In the quiet, early morning hours of July 3, 2019, a tragic event unfolded on a secluded road in Edgefield County, South Carolina. Yumonica Pate Means, a 46-year-old female, was found deceased in the roadway at the intersection of Highway 191 and Yonce Pond Road, near a peach orchard. Her life was cut short by a fatal gunshot wound to the head. The distressing scene was discovered by patrol officers who were responding to a 911 call made by a 10-year-old child seeking help.
The
investigation into Yumonica’s death quickly focused on her husband, Michael Tirrell Means, who was 39 at the time. Evidence revealed a calculated and brutal crime rooted in domestic strife. Investigators determined that Michael had lured his wife from her home in Aiken County to the remote location under the false pretense of being in a car accident. Starting at 11:38 p.m., he sent text messages to Yumonica, urging her to meet him. When she arrived, an argument ensued over an ongoing marital dispute, which culminated in Michael shooting her while her two young children were present in her vehicle.
Following the murder, Michael Tirrell Means fled to Georgia, abandoning a vehicle in Laurens County during his attempt to escape. However, he eventually surrendered to law enforcement and confessed to the shooting. Investigators learned he had purchased the gun used in the crime just two days prior in Georgia through a private transaction, as he was legally prohibited from owning a firearm due to a prior criminal record and was on probation for receiving stolen goods. In July 2021, a jury found Michael Tirrell Means guilty of murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. A judge sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole. During the sentencing, the judge described the crime as 'absolutely horrific,' and Yumonica's family, including her mother, eldest daughter, and sister, addressed the court, remembering her as a beloved mother of three and a longtime employee at the Milliken & Company Johnston Plant.
