A 25-year-old Mississippi man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder and tampering with evidence in the killing of a local university student and drag performer.
Jimmy “Jay” Lee, who was 20 at the time, disappeared from Oxford, Mississippi, in July 2022. Two weeks later, police arrested Sheldon “Timothy” Herrington Jr, charging him with capital murder after uncovering explicit messages that showed the pair had a prior sexual relationship.
Lee was a well-known and beloved LGBTQIA+ member of the University of Mississippi community. He performed as a drag queen at local venues and had recently begun a master’s degree. Herrington was also a graduate of the university, but was not publicly open about his sexuality.
The killer and the victim had a sexual history
Prosecutors alleged that Lee and Herrington had previously met for sex at Herrington’s apartment. During their final encounter, Lee reportedly ended the meeting early and left.
Investigators say Herrington later searched online for information about how long it takes to strangle someone and was captured on security footage purchasing duct tape on the same day Lee vanished.
The final message sent from Lee’s phone was to Herrington, sent from a location near the apartment where they had previously met. Surveillance footage later showed Herrington running from the parking lot where Lee’s car was found abandoned.
Herrington was first tried in 2024, but proceedings ended in a mistrial after jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict. The case was further complicated by the absence of Lee’s body.
Lee’s body recovered
That changed in February last year, when human remains were discovered in Carroll County, Mississippi — around 90 minutes’ drive from Lee’s home. While the remains were too decomposed for a coroner to determine a cause of death, DNA testing confirmed they belonged to Lee.
“The Oxford Police Department made a commitment to finding Jay, no matter how long it took,” said Jeff McCutchen, chief of the Oxford Police Department.
“We are grateful to the Lee family and Jay’s friends for their help and support throughout this process. We hope this confirmation brings them even a small measure of comfort.”
Herrington was placed on trial a second time before pleading guilty in December. He did not disclose a motive for the killing, though prosecutors believe Lee was murdered to prevent their sexual history from becoming public.
