Less than a week following the confirmation that the skeletal remains discovered in a wooded area in Carroll County earlier this month were those of missing Ole Miss student Jimmie “Jay” Lee, the Grenada man accused of his murder was back in court.
Sheldon Timothy Herrington Jr. now faces a new charge of Tampering with Evidence in addition to his initial charge of Capital Murder following the discovery of Lee’s body by deer hunters at an illegal dumping site on Feb. 1. He pleaded not guilty to all charges at his arraignment in Lafayette Circuit Court Tuesday afternoon.
Lafayette County Circuit Court Judge Kelly Luther ruled that Herrington will have a bond hearing at 10 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 21. The judge also appointed Herrington a public defender.
Lee was last seen leaving his west Oxford apartment on July 8, 2022, but his body had never been found. The investigation extended into Grenada County. A Lafayette County judge declared the 20-year-old dead in November 2024.
Judge Luther declared a mistrial on Dec. 11, 2024, in the Capital Murder trial of Herrington Jr., who was on trial for eight days for the murder of Lee. A jury deliberated for approximately 9 1/2 hours before the mistrial was declared because the jury could not come to a consensus.
The prosecution said Herrington and Lee were in a sexual relationship and they argued that Herrington killed Lee because he did not want to be outed as being gay. However, the defense maintained Herrington is innocent, and claimed there was no evidence connecting their client to this crime.
The jury was considering Capital Murder, First- and Second-Degree Murder or Manslaughter as potential convictions or a not guilty verdict after closing arguments were held that morning at the Lafayette County Courthouse.
Lafayette County District Attorney Ben Creekmore said the state at this time is not prepared to disclose whether or not the death penalty will be sought. The prosecution will decide during the bond hearing.
Herrington was ordered to be held without bond until his bond hearing late next week.
