By Pam Dankins
Clarion Ledger
On Tuesday, Dec. 2, Lafayette County Circuit Court Judge Kelly Luther sentenced Sheldon Timothy Herrington Jr. to 40 years in prison in connection with the 2022 death of University of Mississippi student Jimmie “Jay” Lee.
Luther sentenced Herrington to 40 years on a second-degree murder charge with 10 years suspended. Luther also sentenced Herrington to 10 years on a tampering with evidence charge. That is a total of 40 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections.
The sentences will run consecutively.
Following that 40-year sentence, Herrington will serve 10 years of post-release supervision, including five years of supervised probation and five years of unsupervised probation.
Luther said the court is “acutely aware” that the nation has been watching this case from the beginning. The judge continued, saying Lee “lived a lifestyle that was different from most people in Mississippi.” Because of this, Luther assumed that many people in the country thought there would not be justice in Lee’s murder. Instead, Luther said, “Mississippi got it right this time.”
“This case was investigated more thoroughly than any case I’ve ever dealt with in my 35 years in the criminal justice system,” Luther said. “It was defended … as well as any case I’ve dealt with in my 35 years. Everybody did their job.”
Luther then addressed Herrington directly.
“Mr. Herrington, you still have a chance at life. Mr. Lee does not,” Luther said. “I would encourage you to take advantage of that opportunity.”
The sentencing comes one day after Herrington pleaded guilty Monday, Dec. 1, in Madison County during the day of jury selection for a retrial to second-degree murder and tampering with evidence — which had been previously dismissed by Luther — in connection with Lee’s death.
Before Luther handed down the sentence, Lee’s father Jimmie Lee Sr. addressed the court from the witness stand with Stephanie Lee, Lee’s mother, standing beside him.
Jimmie Lee Sr. said he was a “broken father.” The father and pastor said he knew from the beginning that Herrington killed his son. The father said his family has been reliving July 8, 2022 — the day Lee went missing.
Lee Sr. said Tuesday is a “sad day” for his family, as they come to terms with the fact that their loved one is no longer alive. The father expressed that the family can no longer see Lee or hear his voice in person but only in their memories.
“I had to witness my son’s skeletal remains. I touched his skull. No father should have to go through that. No parent should have to go through that. … Jay trusted you.”
Herrington did not speak at the sentencing.
Herrington was originally facing a capital murder charge and a potential sentence of life in prison for killing Lee in the summer of 2022 and hiding Lee’s body. Prosecutors alleged Herrington’s motive was to conceal a romantic relationship with Lee.
Herrington’s Jackson-based attorney Aafram Y. Sellers, said he did not agree with the state’s narrative of the case. Sellers referred to the first trial, where there was “never a statement” from a witness saying that outing someone was Lee’s character.
“I just don’t think that was his character. I think he was confident and secure in who he was. That wasn’t a part of his life,” Sellers said.
Sellers also shared the plea was ultimately Herrington’s decision, adding that redemption “starts with accepting responsibility.” Herrington did not tell Sellers why he killed Lee.
“I think you have two kids who are very good kids, from good families, both graduates of Ole Miss University, and I think sometimes bad things happen to good people on both sides,” Sellers said.
Members of the Lee family, Oxford Police Chief Jeff McCutchen, University of Mississippi Campus Police Chief Daniel Sanford, Lafayette County District Attorney Ben Creekmore and Hinds County Assistant District Attorney Gwen Agho — who was appointed as a special prosecutor to assist in the trial — spoke after the sentencing to address the case at a Tuesday news conference.
Background on Jimmie Jay Lee case
Lee, a 20-year-old beloved member of the Oxford LGBTQ+ community and a Jackson native, disappeared on July 8, 2022. His mother reported Lee’s absence to local authorities. Lee disappeared on his mother’s birthday.
A few weeks after Lee’s disappearance, Herrington was arrested and charged with killing Lee, allegedly to conceal a romantic relationship between the two. Herrington was a 22-year-old Ole Miss graduate from Grenada at the time of the alleged offense.
Herrington was tried for capital murder in December 2024. That trial ended in a mistrial. After a new indictment in the case was returned against Herrington, a second trial was set for 2025.
The whereabouts of Lee’s body were previously unknown at that time, with a judge previously declaring Lee legally dead in October 2024 — a couple of months before Herrington’s first trial in December 2024.
On Feb. 1, 2025, human remains found by deer hunters off a dirt road and down by a gully in Carroll County were confirmed by the Mississippi Crime Lab to belong to Lee. A new indictment was then returned to try Herrington again.
Lee’s remains were found about 90 minutes south of Oxford and about 35 minutes south of Grenada. It was revealed in the first trial that Herrington’s family lives in Grenada.
Last week, Herrington’s attorneys filed a motion to dismiss his case saying the district attorney’s office violated Herrington’s right to a fair trial. After a hearing, that motion was dismissed by the judge.
Herrington initially maintained his innocence by pleading not guilty. His plea was changed Monday roughly three hours after jury selection began for the murder trial.
Pam Dankins is the breaking news reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Have a tip? Email her at pdankins@gannett.com.