JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A man charged with killing a University of Mississippi graduate who was prominent in the LGBTQ+ community was sentenced to 50 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder and tampering charges as he faced a second trial.
Sheldon “Timothy” Herrington enters court ahead of his sentencing on December 2, 2025. (Court TV)
Sheldon “Timothy” Herrington Jr. entered the plea on Monday in the death of Jimmie “Jay” Lee, a gay man who disappeared in July 2022. A judge declared a mistrial last year after jurors failed to reach a verdict.
On Tuesday, Herrington was sentenced to 40 years for second-degree murder and 10 years for tampering with evidence, to be served consecutively. Ten years of the 40-year sentence were suspended, meaning the sentence will amount to 40 years in total.
Lee went missing from Oxford, where the university is located. In February of this year, deer hunters stumbled upon Lee’s skeletal remains in a wooded area, according to Mississippi Today.
MORE | Suspect facing new charge after missing Ole Miss student’s body found
At the first trial, prosecutors claimed Herrington, who was not openly gay, killed Lee after the two had a sexual encounter that ended badly.
Both Herrington and Lee had graduated from Ole Miss.
While handing down the sentence, Judge John Luther noted the fact that the case had garnered national attention, in part because of the victim’s lifestyle. Judge Luther said, “Mississippi got it right,” and the case was the most well-investigated he had been involved in during his 35 years as both a prosecutor and a judge.
