The Jay Lee case ended on December 2, 2025, when Sheldon Timothy Herrington Jr. was sentenced to 40 years in prison for the second-degree murder of Jimmie “Jay” Lee, a 20-year-old University of Mississippi student who disappeared from Oxford on July 8, 2022. Herrington, a fellow Ole Miss graduate, had pleaded guilty the day before to second-degree murder and tampering with evidence, ending a three-and-a-half-year prosecution that included a mistrial and the eventual discovery of Lee’s remains at a Carroll County dumping site.
Who Jay Lee Was
Lee, a Jackson native, graduated with high honors from Forest Hill High School and enrolled at Ole Miss in 2019 to study social work. By 2022 he had graduated and was pursuing a master’s degree. In Oxford he was widely known for performing as the drag queen “Jay Divaa” at Code Pink, a monthly LGBTQIA+ dance event, and was described by friends as a pillar of the local LGBTQ+ community.1The Advocate. Jimmie Lee Murder Mistrial2Oxford MS Pride. Honorary Marshal
The Disappearance
Lee’s mother reported him missing on July 8, 2022. Campus surveillance footage showed him leaving his apartment complex shortly before 4:00 a.m. that day, returning about 40 minutes later, and leaving again just before 6:00 a.m. Prosecutors alleged he had been at Herrington’s apartment during that time and was upset when he left. A final text message from Lee’s phone was sent at 6:03 a.m. to a social media account belonging to Herrington, from a location near Herrington’s apartment. Lee’s vehicle was recovered by a local towing company two days later.3Mississippi Free Press. Herrington to Serve 40 Years for Killing Gay University of Mississippi Student Jay Lee4Mississippi Free Press. Missing UM Student Jay Lee’s Body Found at Well-Known Carroll County Dumping Site
The Evidence Against Herrington
Herrington became a suspect quickly. Police identified him on surveillance video leaving the Oxford parking lot where Lee’s abandoned vehicle was later found. Electronic records indicated Herrington had convinced Lee to return to his apartment after a sexual encounter on the morning of July 8. Search history recovered from Herrington’s device showed he had queried “how long does it take to strangle someone” at 5:56 a.m. that morning, minutes before Lee’s final text message.5Mississippi Free Press. Herrington Pleads Guilty to Murder of Jay Lee, UM Student Who Went Missing in 2022
After Lee’s disappearance, Herrington was observed purchasing duct tape at Walmart and then driving to his hometown of Grenada, where he retrieved a shovel and wheelbarrow.6Clarion Ledger. Sheldon Timothy Herrington Sentenced After Pleading Guilty in Ole Miss Student Jay Lee Death He was arrested weeks after the disappearance and charged with capital murder, on the prosecution theory that the killing occurred during a kidnapping. Prosecutors alleged that Herrington, who was not openly gay, killed Lee to keep their sexual relationship secret. When interviewed, Herrington admitted he had not been “accurate” about that relationship.7News From the States. Herrington Pleads Guilty to Murder and Tampering in Jay Lee Case A Lafayette County grand jury indicted him for capital murder on March 29, 2023.8Mississippi Today. Jay Lee Sheldon Timothy Herrington Grand Jury
The First Trial Ended in a Mistrial
The capital murder trial began in early December 2024 before Lafayette County Circuit Judge Kelly Luther. Prosecutors did not seek the death penalty. The case was entirely circumstantial: Lee’s body had not been found, and there was no forensic evidence of how he died.9WCLK. Judge Declares Mistrial Over Killing of Gay University of Mississippi Student
Over eight days, prosecutors presented explicit social media messages between the two men, the strangulation search, surveillance footage, and evidence of the duct tape and Grenada trips. Defense attorney Kevin Horan pointed to other individuals in Lee’s life whom police had not focused on. After nearly nine and a half hours of deliberation, jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict. Judge Luther declared a mistrial on December 11, 2024, telling the courtroom, “Just my mind reading the jury, I think we were hopelessly deadlocked.” The split was reported as 11 to 1, though the judge instructed jurors not to disclose which way the majority leaned.10Mississippi Today. Hopelessly Deadlocked: Judge Declares Mistrial in Tim Herrington Trial
Lee’s Remains Were Found in February 2025
On February 1, 2025, deer hunters found skeletal remains in a wooded area off Highway 82 near Winona in Carroll County, a well-known local dumping ground for refuse and tires. A gold nameplate necklace reading “Jaylee” was found nearby, and the Mississippi Crime Lab confirmed the remains as Lee’s through DNA analysis.4Mississippi Free Press. Missing UM Student Jay Lee’s Body Found at Well-Known Carroll County Dumping Site
The Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office could not determine a cause or manner of death because the remains were fully skeletal with no soft tissue. The autopsy ruled out blunt force trauma, sharp force trauma, and firearm injuries. Carroll County Coroner Mark Stiles noted there was no evidence of a broken neck bone, even though prosecutors had theorized strangulation. The “undetermined” finding did not rule out homicide.11Mississippi Today. Medical Examiner Could Not Determine Jimmie Jay Lee’s Cause or Manner of Death
A grand jury issued a new indictment adding a tampering with evidence charge. Herrington’s new attorney, Jackson-based Aafram Y. Sellers, successfully argued the tampering charge was time-barred, and Judge Luther dismissed it with prejudice on March 7, 2025.12Action News 5. Herrington to Be Sentenced Following Guilty Plea in Jimmie Jay Lee Murder
The Guilty Plea and 40-Year Sentence
A second trial was scheduled to begin in Madison County in December 2025 with a fresh jury pool. On December 1, during jury selection, Herrington unexpectedly pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and tampering with evidence. The plea deal effectively reinstated the tampering charge that had earlier been dismissed. District Attorney Ben Creekmore called the plea “unexpected,” saying his office had received no response to outreach the previous Friday. Sellers said the agreement came together once both sides “got to the courthouse steps.”13Mississippi Today. Herrington Pleads Guilty to Murder and Tampering in Jay Lee Case
On December 2, 2025, Judge Luther sentenced Herrington to 40 years: 30 years for second-degree murder and 10 years for tampering with evidence, to run consecutively. He also received 10 years of post-release supervision, split between five years supervised and five years unsupervised.14Mississippi Today. Herrington Gets 40 Years for Jay Lee Killing
Lee’s father, Jimmie Lee Sr., addressed Herrington directly at sentencing: “I don’t have a hell to put you in or a heaven to keep you out of. But I want to remind you of God’s redemptive plan.” He also described the recovery of his son’s body: “I had to witness my son’s skeletal remains. I touched his skull. No father should have to go through that. No parent should have to go through that.”15News From the States. Herrington Sentenced to 40 Years for Killing Fellow University of Mississippi Student Jay Lee Creekmore said the plea spared the family further trauma: “It’s a terrible, sad, tragic story, and I’m relieved that the family does not have to relive the trauma of what happened to Jay Lee again.”7News From the States. Herrington Pleads Guilty to Murder and Tampering in Jay Lee Case
Was It Prosecuted as a Hate Crime
No. Mississippi’s hate crime statute does not include sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability as protected categories, so state prosecutors could not have pursued hate crime charges. Federal law does cover those categories under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, but the case was never formally classified or prosecuted as a hate crime. The Oxford Police Department characterized the killing as an “isolated incident” stemming from a personal relationship.16Mississippi Free Press. GOP Rep: Mississippi Needs Hate Crimes Law for LGBT, Disabled People17Clarion Ledger. Ole Miss Student Jimmie Lee Killing Not Threat LGBTQ Community
The Proposed Jay Lee Information Bill
After sentencing, Lee’s father began pushing legislation he calls the “Jay Lee Information Bill.” The proposal would require phone, social media, and technology companies to provide usernames and passwords to law enforcement and parents when a person aged 21 or younger is reported missing, with access requiring the combined effort of both law enforcement and a parent or guardian. Lee Sr. said the measure was inspired by his frustration during the investigation, particularly with Apple, which he said refused to release his son’s login credentials, delay he argued gave Herrington more time to conceal evidence.18WLBT. Family of Jimmie Jay Lee Pushes Legislation After Son’s Murder
Mississippi state representatives Fabian Nelson and Justis Gibbs have expressed support but said they cannot introduce the bill at the state level because it would conflict with the federal Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986. They said they plan to work with Mississippi’s congressional delegation on a federal solution. As of early 2026, no formal bill number had been assigned.19WAPT. The Parents of Jimmie Jay Lee Push for Tech Companies to Share Login Information of Missing Individuals