A judge declared a mistrial in the case of Sheldon “Timothy” Herrington Jr., charged with the 2022 killing of Jimmie “Jay” Lee, a gay man prominent in the LGBTQ+ community at the University of Mississippi. The jury was unable to reach a verdict after over nine and a half hours of deliberation.
Although Lee’s body has never been found, a judge declared him dead. Herrington, 24, remains free on bond and is still charged with capital murder, which in Mississippi law is defined as a killing committed along with another felony, in this case, kidnapping. Prosecutors have stated they will not seek the death penalty, but Herrington faces life in prison if convicted.
Jurors were given the option to consider lesser charges of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, or manslaughter, each carrying different sentences.
Police arrested Herrington two weeks after Lee vanished. Investigators presented evidence including explicit messages between the two men, online searches conducted by Herrington, and conflicting information provided by Herrington about the hours before Lee disappeared.
Prosecutors argued that Herrington and Lee had a sexual encounter that ended badly, leading to Lee’s death. They claimed that Herrington persuaded Lee to return to his apartment with the promise of more sex, ultimately resulting in Lee’s killing.
Herrington’s attorney countered by stating that without a body, prosecutors cannot prove Lee is dead. He highlighted text messages showing Herrington did not lure Lee to his apartment.
The mistrial was declared after the jury twice indicated they were deadlocked. The judge thanked the jurors for their service and urged them to continue deliberating before ultimately declaring the mistrial.
The case has garnered significant attention due to the nature of the charges and the prominent role Lee played in the LGBTQ+ community at the University of Mississippi.
