitted a threat via social media

Comey was joined at the courthouse on Wednesday with his family 

Blanche – who served as Trump’s personal lawyer before joining the administration – has since revived the case as he leads the administration’s efforts to target Trump’s enemies.

Comey led the FBI’s investigation into alleged Russian collusion with the Trump campaign during the 2016 election, before the president fired him the following year.

He remains one of Trump’s most vocal critics on network television.

When the president was then asked about the case from the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump said he thought people like Comey created ‘tremendous danger for politicians and others.’

‘Comey is a dirty cop. He’s a very dirty cop,’ the president told reporters. ‘He’s a crooked man.’ 

A Louisiana sheriff is now entangled in a series of charges related to the notorious jailbreak in New Orleans, marking one of the largest prison escapes in American history.

Sheriff Susan Hutson of Orleans Parish, aged 59, has been hit with a comprehensive 30-count indictment. The charges, which include obstruction of justice, malfeasance, and falsifying public records, were announced on Wednesday, as per a statement from Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill’s office.

Additionally, Bianka Brown, the Chief Financial Officer, faces 20 felony charges, as officials have reported.

The accusations are linked to a significant incident in May 2025, when 10 inmates broke out of the Orleans Justice Center, according to Murrill’s office.

Sheriff Susan Hutson was seen arriving at the Council Chambers for a City Council meeting following the escape of the inmates from the Orleans Parish Justice Center at City Hall in New Orleans on May 20, 2025. (Photo by Sophia Germer/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate/AP)

“Nearly a year ago, I made a commitment to the people of New Orleans and the people of our state that those responsible for the Orleans Parish Prison break would be held accountable,” Murrill said in a statement.

“Since that day, through the hard work of my office, along with the Louisiana State Police and our many federal, state and local law enforcement partners, every escapee is behind bars, and others who facilitated and enabled the escape are currently being prosecuted.”

Murrill also alleges Hutson’s poor leadership played a key role in the escape of nearly a dozen dangerous inmates, including some facing murder charges, after they broke out of jail from behind a toilet. 

All 10 inmates were subsequently captured after a nationwide manhunt.

Surveillance footage shows inmates escaping the Orleans Justice Center during a security breach in New Orleans. (Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office)

“While Sheriff Hutson did not personally open the doors of the jail for the escapees, her refusal to comply with basic legal requirements and to take even minimal precautions in the discharge of her duties directly contributed to and enabled the escape,” Murrill said. 

The charges come just days before Hutson was set to leave office after only receiving 17% of the vote in her re-election bid in October, FOX 8 reported.

Mugshots show 10 inmates who escaped from Orleans Parish Jail in New Orleans. The escapees are Dkenan Dennis, Gary C. Price, Robert Moody, Kendell Myles, Corey E. Boyd, Lenton Vanburen Jr., Jermaine Donald, Antonine T. Massey, Derrick D. Groves and Leo Tate Sr. (Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office/AP)

Hutson’s term was reportedly plagued by the infamous jailbreak, several other controversies and calls for her to resign as sheriff. 

She had never worked in a jail when she unseated four-term former Sheriff Marlin Gusman in 2021 and had minimal law enforcement experience after working as the city’s independent police monitor and an attorney specializing in police oversight, according to FOX 8.

Sheriff Susan Hutson speaks during a City Council meeting at City Hall in New Orleans May 20, 2025, after the escape of 10 inmates from the Orleans Parish Justice Center. (Sophia Germer/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate/Associated Press)

Additionally, state auditors recently reported nearly $260,000 in suspicious overpayments for security details, with previous scandals involving allegations that Hutson dropped large sums of cash on hotel rooms for her top officials during Mardi Gras, according to FOX 8. 

New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Michelle Woodfork was elected by voters to succeed Hutson and is expected to be sworn in on Monday, the outlet reported.

A photo of the hole left behind by violent inmates who escaped the Orleans Parish Jail.  (Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office)

“As my prosecutors move forward with this case, I continue to have productive conversations with Sheriff-elect Michelle Woodfork on how to improve operations, secure the facility and build in basic financial oversight that complies with state law,” Murrill added. “I am confident in her commitment to implement the difficult changes needed to reform the jail.”

A judge has set Hutson’s bond at $300,000 and Brown’s bond at $200,000, while also ordering both women to hand over their passports and remain in the state of Louisiana.

Hutson and Brown are scheduled to appear in court for a status hearing Thursday. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Hutson, Brown and the Louisiana Office of the Attorney General for comment.