A Howell man recently sentenced to prison for fatally shooting a teen he’d been hanging out with in Oakland County last year was back in court Tuesday to be sentenced for violating probation in connection with a stolen car case he pleaded guilty to more than two years ago.
Due to his recent conviction for manslaughter and related charges for the May 22, 2025 death of Ayden Scholl, 18, of Troy, Tylaj Clark-Spencer, 21, was stripped of his Holmes Youthful Training Act status — commonly referred to as HYTA — issued when he was sentenced to two years probation on Oct. 31, 2023 for receiving/concealing stolen property. Clark-Spencer had completed nearly 19 months of his probation term when Scholl was killed.
HYTA is a Michigan law allowing for younger criminals to avoid a public criminal record for most crimes if they plead guilty and complete probation. The case is dismissed upon successful completion of probation.
Tylaj Clark-Spencer (Oakland County Jail photo)
But Clark-Spencer violated probation with the crimes associated with Scholl’s death — which he pleaded no contest to last December — so that conviction is now public record. Oakland County Circuit Judge Victoria Valentine revoked Clark-Spencer’s HYTA status at Tuesday’s court hearing, and sentenced him to 254 days in jail, with credit for 254 days served.
Earlier this month, Judge Yasmine Poles sentenced Clark-Spencer to 75 months to 15 years for manslaughter, a concurrent sentence of 31 months to 10 years possession of a stolen firearm, and an additional two years for two felony firearm charges in connection with the fatal shooting of Scholl. Jail credit of 256 days was applied to the felony firearm sentence, reducing it by one year.
According to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office, Scholl was killed when he, Clark-Spencer, 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. Officials said it appeared 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.
Clark-Spencer is held in the Oakland County Jail, awaiting transport to a Michigan prison.
Update: Man found dead at Proud Lake was fatally shot; search underway for killer