Lee family takes stand at Herrington sentence
OXFORD, Miss. (WCBI) – Sheldon Timothy Herrington, Jr. will spend the next 40 years in prison for the murder of former Ole Miss student, Jimmie “Jay” Lee.
Family, friends and supporters of Jay Lee gathered at the Oxford police station following the sentencing of Herrington.
Though Herrington has been sentenced, the family said the pain of his death remains.
“My wife and I we’ve been reliving that July 8, 2022 since that day. And no parent wants to face the death of their child,” said Jay’s father Jimmie Lee, Sr.
Lafayette County Judge Kelly Luther sentenced Herrington to 40 years for the second-degree murder of Jimmie “Jay” Lee.
10 of those years were suspended with post-release supervision.
He was also sentenced to 10 years for tampering with evidence.
“This case was built with purpose and with passion and with patience and today that patience paid off,” said Oxford Police Chief Jeff McCutchen.
Both terms will be served consecutively.
Herrington originally was set to go to trial this week.
But on Monday, he pleaded guilty to both charges.
“It’s been 1, 242 days since ‘Jay’ Lee was murdered,” said McCutchen.
Jay went missing in July 2022.
Herrington was arrested and stood trial in December of 2024.
That trial ended with a mistrial.
Jay’s remains were found in February 2025.
Herrington was re-indicted and a new trial ordered.
“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,” said Jay’s father.
The prosecutors also had other convincing evidence connected to the murder if they went to trial.
“I believe that Jay Lee has taught us to live, live, live, not only in your truth, but in your confidence, in your decisions,” said Tycarlous Deberry with the Jay Lee Foundation.
Jay’s father plans to lobby the Mississippi Legislature for a bill to help find missing individuals under 21.
It will make it illegal for phone or social media companies to deny log in information, which can help solve cases quicker.
He’s asking for the bill to be called the “Jay Lee Information Bill.”
A number of law enforcement agencies helped with the case.
