Jimmie Dale Lee III

• Missing Since 07/08/2022
• Missing From Oxford, Mississippi
• Classification Endangered Missing
• Sex Male
• Race Black
• Date of Birth 08/09/2001 (23)
• Age 20 years old
• Height and Weight 5'7, 120 pounds
• Clothing/Jewelry Description A silver robe, gray slippers and a gold sleeping cap.
• Associated Vehicle(s) Black 2014 Ford Fusion with gold racing stripes on the hood and front bumper and a Mississippi vanity license plate reading "JAYLEE" (accounted for)
• Distinguishing Characteristics African-American male. Black hair, brown eyes. Lee has a tattoo of a crown on his wrist and a tattoo of a flower on his abdomen; photos of the tattoos are posted with this case summary. His ears are pierced three times each. He had blonde highlights in his hair at the time of his disappearance. Although he identifies as a gay man and goes by "he/his" pronouns, some agencies refer to Lee as a transgender person and use "them/they" pronouns. His nickname is Jay.

Details of Disappearance

Lee was last seen leaving Campus Walk Apartments in the 400 block of Hathorn Road in Oxford, Mississippi at 5:58 a.m. on July 8, 2022. He was driving a black 2014 Ford Fusion with gold racing stripes on the hood and front bumper and a Mississippi vanity license plate reading "JAYLEE". A photo of a similar car is posted with this case summary.

He apparently went to visit someone at Molly Barr Trails, a different apartment complex an eight-minute drive away. A friend stated Lee was going to meet someone he had met before. Lee and the person had had a fight and Lee had blocked them on social media, but the person reached out to Lee under a different username and wanted to meet with him. According to their messages, Lee was afraid the person was "just tryna lure me over there to beat my ass or something" but he agreed to go to the meeting after the person offered to reciprocate oral sex.

His car was found on the afternoon of July 8, in the complex parking lot, and towed at 1:52 p.m. The police didn't find it in the tow lot for two days. Lee has never been heard from again.

The last time his family heard from him was at 2:00 a.m. that day, when he sent his mother a text wishing her a happy birthday. His family realized he was missing when he didn't show up for a baby formula donation drive he had organized as part of his internship with the the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services.

Later that month, Sheldon Timothy Herrington Jr. was arrested and charged with Lee's murder. A photo of him is posted with this case summary. He is awaiting trial for the murder.

Investigators stated dogs had detected the scent of human remains at Herrington's apartment, and his personal vehicle, and blonde hairs believed to be Lee's were found in the car. Herrington was seen driving a box truck he owned as part of his moving business to his parents' home in Grenada, Mississippi and taking gardening tools, such as a wheelbarrow and shovel.

Lee is a graduate of Murrah High School. He was a student at the University of Mississippi at the time of his disappearance, majoring in social work with a minor in business. He was about to graduate and had already been accepted into the university's master's degree program. His body has not been located, but foul play is suspected in his case due to the circumstances involved.