Current:Home > InvestMissing Ole Miss student declared legally dead as trial for man accused in his death looms-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Missing Ole Miss student declared legally dead as trial for man accused in his death looms
View Date:2024-12-23 10:55:39
OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — A Mississippi judge has declared a missing University of Mississippi student legally dead more than two years after his disappearance.
Jimmie “Jay” Lee, 20, was last seen July 8, 2022, driving from an apartment complex in Oxford. His vehicle was later recovered at another complex, but neither Lee nor his body were found.
Lee was well-known in the LGBTQ+ community in Oxford, and his disappearance sparked fear among students and residents.
Sheldon “Timothy” Herrington Jr. was arrested two weeks after Lee vanished and later indicted on a capital murder charge. Police have said Herrington’s cellphone history showed conversations between him and Lee on the morning Lee went missing. They said they found Google searches for “how long it takes to strangle someone” minutes after Lee reportedly told Herrington he was on his way to his apartment. Herrington has maintained his innocence.
Court documents show Lee’s parents filed a petition for declaration of death in the Lafayette County Circuit Court in September, The Clarion-Ledger reported. Judge Grady Tollison granted the request and signed the order in October, the newspaper said.
Tollison noted the court previously ruled the “proof is evident and the presumption great” that Lee was dead further stating the court’s opinion “has not changed.”
″(Lee) is a person that has undergone a catastrophic event that exposed him to imminent peril or danger reasonably expected to result in the loss of life. Further, that it is uncontradicted that Mr. Lee’s absence since the event cannot be satisfactorily explained after diligent search and inquiry by family, friends and multiple law enforcement agencies,” Tollison wrote in the one-page order.
Herrington’s attorney, Kevin Horan, did not immediately respond Tuesday to a telephone message seeking comment.
Herrington is set to face trial Dec. 2.
veryGood! (98215)
Related
- Kraft Heinz stops serving school-designed Lunchables because of low demand
- Lauren London Honors “Eternal Being” Nipsey Hussle on 4th Anniversary of His Death
- U.K. police say man arrested over apparent triple murder in Nottingham
- Summer House’s Sam Feher and Kory Keefer Are Dating
- Man killed in Tuskegee University shooting in Alabama is identified. 16 others were hurt
- The MixtapE! Presents Jhené Aiko, Charlie Puth, aespa and More New Music Musts
- Virgin Galactic's first commercial flight to space is days away from taking off
- Bringing Back Trees To 'Forest City's' Redlined Areas Helps Residents And The Climate
- Mike Tyson-Jake Paul: How to watch the fight, time, odds
- Last reactor shut down at Ukraine's largest nuclear plant as fighting, flooding continues
Ranking
- Fighting conspiracy theories with comedy? That’s what the Onion hopes after its purchase of Infowars
- Iran helping Russia build plant to manufacture drones for likely use in Ukraine, White House says
- Pressure On The World's Biggest Polluters Is Increasing. But Can It Force Change?
- Couple accused of torture and murder of South Korean influencer at their clinic in Cambodia
- Ryan Reynolds Makes Dream Come True for 9-Year-Old Fan Battling Cancer
- 28 Cleaning Products for Lazy People Who Want a Neat Home With Minimal Effort
- Cyclone Biparjoy hits India and Pakistan hard, setting a record, but mass-evacuations save lives
- Elle Fanning Confirms Breakup With Max Minghella
Recommendation
-
Judge moves to slash $38 million verdict in New Hampshire youth center abuse case
-
Lamar Odom Invests in Addiction Treatment Centers After His Own Health Journey
-
As Western Wildfires Worsen, FEMA Is Denying Most People Who Ask For Help
-
Pope Francis out of hospital 9 days after abdominal surgery: Better than before
-
Prayers and cheeseburgers? Chiefs have unlikely fuel for inexplicable run
-
Abbott Elementary's Lisa Ann Walter Reveals How Sheryl Lee Ralph Helped Her With Body Image Issues
-
Pope Francis out of hospital 9 days after abdominal surgery: Better than before
-
Kourtney Kardashian Bares Her Butt in Risqué Keyhole Skirt