OXFORD, Miss — The Campus Walks Apartments are the last place Jimmie “Jay” Lee was seen before being reported missing. Now, more than three months since his disappearance, supporters of the group, “Justice for Jay Lee,” are making sure his name isn’t forgotten.
“It’s been over a hundred days,” said Kaleigh Breisch, an Ole Miss senior.
“How many more mornings we have to wake up and Jay is missing?” asked Braylyn Johnson, Lee’s former roommate.
It is a question which so far, has no answer.
Ole Miss student, Jimmie “Jay” Lee was last seen July 8th. Weeks later, Oxford Police arrested Sheldon Timothy Herrington Jr. He is charged with first degree murder in Lee’s disappearance. Herrington is being held in jail without bond and has filed a lawsuit against Lafayette County Sheriff’s Department for wrongful imprisonment citing not enough evidence.
“After the reports came out that Sheldon Herrington had received a bunch of letters to the court asking for his release, we wanted to combat that and let the court know what Jay Lee meant to our community,” said Johnson.
She and supporters of the group, “Justice for Jay Lee,” started a letter campaign of their own on his behalf.
“I made it super personal and I really wanted to let the court know who Jay Lee was to me and how important he was to his family and the people in Jay Lee’s life,” said Johnson.
“I remember seeing him at Code Pink events up on the stage doing his thing, running into him, and talking to him,” said Breisch. She wrote a letter as well.
“The main thing that I felt when I was writing my letter was that people are not really speaking up and talking about Jay. A lot of the campus has been really silent and it doesn’t make me feel good about our community,” said Breisch. “Jay was just such a light in the community. I really just emphasized that like when Jay went missing, we kind of lost that light.”
Lee was a light who stood up for his community.
“With him being the advocate that he was and something like this happening to him, this is the opportunity for people to have the conversation to do what needs to be done to affirm our community’s feelings and fears,” said Johnson.
Although Herrington is charged with first degree murder, investigators are still searching for Lee’s body. Oxford Police said there are no public updates at this time. They also said they are diligently working on the case.