Security cameras captured video of a University of Mississippi pupil leaving his campus house twice the morning he was final seen alive, the captain of the Mississippi Police Department testified Wednesday. Jane Mahan University within the trial of the person accused of killing the scholar.
Jimmy “Jay” Lee, 20, was a homosexual man well-known within the LGBTQ+ neighborhood at Ole Miss and Oxford, the place the college is situated. He was final seen on July 8, 2022.
Sheldon “Timothy” Herrington Jr., 24, of Grenada, Mississippi, is charged with capital homicide in Lee’s loss of life, and his trial started Tuesday in Oxford. Herrington maintained his innocence.
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Police mentioned cellphone historical past confirmed conversations between Herrington and Lee the morning Lee disappeared.
Jurors on Wednesday had been proven video clips of Lee leaving her house shortly after 4 a.m., sporting a gown and slippers. The clips confirmed him returning about 40 minutes later and leaving simply earlier than 6am. When he final left, he was his cellphone.
Lee’s good friend, Khalid Fears, testified Tuesday that he had a video chat with Lee as Lee left the house round 6 a.m. that day. Lee mentioned he was going again to see a person he had seen hours earlier, Fears testified.
Mahan testified Wednesday in regards to the timeline of video clips exhibiting Lee within the campus house. He mentioned campus police started searching for Lee after his mom, Stephanie Lee, referred to as later that day to request a welfare test on her son after he did not reply to a number of messages.
Jay Lee’s house had an digital key card, and Mahan testified that police contacted the campus housing division to place a discover on his card, which might mechanically e mail police if the cardboard was used.
An assistant district legal professional, Gwen Agho, requested Mahan if Lee ever returned to his house after he was recorded leaving that morning.
“Not that I used to be ever knowledgeable, no,” Mahan mentioned.
Lee and Herrington noticed one another twice within the hours earlier than Lee disappeared, Agho mentioned throughout opening arguments Tuesday. She mentioned the boys engaged in sexual contact throughout their first assembly and Lee was upset when he left Herrington’s house.
Herrington invited Lee to return — and earlier than Lee arrived, Herrington searched on-line for the way lengthy it takes to strangle somebody, Agho mentioned. Herrington was “not overtly a part of the LGBTQ neighborhood,” he mentioned.
A witness, Kizziah Carter, testified Wednesday that she was strolling house from work about 7:30 that morning and noticed Herrington jogging alongside a road in Oxford. Carter mentioned he knew Herrington and honked to greet him, and Carter stopped him to ask for a experience. The road was close to an house advanced the place Lee’s automobile was discovered later that day. Carter mentioned he drove Herrington to Herrington’s house in one other advanced.
Surveillance video additionally recorded Herrington working from the place Lee’s automobile was discovered, and he was later seen choosing up a shovel and wheelbarrow at his dad and mom’ house, authorities mentioned.
Lee’s physique was not discovered. In October, a choose declared him useless on the request of Lee’s dad and mom. Lee’s energetic presence on social media ceased after July 8, 2022, and no transactions have appeared on his bank card since then, prosecutors mentioned.
Herrington was arrested two weeks after Lee’s disappearance, then launched 5 months in a while $250,000 bail. A grand jury indicted him in March 2023.
Herrington’s legal professional, Kevin Horan, instructed jurors Tuesday that prosecutors have “zero” proof that Lee was killed or {that a} crime occurred.
Both Herrington and Lee had been graduates of the University of Mississippi. Lee was pursuing a grasp’s diploma. He was recognized for his artistic expression by means of vogue and make-up and sometimes carried out in drag exhibits in Oxford, in accordance with a assist group referred to as Justice for Jay Lee.
Prosecutors introduced they don’t intend to pursue the loss of life penalty, which means Herrington might be sentenced to life in jail if convicted. Mississippi legislation defines capital homicide as a homicide dedicated along with one other crime, on this case kidnapping.
