A Howell man who fatally shot a teen he’d been hanging out with in Oakland County last year will spend at least seven years in prison, as sentenced recently by Judge Yasmine Poles.
Tylaj Clark-Spencer, 21, pleaded no contest last December to charges of manslaughter, receiving and concealing a stolen firearm, and two counts of felony firearm in connection with the May 22, 2025 death of Derek Ayden Scholl, 18, of Troy. Poles handed Clark-Spencer a sentence of 75 months to 15 years for the manslaughter, a concurrent sentence of 31 months to 10 years for the stolen firearms charge, and an additional two years for the two felony firearm charges. Jail credit of 256 days was applied to the felony firearm sentence, reducing it by one year.
Derek Scholl (photo from GoFundMe)
A no contest plea is not an admission of guilt but is treated as such for sentencing purposes. It can also offer some liability protection in civil cases.
According to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office, the shooting happened when Clark-Spencer, Scholl and two others — Joshua Peel, 20, of Royal Oak, and a 17-year-old — were preparing to leave a Clawson apartment to attend a party. Clark-Spencer was carrying a gun and checking to see if it was loaded when the weapon fired, killing Scholl, the prosecutor’s office said. A few hours later, it’s alleged the 17-year-old hid the gun and other evidence for Clark-Spencer.
Officials said it appears the gun used in the shooting had been stolen from a safe belonging to the 17-year-old’s father.
Peel and the 17-year-old were charged with accessory after the fact to a felony. Peel pleaded guilty to the crime. No further information on those cases was available.
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