A suspect was taken into custody Friday and charged with the murder of missing University of Mississippi student Jimmie “Jay” Lee. The missing college student has not been seen since July 8.
Sheldon Timothy Herrington Jr., 22, has been charged with murder. No bond has been set, according to a joint press release by the Oxford Police Department and the University of Mississippi Police Department.
Herrington is scheduled for a hearing next week.
Prominent Mississippi attorney Carlos Moore is representing Herrington, according to WREG. Moore, a relative of Herrington, believes that his client will be exonerated.
“There is no body, there is no weapon, there is no blood,” Moore told the outlet. “How do we know there has been a murder committed? There is nobody there. There is no gunshots heard. I mean, nobody has seen a struggle or heard of a struggle. How do we know someone is dead, and how do they know that Timothy Herrington did it? I’m just baffled.”
Investigators believe Lee was visiting someone who lives in Molly Barr Trails before he went missing on July 8. His 2014 Ford Fusion was discovered at a local towing company on July 11. It was towed from the apartment complex where Lee was reportedly last seen.
According to CNN, although Lee dresses in women’s clothing and makeup in some pictures and videos, Lee writes that he identifies as a gay male.
The investigation into Lee’s disappearance is still ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact OPD at 662-232-2400, UPD at 663-915-7234, CrimeStoppers at 662-234-8477, or contact any agency through direct messages on their social media accounts.
