Over two years after the disappearance of a student at the University of Mississippi, the man accused of making him disappear will go on trial in the coming days.
Law enforcement and state prosecutors argue Sheldon “Timothy” Herrington, Jr. murdered and disposed of the body of Jimmie “Jay” Lee to conceal a romantic relationship the two were having at the time. Lee, remembered as a beloved member of the LGBTQ+ community in Oxford, has not been seen since July 8, 2022. Earlier this year, Lee’s parents declared him legally dead, although a body has not been found.
After multiple continuances, Herrington’s murder trial will begin in Lafayette County with jury selection on Monday, Dec. 2. Due to the high-profile nature of the case, members of the jury will be sequestered for the duration of what’s expected to be a trial that lasts up to two weeks.
Herrington, 23, was arrested two weeks after the disappearance of Lee, 20. While bond was initially denied for Herrington, who will be tried on capital murder charges, a lawsuit against the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Department on wrongful confinement has kept Herrington from behind bars but with an ankle monitor on.
According to court documents from previous hearings, investigators found that Herrington had gone to Google on his computer to search, “How long does it take to strangle someone?” just moments after Lee told Herrington he was coming to his apartment on the last day Lee was seen by anyone other than Herrington. Video surveillance showed Herrington running from the apartment complex, where Lee’s car was later found, before being picked up by a friend at a nearby gas station.
Detective Ryan Baker with the Oxford Police Department added that cadaver dogs were alerted four times to the aroma of a dead body inside Herrington’s apartment, twice inside his car, and once inside a box-moving truck he had access to. However, no body was ever located as Herrington’s legal team – now led by state Rep. Kevin Horan – has argued the dogs were not verified to detect human remains as they continue to proclaim their client’s innocence.
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