State, defense ask court to seal Herrington case files

OXFORD, Miss. ( WJTV ) – Prosecutors and defense attorneys filed a motion asking the Lafayette County Circuit Court to seal the case against the man who was indicted in the death of a University of Mississippi student.

According to court documents, the parties asked for the case against Sheldon Timothy Herrington, Jr. , of Grenada, to be sealed because there has been “extensive pretrial publicity.”

They said the closure is the only measure that would protect Herrington from “substantial probable fair trial prejudice.”

Jimmie “Jay” Lee, 20, was last seen in early July 2022 at an apartment complex in Oxford, Mississippi. Lee was well known in the LGBTQ community in Oxford, and his disappearance sparked fear among students and residents.

Herrington was arrested two weeks after Lee vanished. He was indicted for capital murder in March 2023 and has been out of jail on a $250,000 bond since December 2022. Herrington’s trial was scheduled for October 15, 2024.

Police said Herrington’s cellphone history showed conversations between him and Lee on the morning Lee went missing. They said Herrington did computer searches about international travel, and they found Google searches for “how long it takes to strangle someone” minutes after Lee reportedly told Herrington he was on his way to the apartment.

Lee’s body has not been found, but prosecutors believe his body is either in Lafayette or Grenada County.

If anyone has any information on the case, they can contact the Oxford Police Department at 662-232-2400 or Crime Stoppers at 662-234-8477.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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