LAFAYETTE COUNTY, Miss. — A judge in Oxford, Mississippi has ruled on a motion by the prosecution and defense to seal court documents in the capital murder trial of Timothy Herrington.

Herrington is accused of murdering a former University of Mississippi student Jimmie Jay Lee back in 2022.

“What we were asking for was narrowly tailored, limited, until we got a jury seated, that’s what we were requesting,” said Ben Creekmore. “He granted the motion in part and denied it in part.

“He’s not going to seal the record, but if there is any specific things that could jeopardize the ability to seat a fair and impartial jury then he will take that under consideration and seal it or not seal it.”

Lee disappeared on July 8, 2022, and garnered local and national news coverage. In court, investigators outlined in detail their case against Herrington and his role in Lee’s death, describing their relationship as sexual.

Herrington was ordered to be held without bond but later filed suit claiming he was being held illegally since Lee’s body had not been recovered.

“There was a lot of proof that came out and it needs to be heard by the jury for the first time at trial,” Creekmore said.

Creekmore also says filing the joint motion is to limit any further pre-trial publicity.

“It’s about protecting the integrity of the trial, the ability to get a fair and impartial jury where they hear about the facts of the case in court and not from some other source,” he said.

Judge Kelly Luther has granted a change of venue and set a trial date for December 2.

Timothy Herrington Jr., who remains out on bond, was not in court on Thursday. WREG has reached out to his attorney for a comment but he has not returned our call.