Oxford Murder Trial: Timothy Herrington’s Movements and Internet Searches Heighten Suspicion

Oxford Gears Up for Key Day in Murder Trial of Timothy Herrington

Here in Oxford, it’s day six of the gripping murder trial of Timothy Herrington, who stands accused of the heartbreaking murder of Jimmie “Jay” Lee, a University of Mississippi student. As the courtroom proceedings unfold, fresh testimony from law enforcement is shedding light on the puzzling case that has captivated the community.

Herrington was arrested on July 22, 2022, with a capital murder charge to his name, and he has been out on a $250,000 bond since December 2022. The tragedy began on the early morning of July 8, 2022, when the 20-year-old Jay Lee was last spotted leaving his residence at Campus Walk Apartments around 6 a.m. Tragically, Lee’s body has still not been found.

Details Unraveled by Investigators

The state called its first witness on Monday, Sgt. Michael Burks, a seasoned criminal investigator with the Oxford Police Department. Burks had previously held the role of detective when Jay Lee mysteriously disappeared. He recounted searching Lee’s vehicle on July 11, where he discovered various items including debit and credit cards. Interestingly, the last activity recorded on Lee’s credit cards was on July 7, just before he vanished.

Continuing the testimony, Ryan Baker, who now serves as an intelligence officer with OPD, took the stand. Back in July 2022, Baker was also a detective and played a key role in piecing together the timeline from Herrington’s cell phone. His findings were nothing short of compelling.

Tracking Herrington’s Movements

Baker revealed that Herrington’s phone provided crucial data that matched his physical movements captured on security cameras. On the morning of July 8, Herrington was seen in video footage driving around various locations in Grenada, Mississippi, including RS Cleaners and Emmanuel Baptist Church. This specific surveillance footage closely aligned with the pings from his phone, confirming his whereabouts.

Things took a dramatic turn when Herrington arrived at his parents’ home. Surveillance footage showed him taking time to wipe his shoes and then collecting a shovel and a wheelbarrow from their garage. It raised eyebrows when Baker confirmed that throughout much of that day, Herrington’s phone continued to ping in connection with his parents’ property.

In what seemed like a bizarre twist, later in the day, Herrington sporadically left to visit nearby shops such as Dollar General, and even a barber shop, backed by CashApp payments. It’s worth noting that while he was initially seen in a casual getup, he changed into rubber boots as the day went on—a curious fashion choice, to say the least!

Curious Internet Searches

But that wasn’t all! By the evening, Herrington returned to his parents’ home to unload the wheelbarrow. However, his later phone data positioned him close to Lafayette Place Apartments at 10:49 p.m. That’s not all—the timeline appears to have chilling implications. At 11:27 p.m., Herrington began searching for Jay Lee’s Twitter account, alarming since this was before any news concerning Lee’s disappearance had gone public.

Investigators Connect the Dots

The following days were marked by a flood of online searches from Herrington’s side, including phrases like “Molly Barr Apartments Oxford Mississippi” and “Ole Miss student found in lake.” It was a puzzling mix that seemed eerily aligned with media reports and police updates surrounding the investigation.

Baker highlighted a key point: before July 8, Herrington showed no interest in true crime. But once Lee went missing, it was as if he couldn’t pry himself away from the internet searches concerning the investigation.

In a major breakthrough, Herrington was arrested on July 22 after authorities established a link from his social media account, “redeye_24,” directly to the case at hand.

Trial Continues

As the trial presses on, one striking fact remains—Herrington did not proactively contact law enforcement despite showing considerable online interest in the investigation of Jay Lee. The courtroom is expected to reconvene at 9 a.m. Tuesday, so stay tuned as the community seeks answers and justice begins to unfold.