A Fulton County drug dealer was sentenced to life in prison plus 10 years Thursday for murdering a 21-year-old mother.

Larry Reese, 39, had previously been arrested eight times in South Fulton County, with three of the arrests stemming from illegal drug activity, according to a news release.

Claynesia Ringer traveled to Reese's home to purchase marijuana in August 2015, the release said. Reese mistook Ringer as an attempted robber and shot at her car multiple times with a handgun, fatally striking her in the chest.

Reese left the scene, but an elaborate video surveillance system he set up around his house showed him firing the shots that killed Ringer, the release said.

Marijuana, digital scales and plastic baggies used to package the drug were found in his home by police, the release said.

Reese turned himself in to Fulton police in February 2016 after several months on the run.

Ringer was the mother of a 2-year-old girl, and she was enrolled in Atlanta Technical College with hopes of becoming a pharmacy technician, the release said.

Reese was found guilty of murder, felony murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, criminal damage to property in the first degree, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, the release said.

In other news:

Steve Martin is an acclaimed veteran math teacher at Carrollton High School.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Amy Stevens, a U.S. Navy veteran who founded Georgia Military Women, was inducted this month into the Georgia Military Veterans Hall of Fame. She recently visited the Atlanta History Center's exhibit, “Our War Too: Women in Service." (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

Featured

Passengers wait at a Delta check-in counter at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025. It was the first day the Federal Aviation Administration cut flight capacity at airports during the government shutdown. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com