OXFORD, Miss. — Just before 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, a judge declared a mistrial in the murder trial for University of Mississippi student Jimmie “Jay” Lee.

The jury said it could not reach a verdict after more than nine hours. The judge said a new venue may be needed for a new trial.

Defendant Timothy Herrington Jr., currently out on bond, left the courtroom.

The state and defense rested their cases Tuesday afternoon.

The judge instructed the jury to find Herrington guilty of either Capital Murder, First Degree Murder, Second Degree Murder, Manslaughter by Culpable Negligence, or not guilty.

Herrington could have faced the death penalty if convicted of 20-year-old Lee’s 2022 disappearance and murder.

He’s accused of killing Lee after a sexual encounter. Lee’s body has never been found.

Defense attorney Kevin Horan has from the beginning argued the State has no direct evidence that his client held Lee against his will or murdered him. Herrington maintains his innocence.