22-year-old arrested, charged with murder in connection with missing Ole Miss student

OXFORD, Miss. (TCD) -- A 22-year-old man was taken into custody on suspicion of murder over the weekend in connection with a missing college student who was last seen weeks ago.

In a statement, the Oxford and University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) police departments released a joint statement Friday, July 22, announcing Sheldon Timothy Herrington Jr.’s arrest. He is being held without bond, though police said they are still working to find Jimmie "Jay" Lee’s body.

Mississippi Today reports Herrington recently graduated from Ole Miss with a degree in real estate.

According to Ole Miss Police, 20-year-old Lee, who is a student at the school, was last seen Friday, July 8, at 5:58 p.m. leaving Campus Walk Apartments in Oxford getting into his Ford Fusion with the license plate "JAYLEE1." He was reportedly wearing slippers, a robe, and a gold sleeping cap. He has not been heard from since.

The Oxford and Ole Miss Police Departments are conducting a joint investigation into Lee’s disappearance and said they executed a dozen search warrants "on both physical and digital entities."

The Clarion Ledger reports the FBI and Mississippi Attorney General’s Office both got involved in the search for Lee. Lee was reportedly very active in the campus' LGBTQ community and locally in his hometown of Jackson.

A community organizer from Jackson told the Clarion Ledger, "Lee was a beloved member and entertainer here in our Jackson LGBT Community."

The Oxford Police Department shared a video of Lee’s father, Jimmie Lee Sr., that shows him asking for help in finding his son.

Lee Sr. describes his son as a "hard worker" and says he is "so proud" of him.

Lee Sr. said in the video, "Doesn’t matter if you’re Black, white, green, polka dot — it doesn’t matter who you are. He was there to help if you sought the need."

According to Mississippi Today, Lee was finishing his degree in social work and was accepted into University of Mississippi’s social work master’s program.

Tayla Carey, Lee’s sister, told Mississippi Today, "My little brother, he is the type of person, he’s not gonna leave the house unless he is 10/10. I’m talking his dress, his makeup. He’s not gonna leave his house until he makes sure he looks good. For him to walk out the door in a house bonnet, a housecoat, and his slippers — that lets us know he was going to get coffee or he was going to meet someone that he trusted."

MORE:

• An update on the Jimmie "Jay" Lee case - Oxford Police Department
• Missing Person, 7/10/2022 - Ole Miss Police
• Here is an update on the Jimmie "Jay" Lee case, 7/14/2022 - Oxford Police Department
• Jimmy "Jay" Lee's Father, 7/13/2022 - Oxford Police Department
• Attorney General and FBI join search for missing Ole Miss student - Clarion Ledger
• Oxford police charge recent Ole Miss grad with murder in Jay Lee case - Mississippi Today
• Community, family searching for missing Ole Miss student Jay Lee, 7/15/2022 - Mississippi Today