By: Chelsie Firestone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
James Worley, 57, of Delta appeared was arraigned on September 8 in the Fulton County Common Pleas Court for the 19 charges he is facing in connection to the death of Sierah Joughin, 20, of Metamora.
Worley was arrested three days after Joughin went missing during a bike ride near her home.
If convicted, Worley could face the death penalty for those charges which include two counts of aggravated murder, two counts of murder, two counts of abduction, four counts of kidnapping, one count of abuse of a corpse and one count of tampering with evidence. Duplicated charges in the case reference different sections of the Ohio Revised Code.
Worley entered a plea of not guilty on each of the counts.
In an interview aired on Toledo 24 nbc news, Worley’s attorney, Mark Berling, explained that he did not ask the court to set a bond for Worley due to the nature of the 19 count indictment filed.
As such, Worley will continue to be held without bond at the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio.
If all court dates go according to plan, Worley’s trial would begin September 25, 2017. Worley did waive the right to have his trial begin within 90 days as Berling requested additional time to prepare his case.
Investigations of the evidence found at Worley’s residence, including the hidden room in his barn, a freezer containing blood, camera equipment, restraints, and women’s undergarments remain on-going. While information released from the Attorney General’s office notes that no other remains have been found on Worley’s property, DNA, and other forensic testing are still being done and will take time to complete.
Chelsie Firestone can be reached at
chelsie@thevillagereporter.com