Timothy Herrington, Jr., pleaded guilty to the murder of University of Mississippi graduate Jimmie “Jay” Lee on Monday, ending a years-long saga that began with Lee’s disappearance on July 8, 2022. This week, Herrington’s second trial for Lee’s murder was scheduled to begin. Herrington pled guilty to second-degree murder and evidence tampering as part of a plea deal and has yet to be sentenced.
The first attempt to charge Herrington with murder ended in a mistrial, just under a year ago, when a deadlocked jury failed to return a verdict. At the time, WLBT reported that a single juror refused to convict Herrington, as Lee’s body had yet to be found. But in February of this year, Hunters in Carroll County, Miss., found Lee’s remains at a dumping ground, only a day before the end of an extended hunting season.
Prosecutors have alleged that Herrington murdered Lee in order to conceal a sexual relationship. Lee was last seen at an apartment complex in Oxford. Herrington was later identified on video leaving an Oxford parking lot where Lee’s abandoned car was later discovered.
Mississippi Today reporter Molly Minta reported shortly after the hearing that prosecutors are recommending a 40-year sentence with 10 years suspended. Lafayette County District Attorney Ben Creekmore told the outlet that the decision would spare Lee’s family the anguish of another extended trial. “(Herrington) has accepted responsibility on his own instead of a jury placing responsibility on him,” Creekmore said.
Braylyn Johnson, Jay Lee’s friend and former roommate, has maintained the Justice for Jay Lee social media accounts since Lee’s disappearance. In an interview with the Mississippi Free Press, Johnson said the guilty plea was some comfort to Lee’s many friends and family.
“It’s a mix of emotions. This is definitely better than being forced through another horrendous trial. At the same time, it’s been three years. If he wanted to plead guilty, he should have done it a long time ago,” Johnson said.
“Jay Lee’s family didn’t get to have a proper funeral because he was selfish. He dumped Jay Lee’s body in the woods and left it there for over two years—939 days,” she continued.
After years of deliberations and investigation, a fuller picture of Jay Lee’s disappearance and murder has emerged. Electronic records showed that Herrington had convinced Lee to return to his apartment hours after a sexual encounter on July 8, 2022.
Only minutes before his final message to Lee, police say Herrington searched the internet for “how long does it take to strangle someone.” Authorities said that footage from shortly thereafter showed Herrington leaving the parking lot where Lee’s car was later found; Herrington then bought duct tape from Walmart and drove to his hometown of Grenada, Mississippi, retrieved a shovel and wheelbarrow, and departed, prosecutors said during Herrington’s first trial.
Only 25 miles away, in a shallow ditch, Lee’s body would lie for over two years before it was found.
“Justice for Jay Lee,” Johnson told the Mississippi Free Press. “Justice for all queer Mississippians who have faced or will face violence in this state. We were scared that this case would go awfully, that Jay Lee wouldn’t get justice because of his identity. But we’ve gotten a little bit of justice, and it definitely feels good.”