Sheldon Timothy Herrington Jr., charged with the murder of Ole Miss student Jimmie “Jay” Lee, has been released on bond as of Thursday, Dec. 1.
“It is therefore, ordained and adjudged that Defendant Sheldon Timothy Herrington Jr.’s bail in this matter is hereby set at Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000.00), for the charge of Murder,” a Lafayette County Circuit Court order obtained by the Daily Mississippian, read.
The court order also mandates that Herrington wear a GPS tracking device at all times and that he surrender his passport to the state.
Herrington’s bond was denied the first time on Aug. 9 after he was deemed a flight risk when a review of his internet history found that he had searched flights from Dallas to Singapore the day before Lee’s disappearance.
Herrington’s release is the result of a deal between the state and Herrington’s representative, Kevin Horan, according to reporting from Action 5 News. Horan also dropped a lawsuit filed against the Lafayette County Sheriff’s office in October that alleged Herrington was being illegally imprisoned.
“Our officials silently released Jay’s accused killer today. They knew what was going to happen. They didn’t even notify the Lee family,” the Justice for Jay Lee activist group said in a statement the following day.
Lee, an LGBTQ+ Ole Miss student active in the Oxford drag community, was reported missing on July 8. His body has yet to be recovered. Herrington was arrested two weeks after Lee’s disappearance.
The Justice for Jay Lee organization urged people to call the district attorney’s office as well as the university chancellor’s office, the Oxford mayor’s office and circuit courts.
“They should have prioritized protecting our community and ensuring we got justice for a student and member of our community,” the Instagram post read.
The Lafayette County District Attorney Ben Creekmore, prosecutor Tiffany Kilpatrick and defense attorney Kevin Horan were unable to be reached by the Daily Mississippian prior to publication.
