University of Mississippi LGBTQ+ Student's Murder Case a 'Mistrial' After Jury Fails to Decide
Herrington faces a retrial after jurors failed to reach a verdict after no body was found.
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The murder trial for Sheldon Herrington Jr., also known as "Timothy" was declared a mistrial. The defendant was accused of killing Jimmy Lee, or people known as "Jay," a University of Mississippi student and LGBTQ+ advocate.
A mistrial means the jury failed to reach a verdict after more than nine hours of deliberation, which means they have no option but to stop the proceedings without a verdict. However, this does not mean Herrington is free, instead, he will be facing a new trial in the future not yet finalized at this moment.
LGBTQ+ Student's Murder Case Ends in Mistrial
CBS News reported that Jay, 20 year-old gay student, was reported missing in July 2022. More than a passionate advocate for his community, Jay is known as a creative and fashion-conscious peer, leading many to feel concerned about his whereabouts. However, several weeks have passed and his body has not yet been recovered.
Read more: University of Georgia's Nursing Student's Killer Receive Life Sentence in Prison Without Parole
Prosecutors claimed that Herrington lured Lee back to his apartment under false pretenses after a failed sexual encounter. They had evidence of explicit messages exchanged between the two and an online search conducted by Herrington asking, "How long does it take to strangle someone?" Lee's last known location was traced to Herrington's apartment, and security footage showed Herrington near Lee's abandoned car shortly after.
Herrington, arrested two weeks following Lee's disappearance, stands accused of capital murder: a conviction that carries life imprisonment.
Why The Jury Was Undecided
Because no body has been found, Herrington's defense team argues that the evidence gathered does not prove Lee was dead or that he himself was involved.
The defense countered that there was no direct evidence linking Herrington to Lee's death, pointing out the fact that Lee's body had not been found, per Yahoo News. Herrington's attorney further pointed out that Lee initiated the final interaction and that the prosecution's timeline did not have definitive proof.
The two families appeared before him in the courtroom, but each left separately after hearing that there was a mistrial. When jurors are unable to agree upon the verdict, the judge will schedule a new trial.
