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 15:03:18
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! (54112)
Related
- Federal judge blocks Louisiana law that requires classrooms to display Ten Commandments
- All the best Comic-Con highlights, from Robert Downey Jr.'s Marvel return to 'The Boys'
- Federal Reserve is edging closer to cutting rates. The question will soon be, how fast?
- Watch: How to explore famous museums around the world with Google Arts & Culture
- What Republicans are saying about Matt Gaetz’s nomination for attorney general
- 3-year-old dies after falling from 8th-floor window in Kansas City suburb
- Shop Coach Outlet’s Whimsical Collection: Score Fairy Cottagecore Bags and Fashion up to 65% Off
- Vigils honor Sonya Massey as calls for justice grow | The Excerpt
- Gold is suddenly not so glittery after Trump’s White House victory
- Who is Doctor Doom? Robert Downey Jr.'s shocking Marvel casting explained
Ranking
- Judge recuses himself in Arizona fake elector case after urging response to attacks on Kamala Harris
- NYC Mayor signs emergency order suspending parts of law limiting solitary confinement
- National Chicken Wing Day deals: Get free wings at Wingstop, Buffalo Wild Wings, more
- Venezuela’s Maduro and opposition are locked in standoff as both claim victory in presidential vote
- The Masked Singer's Ice King Might Be a Jonas Brother
- 'The Penguin' debuts new trailer, Colin Farrell will return for 'Batman 2'
- Horoscopes Today, July 29, 2024
- Singer Autumn Nelon Streetman Speaks Out After Death of Family Members in Plane Crash
Recommendation
-
Unexpected pairing: New documentary tells a heartwarming story between Vietnam enemies
-
Park Fire is the largest of more than 100 fires currently ablaze across US
-
Can your blood type explain why mosquitoes bite you more than others? Experts weigh in.
-
Beacon may need an agent, but you won't see the therapy dog with US gymnasts in Paris
-
Gun groups sue to overturn Maine’s new three-day waiting period to buy firearms
-
'Lord of the Rings' exclusive: See how Ents, creatures come alive in 'Rings of Power'
-
Borel Fire in Kern County has burned thousands of acres, destroyed mining town Havilah
-
As Wildfire Season Approaches, Phytoplankton Take On Fires’ Trickiest Emissions