OXFORD – The state presented its timeline of both Jimmie “Jay” Lee’s and Timothy Herrington’s movements, Monday, as Herrington’s capital murder trial entered its sixth day.
Prosecutors not only detailed what they believe are the final moments of Lee’s life but also Herrington’s sudden trip to Grenada within hours of Lee’s disappearance.
Herrington, 23, has been charged with capital murder in the July 2022 death of Ole Miss student Lee, 20. Prosecutors say Herrington killed Lee, whose body has never been found, to cover up a sexual relationship between the two men.
Prosecutors have said the men had consensual sex around 4 a.m. on July 8, 2022. During an online conversation, Lee agreed to return to Herrington’s apartment around 6 a.m. Lee was never heard from again.
Using phone records, surveillance cameras and search warrants of both men’s social media accounts, Oxford detective Sgt. Ryan Baker said he was able to construct a timeline of Herrington’s movement following Lee’s disappearance.
Herrington was seen purchasing duct tape at Walmart at 6:49 a.m. He then went to The Links to pick up his box truck and returned to his apartment a little after 7. Baker said Herrington’s cell phone pinged at his apartment from 7:02 a.m. until 8:10 a.m. During that time, Lee’s car was seen going to Molly Barr Trails apartments, and Herrington was given a ride home.
Herrington then drove the truck to Grenada. He was seen on video at 9 a.m. at a Grenada dry cleaners and was on Lincoln Road between Grenada and Holcomb from 9:40 a.m. until 10:17 a.m. Baker said Herrington had relatives on the road that dead ends at a wooded area and near the Yalobusha River.
Herrington then traveled to his parents’ house, where he was seen on a neighbor’s security camera loading a wheelbarrow and long-handled tools into the truck. He left the parents’ house around 3:30 p.m. After going to get a haircut, he headed back to the Lincoln Drive area and remained there for almost two hours.
His phone pinged in the area of his parents’ house from 7:18 p.m. to 9:28 p.m., but Herrington left at some point in the box truck. He returned at 8:35 p.m. and can be seen on security camera unloading the wheelbarrow at 8:40 p.m. Herrington then drove the 60 miles back to Oxford, arriving before 11 p.m.
Over the next two weeks, Herrington repeatedly searched terms related to Lee, the Oxford police and the University of Mississippi police via both Google and Facebook.
After defense attorney Kevin Horan brought up several alternate suspects during arguments Saturday, special prosecutor Gwen Agho had the detective go over more and a dozen persons of interest and detail why each was eliminated.
During a lengthy cross examination, Horan peppered the detective with questions about whether Herrington ever threatened Lee or tried to lure/trick Lee into coming over.
“Their whole theory is my client inveigled (kidnapped) Mr. Lee to come over to his apartment,” Horan said. “It’s my understanding that Mr. Lee showed up unannounced.”
After six full days of testimony and the state still presenting its case, Circuit Judge Kelly Luther said court will start earlier and go later in the day beginning Tuesday.