A graduate from the University of Mississippi, Sheldon Timothy Herrington Jr., has been indicted on charges of tampering with physical evidence in connection to the murder of Jimmie “Jay” Lee. This new charge follows the recent revelation of Lee’s body, which was discovered last week.

Herrington was present at the Lafayette County Circuit Court on Tuesday to respond to the new indictment, which claims he attempted to obstruct justice by concealing Lee’s body after allegedly killing him on July 8, 2022.

The defendant, who has pleaded not guilty, has been assigned a public defender, Denise Fondren, an attorney based in Oxford. Following the court appearance, he was taken into custody and will remain there until his bond hearing scheduled for the upcoming week.

During this hearing, Lafayette County District Attorney Ben Creekmore indicated that he would decide whether to pursue the death penalty or a life sentence if Herrington is found guilty of capital murder. The date for the trial has not yet been determined.

Although Creekmore did not seek the death penalty during the trial held in December, he remarked that the recent discovery of Lee’s body marked a significant shift in circumstances.

Lee’s remains were found at a notorious dumping ground in Carroll County, located approximately thirty minutes from Herrington’s parents’ residence. Surveillance footage from the day of Lee’s disappearance shows Herrington retrieving a long-handled shovel and wheelbarrow from his parents’ home and loading them into the back of a box truck owned by his moving business.

In addition, last week, the Oxford Police Department retrieved a partially used roll of duct tape from the court’s evidence file, which was found in Herrington’s apartment after he was brought in for questioning. Police also obtained a receipt confirming that Herrington had purchased duct tape on the day Lee went missing.