MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Lafayette County Circuit Court Judge has officially declared a missing Ole Miss student as dead as the case continues against his accused killer.
In an order dated Oct. 15, 2024, the judge said, “the proof is evident and the presumption is great” that Jimmie 'Jay' Lee is dead. The ruling allows for a death certificate to be issued to the family.
The order said Lee “has undergone a catastrophic event that exposed him to imminent peril or danger reasonably expected to result in the loss of life.” It continues that Lee’s disappearance “can not be satisfactorily explained” after a “diligent search” by law enforcement and family.
Lee disappeared July 8, 2022. The 20-year-old was last seen at an apartment complex in Oxford, Mississippi, and his body has not been found. He was well known in the college town’s LGBTQ community, where his disappearance sparked fear.
Sheldon 'Timothy' Herrington Jr. was arrested two weeks after Lee vanished and later indicted on a capital murder charge. Police have said Herrington’s cellphone history showed conversations between him and Lee on the morning Lee went missing. They said they found Google searches for “how long it takes to strangle someone” minutes after Lee reportedly told Herrington he was on his way to his apartment.
Herrington was released five months after his arrest on a $250,000 bond after agreeing to surrender his passport and wear an ankle monitor.
Herrington is set to face trial Dec. 2 and faces life in prison if convicted. He has maintained his innocence.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
