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Suspect in murder of Ole Miss student Jimmie 'Jay' Lee released on bond

Sheldon Timothy Herrington Jr., accused of Lee's murder, is out on bond one month after filing a wrongful imprisonment lawsuit, court records show.

OXFORD, Miss — The suspect in the murder case of Ole Miss student Jimmie "Jay" Lee has been released on a $250,000 bond, according to Lafayette County, Mississippi, court records. 

Sheldon Timothy Herrington Jr., who was arrested in July for Lee's murder, is out of jail just more than a month after he filed a wrongful imprisonment lawsuit against Lafayette County. 

The lawsuit argues there was not enough evidence to have Herrington held in prison without bail, the original conditions of his arrest. 

As a condition to his bail, Herrington is also required to wear an ankle monitor and surrender his passport. 

The Oxford Police Department and the University of Mississippi Police Department arrested Herrington, from Grenada, Mississippi, on July 22.

Oxford police said Lee was last seen leaving Campus Walk Apartments at 5:58 a.m. on July 8 wearing a silver robe or housecoat, gold cap and gray slippers. 

Herrington was developed as a suspect and arrested after police obtained a search warrant for his apartment related to the murder case. 

Police searched Herrington's apartment, where cadaver dogs alerted officers to the presence of a body. However, no body was found, and to this date Lee's body is still missing. 

According to the lawsuit filed by Herrington, on cross-examination in court, the detective with Oxford Police said he could not recall the specifics as to how the dogs were qualified to be cadaver dogs, and did not comment on whether the dogs were trained for search and rescue, or to find human remains.

The officer also said there was no confession or admission of guilt from Herrington when he was arrested, and no physical evidence connecting him to Lee's disappearance and death.  

The Lafayette County Grand Jury did not indict Herrington on any charge related to Lee's death when they convened in August.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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