OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI: The body of a 20-year-old Ole Miss student, who went missing in July 2022, has still not been found. Jimmie “Jay” Lee has not been seen since July 8, 2022, and eventually, it was presumed that she was dead. A suspect, Timothy Herrington Jr, is facing first-degree murder charges in relation to Lee’s death.
Herrington Jr, 22, is currently out on bond and his family has continued to support him. Herrington’s brother, Tevin Coleman, reportedly said in 2022, “No, I do not believe my brother killed Jay Lee based upon the man that I’ve known for the last 22 years. We’re not talking about someone with a criminal past.”
“We’re not talking about someone with a past two-time, three times, or one-time felon. Or that even has a speeding ticket on their record. We’re speaking of someone with high character, and that’s why I’m here,” Coleman added.
What happened to Jay Lee?
Lee’s family, however, does not believe Herrington is innocent. According to Ryan Baker, a detective with the Oxford Police Department, Herrington Jr was the last person to meet Lee It was also reported that the victim, who belonged to the LGBTQIA+ community, was sexually involved with the suspect and the duo had discussed “hooking up” on Snapchat.
According to WLBT, Lee Holmes, who protested against the alleged murder, said, “I do believe that this was a hate crime. If there was any sort of inappropriate relationship between the suspect or Jay Lee, if there was anything like that, there should have been a more civil solution instead of just going out and killing somebody.”
On July 8, 2022, at 2am, Lee’s mother reportedly said that she got a text message from him. She later replied to his text but never got any response from his side. Besides, Baker disclosed that before talking about “hooking up”, Lee and the suspect had a fight, leading the victim to block Herrington Jr on Snapchat. However, the accused approached him via another newly-created account.
Then, around 6 am on July 8, Lee himself went to meet Herrington Jr at his apartment, formerly called Lafayette Place but now known as DLP Oxford Apartments. Just before Lee came, the suspect looked up online, “How long does it take to strangle someone gabby petito.” He also allegedly took Lee’s car from his apartment complex to Molly Barr Trails, another apartment complex, so that it looked like the victim’s last known location was away from his apartment. According to Assistant District Attorney Tiffany Kilpatrick, Herrington Jr was even seen with shovels and a wheelbarrow, which hinted that he hid Lee’s body using those tools.
‘Jay Lee is a historical figure’
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Describing Lee, Braylyn Johnson, a friend, reportedly said, “Jay Lee was such a well-rounded, passionate person. The day he went missing, he was doing a baby-food formula drive on campus, and I just thought that was so awesome. That definitely speaks to his character, that that’s what he was doing on a random Friday. And because of the platform that we’re building, we’ve developed enough community resources to be able to pick up where Jay Lee left off.”
“There’s so much that can be said and done for Jay Lee. Anti-LGBT and anti-Black legislation is plaguing the entire nation right now. It’s important that we use our platform not only to get justice for Jay Lee but to speak out against these forms of hate, just like Jay Lee would have. There’s so much work and so many ideas that he had that he didn’t get to finish before his disappearance. Those ideas and his work deserve to continue on,” Johnson added.
Moth Moth Moth, a self-described “artist and entertainer first, a politician second," said, “To me, Jay Lee is a historical figure. Here was this interesting, plugged-in, brave, mold-breaking young man who, through the click of his high heels, changed his school and was so tapped in and involved with the people around him. He deserved a lot more than this; he was going to do even bigger, more amazing things. I’m going to continue his work, and I’m going to continue telling his story because Jay Lee’s story is not a rare story. It’s sad, but it’s the truth.”
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