"Lee was a pillar in Ole Miss' LGBTQ+ community, known for his creative fashion and makeup, and for performing as drag queen Jay Divaa in Oxford's drag night. At just 20 years old, he had already graduated from the university and was pursuing a masters degree. Police believed that Lee, who was 20 at the time of his death, was murdered, but the whereabouts of his body were unknown."
"Herrington became an immediate suspect in the case, and was arrested and charged with capital murder two weeks after Lee's disappearance. Snapchat messages contained in court documents reportedly show Herrington lured Lee to his death on the evening of July 7 with the promise of reciprocating oral sex. Lee had suspicions about Herrington's intentions, writing that he was "just tryna lure me over there to beat my ass or something," to which Herrington replied, "you trippin.""
Sheldon 'Timothy' Herrington Jr., 25, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of 20-year-old Jimmie 'Jay' Lee and faces sentencing. Lee was an out gay University of Mississippi graduate student and a prominent LGBTQ+ community figure and drag performer known as Jay Divaa. Lee disappeared from student housing in Oxford on July 8, 2022; a judge declared him legally dead in November 2024. Skeletal remains were found by deer hunters in Carroll County in February; decomposition prevented determination of cause of death. Investigators say Herrington, who had a secret sexual relationship with Lee and ties to an Apostolic church, lured Lee via Snapchat messages promising reciprocation of oral sex and was arrested two weeks after the disappearance.
Read at Advocate.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]