DeKalb County: Church’s Chicken restaurant worker sentenced to two life sentences after murdering his boss

DECATUR, GA—Yamir Paul Thomas, 23, of Stone Mountain, has been sentenced to serve two life terms, plus five years to serve consecutively after his conviction for murdering the general manager of a Church’s Chicken restaurant where they both were employed.  

The DeKalb County Office of the District Attorney announced the sentence following the jury trial. DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Gregory A. Adams, who presided over the trial, handed down the sentence on April 3 after the jury found Thomas  guilty of Malice Murder, two counts of Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault, and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony in connection with the death of Donald Crenshaw, 57, on Sept. 4, 2023. 

According to the investigation, on Sept.5, 2023, at around 2:15 a.m. officers with the DeKalb County Police Department responded to a call about a person shot inside a home in the 5900 block of Valley Green Road in Lithonia.  When they arrived, police met with a man who lived at the house and said he had just come home to find his roommate, Donald Crenshaw, dead in Crenshaw’s bedroom.  Crenshaw’s roommate also told police that Crenshaw’s silver Volvo was missing from the driveway.  

Investigators reviewed doorbell surveillance videos from the house and saw Crenshaw and Thomas had arrived at the house and went inside shortly before 11:30 the night before.  Footage showed Crenshaw briefly went back out to his car at about 11:35 p.m.  Five minutes later, Thomas was captured leaving the house with a handgun sticking out of his pocket.  Thomas left in the victim’s car, but returned to the house around 11:58 p.m.  Thomas went back inside and video showed him leave the house again a short time later carrying a wallet with cash sticking out of it. 

Police used cameras to find Crenshaw’s Volvo the next day parked about a block from where Thomas lived.  Crime scene technicians recovered a fingerprint from Thomas on the outside of the driver’s side door.  

Through their investigation, police learned that Thomas worked at Church’s Chicken and that Crenshaw was the general manager.  Detectives discovered that Thomas and Crenshaw had an argument at the restaurant on the afternoon of the murder.  

Police obtained an arrest warrant and deputies with the DeKalb County Marshal’s Office took Thomas into custody on Dec.11, 2023.  A search of Thomas’s phone revealed he had searched for “What’s the sentencing range for second degree murder?” and “Can fugitives get jobs?” 

In an interview with detectives, Thomas admitted to shooting Crenshaw, but claimed it was in self-defense, investigators said.

The case, assigned to the Homicide and Gangs Unit, was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Jasmine Atakora, with assistance from Senior Assistant District Attorney Eliazette Johnson, District Attorney Investigator Tia Johnson and Victim Advocate Christy Palmer.  DeKalb County Police Department Detective Byars led the initial investigation.