The man accused of killing former Ole Miss student Jimmie “Jay” Lee is seeking a venue change ahead of his retrial.
Aafram Sellers, the attorney representing Sheldon”Timothy” Herrington, Jr., filed a motion for a change of venue ahead of the defendant’s October 13 court proceedings. The defense is looking for the retrial to be held outside of Lafayette County due to extensive media coverage of the case and social media posts painting Herrington in a bad light. Sellers believes his client would not receive a fair trial in Oxford.
Herrington is charged with capital murder in connection with the death of Lee, a prominent figure in the Oxford LGBTQ+ community. The defendant is believed to have slain the victim in 2022 to cover up a romantic relationship the two were having. A mistrial was declared in December after the jury failed to reach a consensus on whether to charge Herrington with capital murder, first-degree or second-degree murder, culpable negligence manslaughter, or find him not guilty.
An 11-1 vote favored conviction, but the lone dissenting vote required new proceedings. Ahead of the retrial, the state has made it clear that it is not pursuing the death penalty in Herrington’s case.
The primary reason for the mistrial was the lack of a body connected to the crime. Lee had been missing since the summer of 2022, and his body was still undiscovered during the initial trial against Herrington. In February, during an extended deer hunting season, outdoorsmen in Carroll County found human remains that were later proven to be Lee’s.
Herrington turned himself in to law enforcement after the discovery and has been denied bond since then.
