Missing Ole Miss student declared legally dead as trial for man accused in his death looms

— A Mississippi judge has declared a missing University of Mississippi student legally dead more than two years after his disappearance. Sheldon “Timothy” Herrington Jr. was arrested two weeks after Lee vanished and later indicted on a capital murder charge. They said they found Google searches for “how long it takes to strangle someone” minutes after Lee reportedly told Herrington he was on his way to his apartment. Tollison noted the court previously ruled the “proof is evident and the presumption great” that Lee was dead further stating the court’s opinion “has not changed.” ″ is a person that has undergone a catastrophic event that exposed him to imminent peril or danger reasonably expected to result in the loss of life. Further, that it is uncontradicted that Mr. Lee’s absence since the event cannot be satisfactorily explained after diligent search and inquiry by family, friends and multiple law enforcement agencies,” Tollison wrote in the one-page order.