Michael Tirrell Means, age 39, has been sentenced to Life in prison following his conviction for Murder and Possession of a Weapon during commission of a Violent Crime for the shooting death of his wife, Yumonica Pate Means, in Edgefield County. Circuit Court Judge Debra R. McCaslin imposed the life sentence following a jury trial last week. Under South Carolina law, Means is not eligible for parole.

Eleventh Circuit Solicitor Rick Hubbard stated “this was a brutal and calculated crime. We are thankful for the outcome and continue our efforts to aggressively prosecute crimes of violence.”

In the early morning hours of July 3, 2019, at 1:31 am, the Edgefield County 911 Center received a call from a 10 year old child seeking assistance. Upon arrival, patrol officers discovered the body of Yumonica Means, age 46, in the roadway of a secluded area near a peach orchard at the intersection of Highway 191 and Yonce Pond Road near Johnston.

The investigation was led by the late Inv. Jimmy Smith of the Edgefield County Sheriff’s Office and crime scene analysis was conducted by the S.C. Law Enforcement Division (SLED). Inv. Smith passed away unexpectedly in October of 2019, after overseeing the initial stages of the investigation.

Evidence obtained during the investigation determined that Tirrell Means lured his wife, Yumonica, from her home in Aiken County to the Highway 191 location in Edgefield County under the ruse that he had been involved in a car accident. Means sent text messages to his wife’s phone, beginning at 11:38 pm, claiming that he needed her to meet him at the location. Ultimately, it was determined that Means had not been involved in an accident. According to tesimony, he confronted his wife when she arrived regarding an ongoing marital dispute. Means then shot his wife while she was outside of her vehicle. The victim’s two young children were present at the scene when the crime occurred.

A forensic autopsy determined that Yumonica Means sustained a gunshot wound to the head which was immediately fatal. Investigators learned that Means purchased the gun in Georgia, through a private transaction without a background check, approximately two days before using the firearm to kill his wife. Means was prohibited from purchasing a firearm due to his prior record and was on probation due to a recent conviction for receiving stolen goods.

Following the murder, Means fled the scene and traveled to Georgia. He abandoned a vehicle in Laurens County while he was on the run. He later turned himself in to law enforcement officers and confessed to shooting his wife in an audio-recorded statement.

The case was prosecuted by Eleventh Circuit Deputy Solicitor Suzanne Mayes and Assistant Solicitor Doug Fender. During the State’s closing argument, Mayes asked the jury to consider extensive evidence of “malice aforethought” carried out by Means, including that he lured the victim to a dark, secluded location under false pretenses and emptied her bank account just prior to the crime. “Her fate was sealed before she even arrived,” Mayes stated. “There could be no greater evidence of malice.”

During the sentencing hearing, family members of Yumonica Means addressed the court, including her mother, her eldest daughter, and her sister. Yumonica was the beloved mother of three children and a long time employee of the Milliken & Company Johnston Plant. Judge McCaslin termed the crime “absolutely horrific” just before handing down the sentence of life imprisonment.

Following sentencing, Deputy Solicitor Mayes stated “we are grateful for the work of Inv. Jimmy Smith, the Edgefield County Sherriff’s Office, and SLED during this investigation. We recognize the magnitude of this tragedy and are relieved to see this measure of justice for Yumonica’s family.”

Means has been transported to the S.C. Department of Corrections to begin immediate service of the life sentence.