Pastor’s Son Gets 40 Years For The Murder Of Out Gay Mississippi Student

Featured Image: via justiceforjaylee Instagram (photo credit, Bruce Newman)

On Tuesday, Dec. 2, Sheldon “Timothy” Herrington Jr., 25, was sentenced to 40 years in prison for the murder of an openly gay University of Mississippi student Jimmie “Jay” Lee. The sentence came one day after Herrington pleaded guilty to charges of second-degree murder and tampering. This was the second trial for Herrington; it followed a mistrial last year, when a deadlocked jury was unable to reach a decision in the case.

Lee, age 20, had gone missing from Oxford student housing back on July 8, 2022. Herrington, also an Ole Miss grad, became a suspect soon after, and was arrested and charged with capital murder two weeks after Lee disappeared. But Lee’s whereabouts remained unknown for more than three years. A judge eventually declared Lee legally dead on November 4, 2024, months after Lee’s parents filed a petition for declaration of death in Lafayette County. In February of this year, the student’s skeletal remains were found by deer hunters in a Carroll County forest.

“The Oxford Police Department made a commitment to finding Jay, no matter how long it took,” Chief Jeff McCutchen said in a release at the time.

Photo of Jimmie “Jay” Lee, courtesy of Justice for Jay Lee Movement

Lee had been a well-respected member of the LGBTQ community, known for his fun-loving nature, sense of fashion and talent as a drag queen performer, “Jay Diva.” Prosecutors alleged that he had been secretly sexually involved with Herrington who was a member of Abundant Life Assembly in Grenada, Miss., where his parents served in ministry for many years, his father, as Assistant Pastor.

“What’s done in the darkness will always come to light,” said specially appointed prosecutor Gwen Agho, after the sentencing. “All of this happened to cover something up, and everyone found out anyways.”

Court documents indicated that Herrington and Lee had exchanged Snapchat messages on the evening of July 7, 2022. Lee suggested to Herrington, that he was “just tryna lure me over there to beat my ass or something.” Herrington wrote back, “you trippin.” Lee had also been writing to another friend simultaneously, and when he went missing, the friend reached out to the police.

A person matching Herrington’s description was later seen jogging away from Lee’s last known whereabouts; and later, on security cameras purchasing duct tape and driving to his parent’s house with a company truck where he picked up a wheelbarrow and shovel. The prosecution contended it was likely that Herrington was afraid for the relationship to go public, and so strangled Lee in his apartment, jogged off and returned later with a truck to get the body. While the body was not found in the apartment, K-9 dogs trained in Human Remains Detection (HRD) signaled the finding of Herrington’s scent multiple times in Lee’s apartment. Later, investigations would reveal that the roll of duct tape purchased at Walmart matched perfectly with a piece of tape found wrapped around the remains.

Initially, prosecutors charged Herrington with capital murder, but agreed to reduce the charge to second-degree murder.

The convicted killer was sentenced to 40 years in prison with 10 years suspended; and will therefore serve 30 years on the second-degree murder charge. He received another 10 years for tampering. The sentences will run consecutively for 40 years total, plus 10 years of post-release supervision.

After handing out the sentence, Judge John Kelly Luther spoke. “The state of Mississippi does not have a good reputation in matters concerning this, quite frankly,” he said, addressing what he saw as “a lifestyle that was different” from most in Mississippi. “I want the world to know that Mississippi got it right this time.”