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Thread: James Dean Worley - Ohio Death Row

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    James Dean Worley - Ohio Death Row







    Body of missing Ohio college student believed to be found

    CBS News

    WAUSEON, Ohio -- The remains of a college student whose disappearance several days ago prompted a search in Ohio are believed to be found, authorities said Saturday.

    Investigators looking for Sierah Joughin found the remains Friday evening in an area near a rural county road, Fulton County Sheriff Roy Miller said.

    "At this time, we strongly believe that this is Sierah," Miller told reporters at a news conference Saturday afternoon.

    Miller did not release any details on how she might have died, and he didn't take questions from reporters. An autopsy has yet to be completed, but authorities said they expect to make a positive identification on the remains through DNA or fingerprints in the next few days.

    Joughin, a 20-year-old University of Toledo student, was last seen riding her bike Tuesday in Metamora, about 20 miles west of Toledo. Her bike was later found in a cornfield after her mother filed a missing person's report.

    On Friday, authorities arrested 57-year-old James Worley, of Delta, on an abduction charge related to her disappearance.

    Worley has requested an attorney who has represented him previously. That attorney has declined to comment.

    Miller said he anticipates additional charges will be filed against the suspect. "This investigation is far from over," he told reporters.

    The Toledo Blade noted that Worley’s past conviction came after he attacked and abducted a woman named Robin Gardner, who eventually escaped alive.

    “Ms. Gardner was riding her bike when she noticed a flat-bed truck pass her in the opposite direction, according to court records. A few moments later, the same truck struck her from behind, causing her to fall from her bike and tumble into a small ditch on the side of the road. Worley then approached the woman, asked her if she was OK, and came up from behind and struck her on the head with an unknown instrument.

    “Worley dragged her over to the truck and told Ms. Gardner to do what he said or threatened to kill her, the court records state. He then forced her into the truck and put a handcuff on one wrist, from which she managed to break free. She escaped through the driver’s door, the records state.”

    Worley served a little more than three years in prison for the conviction before being released in 1993. He spent another two years in prison from 2000 to 2002 after pleading guilty to illegal manufacture or cultivation of marijuana and having weapons while under disability.

    Miller said investigators continue to search for evidence in Joughin's case, and he encouraged people with any information to call authorities.

    At Saturday's news conference, a family spokesman thanked law enforcement and others for their help in the search for Joughin.

    "Sierah was a remarkable young lady with a contagious smile," Paul Bishop told reporters. "She was a loving person who has touched many people in her life."

    The University of Toledo has said in a statement that Joughin was entering her junior year. She was studying human resource management and was a member of the school's professional business fraternity.

    http://www.cbsnews.com/news/body-of-...d-to-be-found/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Delta man charged with abduction, aggravated murder of Sierah Joughin

    By Amulya Raghuveer
    WNWO NBC 24 News

    WAUSEON, Oh. -- A Fulton County man arrested on Friday for the abduction of 20-year-old Sierah Joughin is now facing a charge of aggravated murder in connection to her death.

    James Dean Worley, 57, is being held at the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio on a third-degree charge of abduction after being arraigned via video conference in Fulton County western district court on Friday. He was arrested after authorities tied him to the disappearance of Joughin who was last seen riding her bicycle near his home days earlier.

    Late Friday, search crews recovered the remains of a female, believed to be that of Joughin, in a field near Worley's home.

    On Tuesday, prosecutors announced Worley will face a charge of aggravated murder in Joughin's death.

    Authorities say they do not believe Worley and Joughin had any prior connection.

    http://nbc24.com/news/local/delta-ma...sierah-joughin
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Murder, abduction suspect to remain in jail without bond

    James Worley of Delta accused in death of Sierah Joughin of Metamora

    By Lauren Lindstrom
    The Toledo Blade

    WAUSEON — A Fulton County judge today ordered that a murder and abduction suspect should remain in jail without bond.

    Judge Jeff Robinson of Western District Court presided over the hearing for James Worley, 57, of Delta, who is charged in the death of Sierah Joughin, 20, who was last seen riding her bike July 19. Her remains were discovered along a county road on Friday.

    Mark Powers, who is now representing Worley, waived a preliminary hearing on the abduction charge and the case will proceed to a grand jury. A hearing was scheduled for 1 p.m. Aug. 18 on an aggravated murder charge.

    Worley, who was shacked at the wrists and ankles and wearing a red jump suit, responded ”yes” to the judge’s questions but said nothing else in court.

    Mr. Powers, who was appointed to the case on Tuesday before the aggravated murder charge was filed, declined to comment.

    The hearing was held in the Fulton County Court of Common Pleas, where it was standing-room only with some 80 people in attendance. Spectators even were seated in the jury box.

    Some members of Ms. Joughin’s family were present in the courtroom.

    Throughout the proceeding, several people appeared visibly emotional, some shaking with anger or in tears.

    Many held hands as they left the courtroom and declined to speak to the media.

    http://www.toledoblade.com/Police-Fi...hout-bond.html
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Lori Ann Hill was murdered in 1985


    Investigators find hidden room on Joughin suspect's property


    Evidence suggests James Worley was repeat abductor

    By Lauren Lindstrom
    The Toledo Blade

    WAUSEON — A hidden room containing restraints and a freezer with blood inside, discovered on James D. Worley’s property, was just one indication to investigators that the man charged in the abduction and death of Sierah Joughin might have other victims.

    Investigators searching the three-acre property belonging to Worley found the hidden room — concealed by hay bales — in his barn, which contained a carpet-lined freezer and restraints for holding people against their will. It was secured from the outside by a ratchet strap.

    This revelation is one of several contained in search warrants executed by the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office during the search for Ms. Joughin, 20, who disappeared July 19 while riding her purple bike.

    “Worley fits the profile of a serial offender and could potentially have additional unknown victims who could have been kept at the above described location,” wrote Sgt. Matthew Smithmyer of the Fulton County Sheriff’s Department, adding that he knows ”based upon his knowledge and experience that these types of offenders will often keep trophies.”

    Worley, 57, the warrant states, told a therapist he was mandated to see by a Lucas County Common Pleas Court judge after his previous abduction conviction that he “learned from each abduction he had done and the next one he was going to bury.”

    He was convicted of abducting then-26-year-old Robin Gardner on July 4, 1990 as she biked near Whitehouse, for which he served three years in prison.

    Bobbie Celeste, director of professional affairs at the Ohio Psychological Association, said Ohio requires mental health professionals to disclose credible threats made by patients to specific, identifiable victims.

    “If the [patient] tells you they’re going to do something harmful to an identified victim, you can break confidentiality and notify the victim or the police,” Dr. Celeste said.

    Local, state, and federal officials searched Worley’s property on County Road 6 for days after his arrest July 22, the same day Ms. Joughin’s remains were found near County Road 7. Excavators, a dive team, and several law enforcement agencies combed the obscured property, which is largely blocked from view by trees and crops.

    There authorities found several pairs of women’s undergarments, one of which had blood on them. Worley told investigators that he had hidden cameras all over his property and authorities recovered what was described as a “nanny cam.”

    Searches were conducted in several structures on his property, including the house, garage, barn, trailer, vehicles, and a pond.

    On his property, authorities also found rope, tape, zip ties, handcuffs, several firearms and ammunition. Multiple video and still image recording devices and film were collected, though their contents have not yet been released. They recovered various items and clothing and jewelry from several locations on the property.

    The search warrants also describe Worley’s statements and actions during the time Ms. Joughin was missing.

    According to the warrants, cell phone location information showed he was at the scene of the abduction for nearly two hours during the time she was missing.

    When questioned by investigators, he told them that “he didn’t steal anything or kill anyone,” but had fresh marks on his arms and bruises on his lower legs. Cheek and hand swabs were taken from Worley.

    Investigators initially spoke to Worley during a canvass of nearby houses while Ms. Joughin was missing. He told them he had been riding his motorcycle in the area near where she was last seen and the motorcycle broke down. He said he pushed the motorcycle in the field and lost his helmet, screwdriver, sunglasses, and fuses at the location.

    Those items were recovered at the scene where her bike was discovered. The helmet recovered on the scene had human blood on it. He also told authorities he had come across two bikes near the scene, picked up one “and that his fingerprints would likely be on the bike.” Only one bike was located by the sheriff’s department.

    On July 22, after Worley already was in custody, investigators asked for the pubic’s help in looking for someone who was riding a motorcycle with an open-faced black helmet at the area of County Road 6 somewhere between Roads S and T, where she was last seen. It was unclear why authorities were looking for the motorcyclist.

    Warrants reveal Ms. Joughin was found in a shallow grave in a cornfield, approximately one mile west and one mile south from Worley’s property.

    Worley remains jailed at the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio near Stryker, where he is being held without bond.

    The search warrants were released by Fulton County Prosecutor Scott Haselman today.

    The Blade filed a motion Wednesday seeking a hearing after a judge issued an order Tuesday saying the records would not be released to the public. A hearing on the matter had been scheduled for today. A Blade reporter had attempted to get the records starting on Monday.

    Mr. Haselman declined to comment today. Fulton County Sheriff Roy Miller did not return a call today. Defense attorney Mark Powers, who was appointed to represent Worley, said he had not seen the search warrants and could not comment on their contents.

    Throughout the investigation, speculation has surfaced about additional victims.

    Delta attorney Amber VanGunten said the inventory of evidence collected at Worley’s property makes her even more suspicious about a possible connection between Worley and the unsolved murder of Lori Ann Hill of Swanton.

    The 14-year-old disappeared the night of Oct. 25, 1985 after leaving a Halloween party in Swanton. She was last seen walking along South Berkey-Southern Road toward home, but never arrived. Her naked body was found four days later in a wooded area north of Wauseon.

    Ms. VanGunten, who represented a man indicted for, but not convicted of, Miss Hill’s murder, has asked Mr. Haselman to have DNA collected from Miss Hill compared to Worley’s. She said that because Worley was last in prison from 2000 to 2002 on drug and weapon charges, his DNA profile likely was not on file until now.

    In 2005, Ohio began requiring that all residents convicted of felonies and some serious misdemeanors submit a DNA sample. In 2011, a more stringent law went into effect requiring that all adults arrested on felony charges submit a DNA sample upon their arrest.

    Jill Del Greco, a spokesman for Ohio Attorney Mike DeWine’s office, said that as in all cases, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation will work up a DNA profile from Worley’s sample and upload it to in the nationwide DNA database known as the Combined DNA Index System or CODIS, where it will be run against a state and national database of forensic profiles from crime scenes.

    Mr. DeWine has asked that DNA evidence from the Fulton County case be processed in a priority fashion, she said.

    At Worley’s house today, the scene was largely quiet, save for a sheriff’s car keeping watch outside.

    Tera Mermer, who lives in the area, drove past a couple times that day. She reported a steady stream of cars passing by throughout the day, all trying to get a look for themselves. She said she didn’t let her kids play outside without her before and Thursday’s news just reinforced that decision.

    “It’s so scary,” she said. “I’m getting a chill. You think you’re OK out here in the country, but nope. I’m just blown away.”

    Staff writers Ryan Dunn, Jennifer Feehan, and Michelle Liu contributed to this report.

    http://www.toledoblade.com/Police-Fi...-property.html
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Murder suspect showed fear of threats to home

    Worley bombarded sheriff with complaints

    By Ryan Dunn and Lauren Lindstrom
    The Toledo Blade

    DELTA, Ohio — Two 17-year-old boys were out riding their bicycles one night in rural Fulton County when a strange man gave chase.

    In May, 2014, James Worley told the sheriff’s office he saw the juveniles near County Roads 6 and K, yelled at the cyclists, and pursued them to a nearby home.

    “Mr. Worley stated that because of all the burglaries, he was concerned,” the deputy wrote in his report.

    A neighbor said Worley scared the teenagers. One of the cyclists, Darin Kurland, now 19, said in an interview Worley followed them to an outdoor party to say he contacted deputies. It was a “bizarre” encounter in light of recent allegations, Mr. Kurland said.

    Incident reports for the man charged with killing Sierah Joughin, 20, show a decade of deep concern for the seemingly out of place along County Roads 6 and L, north of Delta.

    But it was there at Worley’s residence that local, state, and federal law enforcement officials for days collected evidence pertaining to Ms. Joughin’s homicide. They discovered a hidden room in his barn, outfitted with a freezer with bloodstains and restraints.

    RELATED ARTICLE: UT holds vigil for slain student

    Worley, 57, was arrested July 22 on a charge of abduction following Ms. Joughin’s disappearance during a July 19 bicycle ride. Prosecutors filed an additional aggravated murder charge against Worley in her death. He remains incarcerated in the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio.

    Reports show the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office was no stranger to Worley or his property. Since 2004, Worley called deputies about 15 times with reports for his home or neighborhood. Most complaints show a persistent fear of people trespassing on his property or stealing from him.

    One such call from May, 2011, detailed errant newspaper deliveries left on the driveway instead of the designated box.

    “He believes that the wrong people will see the papers and notice that he is not home and break into his house,” the deputy wrote.

    Additional calls from Worley alerted deputies to a neighbor’s alarm, a barking dog, door-to-door salesmen peddling vacuums, and signs of possible burglaries in the future. He repeatedly told officials of cars stopping at, or driving slowly past, his property.

    It was that property where investigators discovered the hidden room with the freezer, as well as a hidden “nanny cam,” women’s undergarments, and several rolls of tape and rope, search warrants released Thursday revealed. A ski mask and zip ties were found in his truck. Several recording devices for video and still images were also recovered.

    “Worley fits the profile of a serial offender and could potentially have additional unknown victims who could have been kept at the above described location,” wrote Sgt. Matthew Smithmyer of the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office in the warrants. The sergeant said he knows “based upon [his] knowledge and experience that these types of offenders will often keep trophies.”

    Cell-phone records placed Worley near the scene where Ms. Joughin was abducted for about two hours during the time she was missing, the warrants state. Worley told investigators he was in the area when his motorcycle broke down, and he lost his helmet, a screwdriver, sunglasses, and fuses. Those items were located at the scene, according to the warrants. The helmet was covered in blood.

    Worley’s stints in prison also provide details about his early life.

    He served three years for the 1990 abduction of a 26-year-old woman riding her bicycle near Whitehouse. The case file includes extensive biographical history of Worley.

    He was born in 1959 in Tacoma, Wash., and graduated in 1978 from Evergreen High School in Metamora with a 1.59 grade-point average. He said he extensively used and sold marijuana from the time he was about 14 years old until 1984, court records show.

    Worley said he worked for three years until 1982 at Art Iron Inc. in Toledo and then three months at Shininger Inc. in Delta. He said he was then employed at Vulcan Industries in Toledo, leaving when the plant closed in 1986. He worked three more years for an area farmer, court records show.

    Worley also served on a grounds crew for multiple county fairs. Among his part-time employers during this period was Mike Nofzinger, 73, of Delta.

    Mr. Nofzinger, then a member of the Fulton County Fair Board, said Worley did an excellent cleaning job at some point prior to 1990. The two had few interactions, he said.

    “I was really surprised,” he said of the pending charges. “Of course it’s been a long time since I had any contact with him at all.”

    In July, 1990, Robin Gardner, then 26, was riding her bicycle on Obee Road outside Whitehouse when Worley struck her with his truck. Worley left his vehicle, hit Ms. Gardner on the head, and placed her in handcuffs, according to a Waterville Township Police Department report and court records.

    “The suspect then put a screwdriver to her throat and stated, ‘I’ll kill you if you don’t stop screaming,’ ” an officer wrote in the report.

    Ms. Gardner ultimately escaped and left with a passing motorcyclist.

    In a letter requesting early release from prison for that case, Worley described these years as a cycle of employment and layoffs. He said he moved back home, and persuaded his mother in 1989 to purchase a professional mower for his new lawn business.

    “I don’t like to admit that I and my family are poor. But we have always worked hard and earned everything we have ever had. This is why I am so proud and protective of my family. My family and myself are good, decent, and very honest people!” Worley wrote.

    Sheriff’s office reports show contentious interactions among Worley, his brother Mark, and mother, Florence Sheperd. In July, 2015, Worley called to report his brother was “off his meds” and kicking down the door. Two years earlier, deputies checked on a report of possible elder abuse against the mother. A nurse practitioner who treated Ms. Sheperd after a fall contacted authorities.

    “The son seemed agitated and frustrated to be at the hospital,” the nurse relayed to deputies in the report, and said she was able “to speak with Ms. Sheperd about the way her son treats her and [Ms. Sheperd] advised that he is just like his father in the way he talks to her.” The nurse reported no signs of physical abuse.

    Worley returned to prison in 2000 on felony convictions of illegal manufacture or cultivation of marijuana and having weapons while under disability. He left in 2002, according to state records, after again unsuccessfully petitioning for early release.

    A criminal-background check lists Worley’s current residence as his home address in 1979, 1990, and 2000. It is unclear if he lived there continuously.

    Worley most recently operated F.E.S. Shop Services from his property. State records show he was licensed from March, 2010, to December, 2012, as a drive-away operator or trailer transporter. During his recent arraignment, Worley said he made $1,000 last year.

    A phone number listed for the Worley residence was disconnected, and a number for his business went to voicemail. Worley has declined a request from jail seeking comment.

    http://www.toledoblade.com/Police-Fi...omplaints.html
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Coroner's report says Sierah Joughin died of asphyxiation, found hog-tied

    ARCHBOLD, Oh. (WNWO) -- An autopsy performed on the body of Fulton County woman found in a shallow grave in July shows the 20-year-old died of asphyxiation.

    Sierah Joughin's body was found July 22 in a field off County Road 6, in the vicinity of where she was went missing while riding her bicycle three days earlier.

    On Wednesday, an autopsy report indicated that the University of Toledo student was found gagged and handcuffed, and died of asphyxiation within minutes.

    While Joughin's bike was found in a cornfield on the day she went missing, her body was not located until three days later, the same day authorities arrested James Worley, 57, of Delta, in connection to her disappearance.

    The report says Joughin's body was found intact, though hog-tied in a shallow grave. Her wrists were in handcuffs behind her back and bound to her ankles with rope. Her ankles were taped together.

    While there was no evidence of sexual assault stated in the report, an exact time of death has not been determined.

    Worley is now charged with Joughin's abduction and aggravated murder. He is being held without bond at the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio, awaiting a hearing scheduled for Aug. 18.

    Investigators found zip ties and a ski mask in Worley's truck. Among items removed from his Delta property were handcuffs, rope and tape. Also found was a hidden room inside a barn on the property. That room contained several items, including a carpet-lined freezer and multiple women's underwear, one pair of which contained blood.

    In 1990, Worley was charged with the abduction of a 26-year-old female who was riding her bicycle in western Lucas County. He was found guilty and served a few years in prison for the crime.

    http://nbc24.com/news/local/coroners...found-hog-tied
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Prosecutors Seeking Death Penalty in Ohio Student's Killing

    Prosecutors in Ohio will pursue the death penalty against a man charged with killing a college student who disappeared while riding her bicycle.

    The decision comes as new charges were announced Tuesday against 57-year-old James Worley.

    A grand jury indicted him on kidnapping, tampering with evidence and corpse abuse charges as well as abduction and aggravated murder.

    Worley has been held without bond since authorities charged him with killing 20-year-old University of Toledo student Sierah Joughin (JAW'-gihn).

    Joughin's body was found in a cornfield on July 22, three days after she was bicycling just west of Toledo.

    Worley's attorney has declined to comment since the arrest. A message was left with him Tuesday.

    Worley was convicted in the 1990 abduction of a woman who was biking near Toledo.

    http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/s...arges-41421452
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    "They will hurt you. They will hurt your grandma, these people. The root cause of this is there's no discipline in the homes, they don't go to school, you know, they live off the government, no personal accountability, and they just beat people up for no reason, and it's disgusting." - Former Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters

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    Man accused in slaying to remain held

    No bond set in Fulton Co. for Worley on 19 charges

    By Ryan Dunn
    The Toledo Blade

    WAUSEON — A judge ordered Friday that the man accused of killing Sierah Joughin remain held without bond until his arraignment.

    James Worley, 57, of rural Delta, Ohio, appeared by video from the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio for a hearing in Fulton County Common Pleas Court.

    He faces 19 charges handed up this week by a grand jury. Two counts carry a potential death penalty if Worley is convicted.

    Worley did not enter a plea Friday to Judge James Barber. About 30 people, including family and media, attended the brief hearing inside the small courtroom.

    Toledo attorney Mark Berling, who is certified to handle death penalty cases, has been appointed to Worley’s case. The defendant is to be arraigned Sept. 8.

    Worley was indicted on charges including murder, abduction, and tampering with evidence. Prosecutors said multiple counts of the same offense reflect different sections of Ohio Revised Code. Authorities said all 19 charges stem from the kidnapping and murder of Ms. Joughin.

    Ms. Joughin, 20, of Metamora, Ohio, disappeared July 19 while riding a bike in rural Fulton County. Her remains were found three days later along Fulton County Road 7. She was handcuffed and died of asphyxiation, according to an autopsy report.

    Worley was arrested July 22 on an abduction charge. He was later charged with aggravated murder.

    In an interview, Mr. Berling said he has not yet thoroughly reviewed court documents and declined comment on the case. This will be his 20th capital case, he said, including many in which he served as lead counsel.

    Mr. Berling said he will select a second attorney to join him in defense of Worley. Mark Powers, who has previously represented Worley, is expected to stay on as well, Mr. Berling said.

    http://www.toledoblade.com/Courts/20...9-charges.html
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Man suspected of killing Sierah Joughin pleads not guilty

    WAUSEON, Oh. (WNWO) — The suspect accused of kidnapping and murdering a 20-year-old student while she rode her bike in Fulton County pleaded not guilty in court Thursday.

    James Worley, 57, has been arraigned on 19 counts in connection to the murder of Sierah Joughin, who went missing on July 19, 2016, while riding her bike. Her body was found three days later.

    Worley has been charged with two counts of abduction, four counts of kidnapping, two counts of felonious assault, two counts of murder, two counts of aggravated murder, two counts of aggravated robbery, possessing criminal tools, gross abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, and two counts of having weapons while under disability.

    Worley’s attorney, Mark Berling said, "Because of the nature of the crime, the alleged... I mean there's 19 counts in the indictment, I've seen the bond sheet. Bond is really not appropriate at this time. There may be a time in the future that we ask for it, but that time is not now."

    A pre-trial hearing for Worley is scheduled for March 7 at 9 a.m.

    If all court dates go as planned, his trial is expected to start at the end of next September.

    If convicted, Worley could be given the death penalty.

    http://nbc24.com/news/local/suspect-...joughin-murder
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

  10. #10
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    Trial of suspect in death of Joughin set for January

    By Jennifer Feehan
    The Toledo Blade

    WAUSEON — The trial of a rural Delta man on capital murder charges for the abduction and death of 20-year-old Sierah Joughin has been postponed until next year.

    During a brief hearing Tuesday, Fulton County Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey Robinson scheduled the trial of James Worley for Jan. 16. Because Worley could face the death penalty if convicted, the trial is expected to last up to four weeks.

    Worley, 57, is charged with two counts each of aggravated murder, murder, abduction, felonious assault, having weapons while under disability, and aggravated robbery; four counts of kidnapping, and one count each of possessing criminal tools, gross abuse of a corpse, and tampering with evidence in connection with Ms. Joughin’s death.

    The University of Toledo student disappeared July 19 while riding her bicycle on a rural Fulton County road. Her remains were found in a shallow grave in a cornfield along Fulton County Road 7 three days later. An autopsy concluded that Ms. Joughin died from asphyxiation from a plastic bag lodged in her mouth.

    Worley, who is being held in the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio near Stryker, did not appear in court Tuesday because his attorneys waived his presence.

    The defense has filed 52 pretrial motions in the case, most of which seek to protect Worley’s right to a fair trial — from allowing him to appear in court in civilian clothing to ordering that persons in the courtroom remain silent and “free from emotional outbursts.”

    “All of the motions are designed to protect his rights,” said lead defense counsel Mark Berling. “There are a number of issues regarding jury instruction, formulation, and selection — that whole process. That case law evolves over time and we try to keep ahead of that.”

    Judge Robinson ordered that all motions and proposed jury instructions be filed by March 31. He scheduled a hearing on defense requests for funding for experts for April 28 and set aside a day and a half — June 8 and 9 — for arguments on the motions.

    Mr. Berling said he has asked the court to allow Worley to have access to a laptop computer that would be loaded with all of the discovery in his case. Mr. Berling said his client would not have access to the Internet or any other information and would not have the laptop in his cell at CCNO but would be able to use it in a private room.

    Fulton County Prosecutor Scott Haselman said in a motion regarding DNA testing that both Ms. Joughin’s DNA and Worley’s DNA were found on items found at the suspected location of her abduction, in a barn on Worley’s property, and near the location where her body was recovered.

    State, local, and federal investigators conducted an extensive search at Worley’s three-acre property on Fulton County Road 6 last summer. According to court documents, they found a hidden room in his barn containing restraints and a freezer with blood inside.

    http://www.toledoblade.com/Courts/20...r-January.html

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