Judge Grants Change of Venue in Ole Miss Student Murder Retrial

A change of venue has been granted for the capital murder retrial of Sheldon Timothy Herrington Jr., who is accused of killing University of Mississippi student Jimmie “Jay” Lee in 2022 to conceal their romantic relationship. The trial, originally set to take place in Lafayette County, will be moved due to extensive news coverage and social media publicity that defense attorneys argued would prevent Herrington from receiving a fair trial. The judge approved the venue change on June 9, with the new trial location yet to be determined. Herrington's first trial in December 2024 ended in a mistrial after a jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict. Lee's remains were found in February 2025, months after his disappearance, adding new evidence to the upcoming trial scheduled for October 13. Prosecutors are pursuing a capital murder conviction, and the trial's new location is expected to be announced prior to proceedings.