University of Mississippi student Jimmie “Jay” Lee was reported missing in July 2022 after his mother told campus police that she had not heard from him. Just a few weeks later, fellow student and recent graduate Sheldon Timothy Herrington Jr., was arrested and accused of killing Lee.
Now, Lee’s remains have finally been found. Over the weekend, a gold necklace with Jimmie “Jay” Lee’s name on it was found with human remains in Carroll County. Action 5 News reported that authorities have confirmed the remains belong to Lee.
The outlet also shared a statement on Lee’s death from the University of Mississippi:
“The discovery of Jimmie “Jay” Lee’s body is a solemn moment and our thoughts are with Jay’s family and loved ones. University officials have been in contact with his parents to extend condolences. We are grateful to the individuals and agencies for their efforts in this case.”
Lee, a 20-year-old student and member of the school’s LGBTQ+ community, was last seen on July 8, 2022. Lee was eventually declared dead in absentia by a judge.
Herrington was tried on a capital murder charge in connection with Lee’s death. However, a mistrial was declared in December 2024 after jurors could not reach a verdict. At the time, Herrington’s attorney Kevin Horan argued that his client could not be convicted without a body present.
Horan also insisted that investigators focused solely on Herrington and didn’t exhaust leads on other persons of interest per the Clarion Ledger.
Prosecutors argued that Lee and Herrington had a sexual encounter that ended poorly just before Lee’s death. They alleged that Herrington reached out to Lee and invited him back to his apartment, where they believe the killing took place.
In a video clip presented as evidence in court, Herrington was seen the day after Lee went missing removing a shovel and wheelbarrow from his parent’s house and putting it into the back of a box truck owned by Herrington’s moving company, per WMC-TV.
No new trial date for Herrington has been set.