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Sheldon “Timothy” Herrington Jr. entered the plea in the death
of Jimmie “Jay” Lee, who disappeared from Oxford, where the
university is located, in July 2022. Herrington was arrested two
weeks later and eventually charged with capital murder.
A judge declared a mistrial last year when jurors failed to
reach a verdict after more than nine and a half hours of
deliberation. At the time of the trial, Lee's body had not been
found, but a judge had declared him dead.
In February of this year, deer hunters stumbled upon Lee’s
skeletal remains in a wooded area, according to Mississippi
Today.
During the first trial, prosecutors claimed Herrington, who was
not openly gay, killed Lee after the two had a sexual encounter.
Campus cameras showed Lee leaving his apartment shortly before 4
a.m. the day he disappeared. He returned 40 minutes later,
before leaving again just before 6 a.m.
Prosecutors allege Lee had been at Herrington’s apartment, and
that when Lee had left Herrington’s apartment he was upset.
Herrington, they said, invited Lee back and searched “how long
does it take to strangle someone" online before Lee arrived.
The final text message from Lee’s phone was sent to a social
media account belonging to Herrington at 6:03 a.m. from a spot
near Herrington’s apartment, law enforcement testified. Accounts
belonging to Herrington and Lee had previously exchanged
sexually explicit messages, they said.
Herrington was later captured by surveillance video jogging out
of a parking lot where Lee’s car was found. He was also seen
picking up a shovel and wheelbarrow at his parents’ house,
authorities said.
Herrington is from Grenada, Mississippi, about 52 miles (83.7
kilometers) southwest of Oxford. Lee's body was found in
neighboring Carroll County.
Both Herrington and Lee had graduated from the University of
Mississippi.
Lee had been pursuing a master's degree. He was known for his
creative expression through fashion and makeup and often
performed in drag shows in Oxford, according to a support group
called Justice for Jay Lee.
Herrington is set to be sentenced on Tuesday.
His lawyers were not immediately available for comment.
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