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Man Pleads Guilty in Death of Ole Miss Graduate Jimmy “Jay” Lee; Sentencing Set

06:45 PM, 12/02/2025
Man Pleads Guilty in Death of Ole Miss Graduate Jimmy “Jay” Lee; Sentencing Set

Sheldon “Timothy” Herrington Jr. pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and related charges in the death of University of Mississippi graduate Jimmy “Jay” Lee. Herrington had been arrested two weeks after Lee vanished in July 2022 and initially faced a capital murder charge; the state said it would not seek the death penalty. A prior trial ended in a mistrial. Lee’s skeletal remains were found in February, and Herrington is due to be sentenced Tuesday.

Sheldon “Timothy” Herrington Jr. pleaded guilty Monday to second-degree murder and related charges in the death of University of Mississippi graduate Jimmy “Jay” Lee, a well-known figure in the local LGBTQ community.

Herrington entered the plea ahead of a second trial in the case. He was arrested roughly two weeks after Lee disappeared from Oxford, Mississippi, in July 2022 and initially faced a capital murder charge. The state informed the court it did not intend to seek the death penalty.

Herrington's first trial last year ended in a mistrial after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict following more than nine-and-a-half hours of deliberation. At that trial, jurors had been instructed they could consider charges ranging from capital murder to manslaughter by culpable negligence.

At the time of the first trial, Lee's remains had not been recovered; a judge had legally declared him dead. In February of this year, hunters discovered skeletal remains in a wooded area that were later identified as Lee's.

Prosecutors previously told a jury that Herrington, who was not publicly known to be gay, killed Lee after an encounter between the two. They say surveillance footage showed Lee leaving his apartment shortly before 4 a.m. the night he disappeared, returning about 40 minutes later, then leaving again just before 6 a.m. Investigators say the final message from Lee’s phone was sent at 6:03 a.m. to a social account associated with Herrington from a location near Herrington’s apartment.

Prosecutors also presented evidence alleging Herrington searched online for information about strangulation before Lee returned to his apartment, and surveillance footage later showed Herrington near the parking lot where Lee’s car was found and retrieving a shovel and wheelbarrow from his parents’ home. Those details were presented as part of the state’s case during the first trial.

Lee, who had been pursuing a master’s degree, was known in Oxford for his creative expression in fashion and makeup and for performing in drag shows. An advocacy group, Justice for Jay Lee, has been active in keeping attention on the case.

Herrington is scheduled to be sentenced on Tuesday. His attorneys were not immediately available for comment.

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