By: Jacob Kessler
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jacob@thevillagereporter.com
The execution scheduled for May 20th, 2025, for James Worley, convicted in the 2016 abduction and murder of Sierah Joughin, did not take place as scheduled.
The delay of execution was due in part to the Ohio Supreme Court granting a stay of execution back in September of 2021, which remains in effect pending the resolution of all state-level post-conviction proceedings, including appeals. As of now, no new execution date has been set.
Worley was sentenced to death in 2018 after being convicted of abducting and killing Joughin. This July will mark nine years since she was reported missing while riding her bicycle near her home in rural Fulton County.
Although Worley’s conviction and sentence were upheld by the Ohio Supreme Court, the state has not carried out an execution since 2018.
In 2020, Governor Mike DeWine announced that lethal injection was no longer a viable method for executions in Ohio, citing difficulties in obtaining the necessary drugs and legal concerns over their use.
Since then, no executions have been conducted, and efforts to establish alternative methods have not advanced in the legislature.
Following Worley’s conviction, Ohio lawmakers passed Sierah’s Law, creating a public registry of violent offenders.
The law requires individuals convicted of certain violent crimes to register with their local sheriff’s office upon release from prison, providing communities with greater access to information about repeat violent offenders.
