Human remains discovered by hunters in Carroll County are confirmed to belong to former Ole Miss student Jimmie “Jay” Lee, who was last seen on July 8, 2022.
The remains were spotted in a wooded part of the county on Saturday. A necklace spelling out Lee’s name was among what was found at the location over the weekend. While officials did not initially confirm the identity of the deceased, sufficient evidence exists to establish that the remains are Lee’s.
The Oxford Police Department and the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office have confirmed the recovery of the remains of Jimmie “Jay” Lee. pic.twitter.com/zVMV3kkHxY
— Oxford Police Dept (@OxfordPolice) February 5, 2025
Authorities in Oxford arrested Sheldon “Timothy” Herrington, Jr. two weeks after Lee’s disappearance. Herrington, a Grenada native, was accused of killing the well-known member of the local LGBTQ+ community in order to conceal a romantic relationship the two were having. The alleged killer stood trial on a capital murder charge with State Rep. Kevin Horan serving as his lead legal counsel.
During court proceedings in Lafayette County this past December, it was discovered that Herrington had used Google on his computer to search, “How long does it take to strangle someone gabby petito [sic]” – referring to the high-profile case of a New York 22-year-old killed by her fiancé in 2021 – just moments after Lee told Herrington he was coming over on the last day Lee was seen by anyone other than Herrington.
Additionally, after Lee’s disappearance, video surveillance at the Oxford Walmart showed Herrington looking at large trash cans but only purchasing duct tape. Herrington later traveled to Grenada, operating a box truck that was said to be used for his moving business, and acquired a shovel, wheelbarrow, and lap pads.
Ultimately a mistrial was declared in Herrington’s case as the jury could not reach a consensus agreement as to whether to convict Herrington of capital murder, first-degree murder, second-degree murder, culpable negligence manslaughter, or find him not guilty. Despite the 11-1 vote favoring a conviction, the lone dissenter spurred a final decision, leaving Circuit Judge Kelly Luther to reach out to prosecutors and defense attorneys about setting a date for a retrial.
One of the dissenting juror’s holdbacks in committing to convict Herrington of the crime was the lack of the victim’s body. Now that Lee’s body was found — in a neighboring county to Herrington’s childhood home, much less — a new trial will pose new challenges to the defense, which has consistently maintained the suspect’s innocence.
Lee’s parents had their son legally declared dead in November as they had not heard from him for years. Officials have now not only confirmed Lee’s deceased status, but also opened the door to more clarity in the investigation into the victim’s disappearance and death.
