Two years in the past, a College of Mississippi pupil mysteriously disappeared from campus. Police recognized the suspect behind his vanishing as a former pupil. Nonetheless, the trial jury had a problem deciding if the suspect wasn’t only a kidnapper, however a killer.
The physique of 20-year-old Jay Lee, a outstanding determine within the Ole Miss’ LGBTQ+ neighborhood, was by no means recovered since he vanished from campus in 2022. A decide declared him useless, assuming somebody killed him, per The Related Press. Earlier than he vanished, police say he had a sexual encounter with former pupil Sheldon “Timothy” Herrington Jr. He was arrested two weeks after Lee disappeared.
Throughout the investigation, police testified they discovered specific messages between the 2 through social media, per The Clarion Ledger. Prosecutors mentioned the dialog confirmed Herrington, who was not overtly homosexual, lured Lee to his house promising intercourse. Nonetheless, prosecutors additionally discovered a regarding on-line search on how lengthy it takes to “strangle an individual” on Herrington’s telephone, per the report.
That day, Herrington was additionally seen shopping for duct tape at a close-by retailer earlier than heading to Grenada, prosecutors mentioned throughout trial. Contemplating the suspicious circumstances, prosecutors claimed Lee was killed by Herrington after assembly him to guard the key of his sexuality from his family and friends.
Herrington was charged with capital homicide. Although, jurors have been additionally informed they might contemplate different costs of first-degree homicide, second-degree homicide or manslaughter, giving Herrington between 20 years to life in jail if convicted, per The AP.
Herrington’s trial got here to a detailed this week, sending the jury into deliberation for 9 hours. After they got here again deadlocked, the decide inspired them twice extra to proceed deliberating. Nonetheless, on the third impasse Wednesday, the decide declared a mistrial.
“I’ve requested quite a lot of you,” he mentioned through The AP.
Herrington’s protection argued there may very well be no conviction and not using a physique, the report says. Given the very fact Lee’s physique continues to be lacking, they might have some extent. It’s unclear if prosecutors will try to attempt Herrington once more.