Mississippi Today is the state’s flagship nonprofit newsroom serving Mississippi and meeting the information needs of communities across the state.
found with human remains in Carroll County this weekend, but authorities have not publicly confirmed the remains belong to the missing University of Mississippi student and well-known member of Oxford’s LGBTQ+ community.
Local authorities acknowledged the necklace was found with human remains that have yet to be identified through DNA. In a text, Carroll County Sheriff Clint Walker had no comment but acknowledged a picture of the necklace, asking “who sent you the picture of the necklace?” The Oxford Police Department could not be reached by press time.After this story published, the Oxford Police Department released a statement that it was aware of the Carroll County sheriff’s investigation and had no additional comment until the identification of the remains. “Our main priority has always been to bring Jay Lee home,” Chief Jeff McCutchen said in the release. “We, like the public, are anxiously awaiting updates and ask for patience as the investigative process unfolds.” An image of the cursive nameplate obtained by Mississippi Today matches a necklace that Lee wore in pictures and videos on his Instagram account as recently as two days before he went missing. Lee’s body had been missing since July 2022 after his mother told local police that she had not heard from him. A few weeks later, a fellow Ole Miss student and recent graduate, Sheldon Timothy Herrington Jr., was arrested and accused of killing Lee to preserve their secret sexual relationship. Herrington’s attorney, state Rep. Kevin Horan, R-Grenada, said he had no comment. Lee’s parents could not be reached. The human remains were found about an hour and a half south of Oxford. The day Lee went missing, Herringtonretrieving a long-handle shovel and wheelbarrow from his parent’s house in Grenada County and putting it into the back of a box truck that belonged to his moving company, according to evidence released in the case. Herrington was tried for capital murder in December by the Lafayette County District Attorney’s Office. A judge declared a mistrial after the jury, which was chosen in Forrest County, was hung 11-1, with the disagreeing jurorUpdate 2/2/23: This story has been updated to include a press statement from the Oxford Police DepartmentAs a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on support from readers like you to make our work possible and keep our storiesIf you enjoyed this article, please consider donating today to support our award-winning journalism. We may write the stories, butLook for the"Republish This Story" button underneath each story. To republish online, simply click the button, copy the html code and paste into your Content Management System . Editorial cartoons and photo essays are not included under the Creative Commons license and therefore do not have the"Republish This Story" button option. To learn more about our cartoon syndication services, You can’t edit our stories, except to reflect relative changes in time, location and editorial style.Any web site our stories appear on must include a contact for your organization.You have to credit Mississippi Today. We prefer “Author Name, Mississippi Today” in the byline. If you’re not able to add the byline, please include a line at the top of the story that reads: “This story was originally published by Mississippi Today” and include our website, You can’t edit our stories, except to reflect relative changes in time, location and editorial style.Our stories may appear on pages with ads, but not ads specifically sold against our stories.You can only publish select stories individually — not as a collection.Jimmie ‘Jay’ Lee’s remains believed to be found by Molly Minta, Mississippi Today February 3, 2025 A gold necklace with Jimmie “Jay” Lee’s name on it was Local authorities acknowledged the necklace was found with human remains that have yet to be identified through DNA. In a text, Carroll County Sheriff Clint Walker had no comment but acknowledged a picture of the necklace, asking"who sent you the picture of the necklace?" The Oxford Police Department could not be reached by press time. After this story published, the Oxford Police Department released a statement that it was aware of the Carroll County sheriff's investigation and had no additional comment until the identification of the remains. "Our main priority has always been to bring Jay Lee home," Chief Jeff McCutchen said in the release."We, like the public, are anxiously awaiting updates and ask for patience as the investigative process unfolds." An image of the cursive nameplate obtained by Mississippi Today matches a necklace that Lee wore in pictures and videos on his Instagram account as recently as two days before he went missing. Lee’s body had been missing since July 2022 after his mother told local police that she had not heard from him. A few weeks later, a fellow Ole Miss student and recent graduate, Sheldon Timothy Herrington Jr., was arrested and accused of killing Lee to preserve their secret sexual relationship. Herrington's attorney, state Rep. Kevin Horan, R-Grenada, said he had no comment. Lee's parents could not be reached. The human remains were found about an hour and a half south of Oxford. The day Lee went missing, Herrington was seen on video retrieving a long-handle shovel and wheelbarrow from his parent’s house in Grenada County and putting it into the back of a box truck that belonged to his moving company, according to evidence released in the case. Herrington was tried for capital murder in December by the Lafayette County District Attorney’s Office. A judge declared a mistrial after the jury, which was chosen in Forrest County, was hung 11-1, with the disagreeing juror reportedly unable to convict due to the lack of a body. Update 2/2/23: This story has been updated to include a press statement from the Oxford Police Department and the text message from the Carroll County sheriff. This <a target="_blank" href="https://mississippitoday.org/2025/02/03/jimmie-jay-lees-remains-believed-to-be-found/">article</a> first appeared on <a target="_blank" href="https://mississippitoday.org">Mississippi Today</a> and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.<img src="https://cdn.mississippitoday.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/06074517/MT_icon-logo-favicon-1-200x200.png" style="width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;"><img id="republication-tracker-tool-source" src="https://mississippitoday.org/?republication-pixel=true&post=1131695&ga4=G-VSX4B701MS" style="width:1px;height:1px;"><script> PARSELY={ autotrack: false, onload: function { PARSELY.beacon.trackPageView; } } </script> <script id="parsely-cfg" src="//cdn.parsely.com/keys/mississippitoday.org/p.js"></script>Molly Minta covers higher education for Mississippi Today in partnership with Open Campus, a nonprofit newsroom focused on strengthening higher education coverage in local communities. Originally from Melbourne Beach, Florida, Molly reported on public housing and prosecutors in her home state and worked as a fact-checker at The Nation before joining Mississippi Today in 2021. Molly's work at Mississippi Today has been honored by The Green Eyeshades and the Mississippi Press Association's Better Newspaper Contest. She is a two-time finalist for the Education Writers Association National Awards for Education Reporting in the beat and feature reporting categories, including for her story on Mississippi's only class on critical race theory.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Mississippi vs Mississippi State Prediction, Picks, and Odds for Tonight’s College Basketball GameBet on Ole Miss big man Malik Dia to deliver on the Over for his points prop as the No. 21 ranked team faces No. 15 Mississippi State.
Read more »
Alabama and Mississippi will also honor Robert E. Lee on Martin Luther King, Jr. DayThe U.S. is set to mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the federal holiday set aside to honor the life of the civil rights icon. But in two states, Monday is also Robert E. Lee Day in honor of the Confederate general. Alabama and Mississippi recognize both King and Lee on the third Monday in January.
Read more »
Alabama and Mississippi will also honor Robert E. Lee on Martin Luther King Jr. DayAlabama and Mississippi recognize both King and Lee on the third Monday in January.
Read more »
Alabama and Mississippi will also honor Robert E. Lee on Martin Luther King Jr. DayThe U.S. is set to mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the federal holiday set aside to honor the life of the civil rights icon.
Read more »
UNLV Lands Transfer Running Back Caleb Lee from Mississippi StateUNLV bolsters its 2025 roster with the addition of running back Caleb Lee from Mississippi State. Lee brings experience from both the SEC and the Big Ten, looking to make an impact for the Rebels.
Read more »
Mississippi Stories: Landon Bryant - Mississippi TodayMississippi Today is the state’s flagship nonprofit newsroom serving Mississippi and meeting the information needs of communities across the state.
Read more »