Crime & Public Safety

Man convicted of killing woman over theft of $100 at Clayton gas station

He followed her to an apartment, shot her
Yusuf Minor (right) and Tamone Calloway were charged in the Feb. 24, 2022, killing of Ja'Leesa May-Carter in Clayton County. Minor was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison.
Yusuf Minor (right) and Tamone Calloway were charged in the Feb. 24, 2022, killing of Ja'Leesa May-Carter in Clayton County. Minor was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison.
Feb 2, 2024

A man has been convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison after killing a woman who had taken $100 from him.

Yusuf Minor, 29, of Stone Mountain, was convicted last week of malice murder, felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, Clayton County District Attorney Tasha Mosley announced Friday. Minor’s life sentence includes an additional 25 years, but he will be eligible for parole.

A second man, 24-year-old Tamone Calloway, faces identical charges in the same case but has not faced trial. Mosley did not provide details about how he was allegedly involved in the incident.

Minor killed 33-year-old Ja’Leesa May-Carter on Feb. 24, 2022, after an incident at a Texaco gas station, Mosley said. Minor had left his cellphone with a $100 bill in the case on the counter, and May-Carter and another woman noticed the cash. They took the money from the case while they checked out and then left.

Minor returned to the store and found the bill missing from his phone case, Mosley said. He demanded to see the security camera footage, then followed May-Carter and her friend to their apartment complex. He fired multiple gunshots at the two women as they ran away from him. May-Carter’s friend found her dead on her patio later that day.

Clayton police arrested Minor and Calloway in April 2022.

Calloway remains in the Clayton jail on charges related to May-Carter’s death. He was not included in Minor’s trial and his case remains pending, according to court records.

About the Author

Henri Hollis is a reporter and restaurant critic for the Food & Dining team. Formerly a freelance writer and photographer with a focus on food and restaurants, he joined the AJC full-time in January 2021, first covering breaking news. He is a lifelong Atlantan and a graduate of Georgia Tech.

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