Killing was Purposeful /// Part 3 /// 843

Summary

True Crime Garage Episode Summary: "Killing was Purposeful — Part 3 | Episode 843"

In the gripping third installment of True Crime Garage titled "Killing was Purposeful" (Episode 843), hosts Nic and the Captain delve deep into the harrowing case of Sierra Joggins, exploring the intricate web of events leading to her tragic demise and the broader implications on Ohio's capital punishment system. This episode masterfully intertwines detailed case investigation with insightful discussions on judicial practices, providing listeners with a comprehensive understanding of both the specific crime and its wider legal context.

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Capital Punishment in Ohio: A Historical Perspective

The episode commences with an in-depth exploration of capital punishment within Ohio's justice system. Nic sets the stage by outlining the evolution of the death penalty in the state:

"Capital punishment has been a part of Ohio's justice system since the early 1800s. [04:23]"

The Captain elaborates on the historical methods of execution, highlighting the transition from public hangings to the contemporary practices at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility. They discuss the current state of capital punishment, noting that while executions are sanctioned, the state faces challenges in carrying them out due to shortages of lethal injection drugs. This has resulted in a moratorium on executions since 2018, with Ohio Governor Mike DeWine acknowledging the logistical hurdles:

"Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has stated that the state cannot obtain the necessary drugs for lethal injection, halting all executions." [04:39]

The hosts also touch upon the legislative landscape, mentioning two pivotal bills under consideration: one aiming to abolish the death penalty, and another proposing its reinstatement using nitrogen hypoxia as the method of execution. With 114 individuals currently on Ohio's death row, the debate remains both contentious and highly relevant.

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The Disappearance of Sierra Joggins: A Tragic Timeline

Shifting focus, Nic narrates the unsettling events surrounding Sierra Joggins, a promising college student whose life was brutally cut short. On a warm Tuesday evening in July 2016, Sierra left her boyfriend Josh’s residence in Metamora, Ohio, intending to return to her grandparents' home. The timeline unfolds meticulously:

• 07:10: Sierra and Josh part ways near Evergreen High School, with Sierra biking the remaining mile home.

• 08:36: Realizing Sierra’s absence and the missing bike, Josh contacts Sierra's mother, Sheila, expressing deep concern.

Nic underscores the urgency and lack of typical dismissiveness commonly seen in missing persons cases involving young adults:

"This was not one of those scenarios where the police are like, 'Oh, 20-year-old college student, probably out having fun.' No, this was different." [10:46]

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Investigation Intensifies: Uncovering Clues

The investigation gains momentum as Sierra's bike is discovered abandoned in the cornfields, accompanied by disturbing evidence of a struggle. Key findings include:

• Tracking Dog and Forensic Evidence: A tracking dog led investigators to the bike near County Road 6.

• Disturbing Scene: Law enforcement uncovers a screwdriver, men's sunglasses, a sock, fuse boxes, and blood-streaked corn stalks, indicating a forceful abduction.

"Investigators combed the area and found more clues tucked into the cornfield... [15:49]"

The interaction between Nic and the Captain delves into the significance of these findings:

"The phone going straight to voicemail indicated that it was either off, broken, or dead—actionable indicators that something was seriously wrong." [19:26]

Efforts to involve the public are highlighted, with a viral Snapchat photo of Sierra and a $100,000 reward amplifying the search.

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James Dean Worley: The Suspect with a Dark Past

A pivotal figure emerges in the investigation: James Dean Worley, a 57-year-old man with a notorious criminal history. Nic introduces Worley as:

"Worley is a suspected serial killer. Many believe that Worley is a predator and a sexual sadist. He is suspected of killing several women." [04:23]

Delving into Worley’s past, the hosts recount his first known abduction attempt on Robin Gardner in 1990:

"Ms. Gardner was riding her bike when Worley struck her, leading to a violent struggle and her eventual escape, albeit with significant injuries." [37:05]

Worley's interactions with law enforcement reveal a pattern of paranoia and hostility:

• Frequent Calls to Police: Worley reported suspicious activities around his property, often fearing theft or trespassing.

• Antisocial Behavior: Incidents such as chasing bicyclists underscore his aggressive tendencies.

During the canvassing phase of Sierra's case, Worley's suspicious statements and behavior raised red flags:

"He repeatedly denies any involvement in Joggins disappearance. He did ask investigators... 'How do you kidnap or take somebody on a motorcycle?' [50:27]"

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The Arrest and Conclusive Evidence

Following meticulous investigation, Worley's connection to Sierra becomes undeniable. Key pieces of evidence include:

• Bloody Motorcycle Helmet: Discovered near Sierra's bike, matching Worley's possession.

• Matching Handcuffs: Used both by Worley in past incidents and found at the abduction scene.

Nic emphasizes the irony of Worley's actions leading to his downfall:

"He stayed at the scene of this air quotes accident... 'He made his statements during the investigation that only the killer would know.'" [47:18]

"Worley triggered massive alarm bells in the law enforcement canvassers' minds as soon as they left." [53:38]

Ultimately, Worley's culpability is cemented through both physical evidence and his own incriminating statements, leading to his arrest and subsequent legal proceedings.

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Conclusion: Reflections on Justice and Prevention

As the episode wraps up, Nic and the Captain reflect on the broader implications of the case:

"This was an incredibly violent offender, and he received what I would refer to as a slap on the wrist for this." [40:12]

They discuss the challenges faced by the justice system in preventing recidivism among violent offenders and the ongoing debate surrounding the death penalty's role in ensuring justice for victims like Sierra Joggins.

The hosts leave listeners pondering the efficacy of capital punishment and the systemic changes needed to safeguard communities from such heinous crimes.

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Notable Quotes:

• "Capital punishment has been a part of Ohio's justice system since the early 1800s." — Nic [04:23]

• "I was just trying to frantically get through to the Fulton county deputy that this isn't some kid who's run off for the night. There is something seriously wrong." — Sheila Joggins [11:35]

• "There was a disturbance near the bike. There was some corn knocked down and such." — Roy Miller, Sheriff [14:43]

• "How do you kidnap or take somebody on a motorcycle?" — James Dean Worley [50:27]

• "This was an incredibly violent offender, and he received what I would refer to as a slap on the wrist for this." — Nick [40:12]

---

This episode of True Crime Garage not only unravels the complexities of Sierra Joggins' tragic case but also prompts critical discussions on the effectiveness and morality of capital punishment in modern justice systems. Through meticulous storytelling and insightful commentary, Nic and the Captain provide listeners with a profound narrative that underscores the relentless pursuit of truth and justice in the face of unspeakable crimes.

Transcript

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[Nick]

SA.

[Captain]

Foreign.

[Nick]

Welcome to True Crime Garage. Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, thanks for listening. I'm your host Nick and with me, as always, is a man who is cleaner than your church shoes. Here is the cap.

[Colonel]

It's good to be seen and good to see you. Thanks for listening. Thanks for telling a friend.

[Captain]

This week we are excited to be.

[Nick]

Featuring you Betcha by the cool folks at Sonder Brewing. You Betcha is a New England style IPA that is hazy and hoppy, full bodied and with a great tropical fruit explosion. ABV, six and a half percent garage grade, four and a half bottle caps out of five. And let's give some thanks and praise to some cool folks right here. First up, a cheers to Eve in London, England.

[Colonel]

And a big we like your jib goes out to Dar see from Charlotte, North Carolina.

[Nick]

Here's a cheers and a thank you to Alicia Russ in West Cornwall, Connecticut.

[Colonel]

The big talk hands in the air to Taylor and Littleton, Colorado.

[Nick]

And last but certainly not least, here's a cheers to Teresa in one of my favorite cities, Scottsdale, Arizona. Everyone we just mentioned went to truecrimegarage.com clicked on the pint glass and that helped us fill up the old garage fridge for this week's show. And for that we thank you.

[Colonel]

Yeah, BWR you in Beer run for everything True crime. Check out truecrimegarage.com while you're there. Sign up on the mailing list and Colonel, that's enough of the business.

[Nick]

All right everybody gather round, grab a chair, grab a beer, let's talk some true crime. Capital punish, punishment, the death penalty and.

[Captain]

Judicial homicide is the state sanctioned killing of a person as punishment. It's a death sentence for breaking the law. And in many cases it's the penalty for committing several criminal acts, mostly murder. The act of carrying out the sentence is an execution. A prisoner sentenced to death is condemned and is commonly referred to as being on death row. This form of punishment is reserved for the worst of the worst. Crimes that are punishable by death are Known as capital crimes, capital offenses, or capital felonies and vary depending on the jurisdiction. Capital punishment has been a part of Ohio's justice system since the early 1800s. Back then, executions were carried out in the form of public hangings in the county where the crime was committed. Today, all executions, whether male or female, take place at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility. However, prisoners awaiting execution are not housed there on a long term basis. The Ohio Men's death row is at another facility. This is the new death row unit at the Ross Correctional Institution. One man that is currently housed at.

[Nick]

Ross Correctional is James Dean Worley.

[Captain]

Worley is a suspected serial killer. Many believe that Worley is a predator and a sexual sadist. He is suspected of killing several women.

[Nick]

And convicted of killing one.

[Captain]

Before James Worley was sentenced to die for his crimes, the state did so prove that the killing was purposeful. So were the assaults and the abductions. I think James Worley has likely killed three women in separate similar abductions spanning decades and all here in Ohio. Worley was elected to be executed this month in May of 2025. However, executions have been on hold since 2018. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has stated that the state cannot obtain the necessary drugs for lethal injection, halting all executions. There are 114 people currently on Ohio's death row. Additionally, two new bills are being considered by the Ohio legislature. One to abolish the death penalty and another to reinstate it using nitrogen hypoxia as a method of execution. This is true crime Garage.

[Nick]

On a warm, Sunny Tuesday in July 2016, it was time for Sierra Joggin to leave the home of her boyfriend. Her boyfriend's name is Josh. They are in a place called Metamora, Ohio, which is located in Fulton County. This is the tippy top of Ohio, Very north, just shy of the Michigan, Ohio state line.

[Colonel]

Yeah, this is the same county that we were talking about last week.

[Nick]

Correct. She had ridden her purple bike to his house on that evening and she was going to leave, but Josh wanted to ride part way home with her. So he, he gets on his motorcycle and they set out. They're riding side by side. She's pedaling fast and he's kind of puttering along on the motorcycle. Around about a quarter till seven, they separated. This is near Evergreen High School. So each start heading their separate ways back to their homes. Sierra at the time, is living with her grandparents. Keep in mind, this is the summertime. She's a college student and, and she's living with her grandparents for the summer between college sessions.

[Colonel]

Well, like you said, Josh was meeting her or riding her back halfway on his motorcycle. But he snapped a picture of her through, I believe, his Snapchat account.

[Nick]

Yeah. And in the picture you can see her on her bike. She's smiling. It's a beautiful evening out. He really rides with her to about a mile from where she's living, so very close to, to her home. So they part ways and now Sierra is biking home the rest of the way by herself, but she never makes it home. So we have Sierra's mother, her name is Sheila. She says that that night she happened to drive by her parents home where Sierra was staying. This is after dark. She thought that it was strange that her daughter's room, the light was not on in the window. She couldn't see the light on, which she would say typically if she drove by her parents home at night, Sierra was often home and the light would be on. But she didn't think too much of it, right? Not until she receives a phone call later that night from Josh. So he tells Sheila, Sierra's mom, that he had been texting Sierra for several hours by this point, receiving no response. He gets worried, he starts to panic and he thinks I better call her folks and ask what's going on.

[Colonel]

Well, she was out riding her bike I believe for exercise and then went to his house. So as her boyfriend and I believe they were high school sweethearts, so they've been dating for quite a while. And anybody that dated somebody for a long time, your, your families start intermingling and intertwining. And so okay, she had a mile to get back to her grandparents house. Maybe she took a nap, maybe she's taking a shower. There could be a million reasons why she's not responding to me. But after a couple hours you go, this is strange because it wasn't like they had an argument or there was no reason for her not to respond to her longtime boyfriend.

[Nick]

Yeah, and like you said, it's a long term relationship even for how young they are. From my understanding, they knew each other and were close even back in middle school. So he knows the family well, the family knows him well. And he's letting the mom know. Hey, I'm worried. I've been trying to reach Sierra and it's crickets. I'm not hearing anything. And the two of them quickly figure out that nobody else has heard from Sierra since Josh last saw her either. And this is, this is a young lady who is dependable and predictable. And so this is totally out of character. Both of them understandably concerned. So Sierra's mother says that she knew something was wrong. As soon as she gets this phone call from Josh, she wants to double check everything. She quickly confirms that Sierra's purple bike is also missing from the barn where it's normally kept. So she's not home. The bike never returned from there. She and some of the family took to going to a nearby carry out, asking if anybody there had seen Sierra any point that evening. With the answer being no. Sheila said that from there it was just a downward spiral.

[Colonel]

After that, where she was riding was just fields, corn fields. This is a country road. There's no bike path or sidewalk.

[Nick]

Sheila tried and tried to call Sierra's phone, but by this point, captain, it's going straight to voicemail. So this is 10:50pm On a Tuesday night.

[Colonel]

Not good.

[Nick]

And after this, mom is frantic. She calls the police, she reports her daughter missing. The cool thing here, this is not one of those scenarios where the police are like, oh, 20 year old college student, of course you can't get in contact with them. Of course you can't find them. They're probably out having fun, out running the streets. No, this was. This took very little convincing. Mom is explaining to the sheriff's department this is what kind of kid my daughter is. And they're like, okay, we're going to jump into action immediately and, and try to figure out what's going on here.

[Colonel]

Yeah. Or what's the other story we hear all the time, law enforcement going, well, of course you can't get a hold of her because she decided to start a new life somewhere else.

[Nick]

We're going to pause here and give a quick shout out to the Toledo Blade, fantastic news publication, which covered this case way more thoroughly than any other publication that I could find. So you're going to hear us, quote, incite from the Blade often during these episodes. But we wanted to highlight what a great job, gangbusters job they did on their coverage of this horrific story. So Sheila told the Blade, quote, I was just trying to frantically get through to the Fulton county deputy that this isn't some kid who's run off for the night. There is something seriously wrong. This is not right, end quote. And as said, they very quickly recognized that the situation was dire. So Sheila called all of her and Sierra's relatives in the area, and everyone started looking for Sierra. Everyone started posting on Facebook about the situation, and word spread very quickly. And several people came forward promptly and said that they had seen her. So a jogger says that they saw Sierra on her Bike police questioned this jogger. He really had no more information other than to say, yeah, I was. She was on her bike. I was jogging, and. And I saw her.

[Colonel]

Did this eyewitness also see the boyfriend riding beside her?

[Nick]

That I don't know. They also pulled in a van operator, a person driving a van, who also said that they had seen Sierra that night. But this was the same deal. No more information other than I had seen her. And we do know that based off of eyewitness statements, two independent eyewitness statements that we just reviewed, that the one thing they did both agree on was Sierra was biking, and she was biking in the direction toward her home. Other than that, no one knew where she was or where she had gone. Then after midnight on the 20th. So this is the next day, searchers found a purple bicycle off of County Road 6 near the intersection with County Road T. Anybody that lives out in the country, you understand right away when you hear the words County Road 6 and County Road T, what kind of country roads we're talking about here? This is corn fields and homes that are spread out. This purple bicycle, which matches the description of Sierra's bike, is found half a mile from Sierra's parents home. Deputies used a tracking dog, starting from the point where Josh reported that they. The two had parted ways. The bike was thrown or shoved into a cornfield. And it's laying in this cornfield, Captain, about four rows deep. And this is tall corn.

[Colonel]

It's going to be a disturbing scene because, like you said, they find the bike, but they also find signs of struggle.

[Nick]

Yes. Let's use the words of Roy Miller, he's the Fulton county sheriff. He said, quote, there was a disturbance near the bike. There was some corn knocked down and such, end quote. And it's signs of a struggle. I think is. Is kind of downplaying it a little bit. Once you figure out everything that, that they find at this spot, it's going to be just overwhelmingly alarming. So ABC's 2020 reported, quote, investigators combed the area and found more clues tucked into the cornfield. A screwdriver, men's sunglasses, a sock, a set of fuse boxes, motorcycle tracks, and evidence of a struggle indicated by broken corn stalks and corn stalks with streaks of blood on them. And we have FBI agent Megan Roberts, who says it made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. You just had this eerie feeling that you knew that this was the site of an abduction. Yeah.

[Colonel]

And this is also tough for law enforcement because, like you said this, this story quickly, we're only a day after she went missing, but because of social media, this is blowing up. And the picture that Josh took of her on. On her way back home on her bike, that. That's basically going viral at this point, especially in that Fulton county area. But what do we know if we're law enforcement, who was accompanying her on this ride home? Her longtime boyfriend. Statistically, you're more likely to be murdered by somebody, you know who or somebody that you're in a romantic relationship with. And now we have this, again, maybe not phrasing it correctly, but this disturbing crime scene. And what do we have? Motorcycle tracks. And I think if you're law enforcement, you start going, was this boyfriend telling us the truth?

[Nick]

Yeah, we know the boyfriend has a motorcycle. This is going to set up a domino effect right away with the highway patrol blocking off roads and setting up roadblocks, really igniting a massive search for Sierra, which would include 66. Zero firefighters, the use of search canine dogs that were brought in from the capital city, Columbus, and a helicopter that was equipped with infrared vision, which you will see. Anybody that watches true crime shows and documentaries, you'll see that these infrared vision helicopters are often used especially in these rural areas. When we're talking about somebody searching overhead for. For wooded areas in corn fields, they will typically use this. However, all of this effort, they don't find her on that day. And then the next day, the search expands to over 100 volunteers searching a four mile radius around where the bike was located.

[Colonel]

Well, this is a great move by law enforcement because even though they don't find her, at least we're searching that area for also any other clues that could have been left behind. But obviously they. They don't find a bunch because we do have a abduction site. So that's where we're going to find the majority of our evidence.

[Nick]

Yeah, they also recognize that the times. Right. And that's one thing that we've talked about a bunch here in the garage, how wonderful technology is and how important it is and how helpful it has been to law enforcement when it comes to finding somebody or locating a perpetrator or figuring out what happened to somebody. So they make a public plea, right, to anyone with home security cameras or ring cameras or simply safe cameras to review their footage along the route that Sierra would have been taking that night to see if, you know, anybody spotted her or had any idea what could have happened to her.

[Colonel]

Well, think about this. One of the simplest things that we talk about over and over, and you just said, but five minutes Back, mom, boyfriend trying to get a hold of her. And then now they're calling, and her phone goes to voicemail. So that. That doesn't tell us all the information, but at that point we can say, well, she's not on her phone, she's not charging her phone.

[Nick]

That.

[Colonel]

That gives us a frame of reference. Does that make any sense?

[Nick]

Well, yeah, the phone. That would be an indicator that the phone is either off, broken and busted or dead. And what scares me about that is those are all kind of actionable. Right. If the phone was shut off, I'm worried that it wasn't her that shut it off. And I'm hoping that I. I think when you set out looking for her, there's always the chance that maybe she was in some kind of bike accident. And if that's the situation, then. Then maybe the phone broke. It wouldn't be the first phone that broke in a bike accident. But after finding this scene, and I don't know what was communicated from law enforcement to the family when they found this bicycle and found that scene, they're already saying to themselves, we just knew that this was the. The site of an abduction. I don't know if that was communicated to the family or not, but if I'm.

[Colonel]

If I'm the detective, I'm going, okay. The boyfriend is riding her home. So we have a. A point where he leaves her. So we have that point now. We have this abduction site, obviously, but we also have this information about when her phone starts going to voicemail. So now we got a rough timeline, and I think that helps investigators.

[Nick]

Yeah. And the Fulton county authorities very smartly quickly called in the assistance of FBI's Toledo office. Again, this is from ABC's 20 20. They say, quote, Megan Roberts, who we've already introduced to everyone, a special agent with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Identification got a call around 1am in the morning. This is after the abduction, asking her to assist in processing this crime scene. And Ms. Roberts, who we quoted earlier, was brought to the abduction site, which she found very alarming. All signs pointing to this being a forceful abduction case. And the federal agency's help was imperative. Right. You know, this is an abduction. So call in the FBI. The investigators noted that in Josh's photo of Sierra, the one that you had referenced there, Captain, taken literally within an hour of her abduction, she's. Sierra's wearing a Fitbit again. Here's some more technology. They set to work tracking that device. And NBC reported that one of the pings from Sierra's cell Phone was near the Michigan border, several miles from where her bike was found. So they commence searches in that area as well.

[Colonel]

Well, I think you can even narrow the timeline down even more because you said like well within an hour. But we know whether she's less than a mile away or a little over a mile away from her destination, going at average speed, she should hit home within 10 minutes. So basically within 10 minutes of him leaving his girlfriend, Josh leaving his girlfriend, this abduction takes place.

[Nick]

And then we have a post this went to Josh's aunt or uncle. Somebody in Josh's family posted the following online. This is on the 20th, so this is very quick here. Shortly after Sierra is discovered missing, says she went missing at County Road 6 and 120 in Fulton County, Ohio. They took her right off her bike. Her bike was found lying by the side of the road along with her sunglasses. This was not a hit and run. They have ruled that out. They pinged her cell phone. The phone was either destroyed or turned off as it is not pinging anymore. On July 21, a private donor offered up $25,000 for as a reward for information about the disappearance. And others quickly piled on bringing the amount to $100,000. Someone started a Facebook group bring Sierra home and it was soon joined by thousands of people. Meanwhile, investigators asked for the public'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, as in Sam and as in Tom, where Sierra was last seen. This was because one, motorbike tracks had been found at the abduction scene. Two, a farmer had come forward and delivered a bloody motorcycle helmet that he found by the side of the road before the bike was even located. Police suspected immediately that it was related to what had happened to Sierra because the blood was determined to be human. They knew they were looking for a motorcycle riding suspect. Josh was the first man to come to mind since he had such a bike and was of course connected to Sierra. But per 2020, they say Josh cooperated with authorities. He drew a map for them of where Joggins route showing where the couple departed and consented to searches of his residence, motorcycle and truck, according to the investigators. And eventually Josh was cleared because he had gone home. And we have people putting him there at the home. And two witnesses saw Sierra riding alone after the two parted ways. And the other thing too is very quickly, you know, you got to move quick. As an investigator, you got to move quick. And I'm not saying move quick to, to clear people and move quick, to move on to people. Your number one job at this moment in your investigation is to find Sierra Fine. Sierra, I need breadcrumbs. I need, I need breadcrumbs here to find this young lady. So the first thing you're going to do is simply, hey, where's your motorcycle helmet? And if he could produce a helmet, then you're starting to go, all right, this, this is starting to look like there's something else going on.

[Captain]

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[Nick]

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[Captain]

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[Colonel]

All right, we are back. Cheers mates. Tall cans in the air. Cheers to you, Colonel.

[Nick]

Cheers to you, Captain. Cheers to all the people in the back. Look, a lot of the cases that we talk about, there are some horrific details and some things that are just downright difficult to discuss. In this case, this case is no exception. It was an excruciating couple of days looking for Sierra, but finally this would be. On that Saturday, there was news, and it wasn't the good kind. Around 6pm on Friday the 22nd, the body of a young woman was found buried not very deep near a rural road in Fulton County. The victim was gagged, hogtied with black duct tape and rope and handcuffed. She was wearing some clothing, a white bra, socks, and an adult diaper. She had hay in her hair. Fulton County Sheriff Roy Miller held a press conference stating, quote, at this time, we strongly believe that this is Sierra, end quote. And sadly, soon after, fingerprints would confirm the identification in a strange. You know, each one of these cases are unique for different reasons. But a strange turn of events here, Captain. They had actually arrested someone on Friday morning on abduction charges.

[Colonel]

Yeah.

[Nick]

So the fact is that by the time Sierra is found, the authorities pretty much would believe that she was already dead. They had this arrest of this guy. His name is James Dean Worley. He's 57 years old at this time in our timeline. He had a significant criminal history.

[Colonel]

Yeah.

[Nick]

And he lawyers up immediately following his arrest.

[Colonel]

He's a big dude.

[Nick]

He's a big, ugly, sloppy looking dude. And as said, he's got a rap sheet, a lengthy rap sheet and he's got a history of violence on that rap sheet. So let's go back in time. On July 4, 1990, we have a 26 year old woman named Robin Gardner. She is biking alone on OB Road. This is near White House, Ohio. So we're going to name a lot of these smaller towns, but this is all in the same general area. A lot of the locations we're going to be talking about for persons that don't live in northwest Ohio, this is all pretty much Fulton County, Lucas county area. So the Toledo Blade covered this Robin Gardner case as well. This is James Worley's, I was going to say first abduction, but who knows? But the testimony that she gave, according to the Blade at the trial was, quote, it was all cornfields. She said it was July 4th and the corn was high, there was nobody around. Ms. Gardner was riding her bike when she noticed a flatbed truck pass her in the opposite direction. 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. Ms. Gardner told jurors she stood up and she let her guard down when the first words out of the driver's mouth were, oh, my God, are you all right? Then soon relief turned to panic. She said, when he, the. The good Samaritan, or pretending to be good Samaritan, struck her hard on the head with an unknown instrument and then put her in a stranglehold and held a flathead screwdriver to her throat. And the man says, get in the truck or I'm going to kill you. This man would later be identified as James Dean Worley. Ms. Gardner did not know who he was at the time. He's telling her to stop screaming. He makes her get into the truck. Once inside, he got a handcuff around her right wrist. And Robin Gardner testified, I didn't want him to get both hands behind my back, so I held onto the steering wheel with my left hand. And she said, we fought and fought. Robin somehow manages to wiggle out of the driver's side door. As Worley was struggling to cuff her left wrist, A motorcycle just happened to be passing by. She runs up to the driver. She's still got a handcuff dangling from her right arm. She says to the guy on the motorcycle, please help me. He's going to kill me. And she says that she showed. She pointed to the. Her bike, which was in the ditch, and she's holding up her, you know, the handcuffs to show the motorcyclist, right? Well, Worley, James Worley tells the motorcyclist, don't listen to her. She's crazy. Don't listen to anything. She says is the. The guy on the motorcycle puts Robin on his bike, and he drives her to her home, where her mother calls 91 1. These handcuffs, too, were law enforcement keys, which most handcuffs all take. Pretty much this, the same key or a very similar key, but not these ones. And so they had to remove them, physically remove them with bolt cutters. Robin's hospitalized with the skull fracture and a concussion. She has a large laceration on her knee that was consistent with being inflicted by a flathead screwdriver.

[Colonel]

But whether you're a detective, a chief of police, highway patrol, pretty much anybody that is in this area, and I know that the story is where this abduction attempt was 26 years prior, you're going to remember it. If you're a deputy and you run into this guy, this scary monster looking dude, James Worley, you're gonna go you know, James Worley. Oh, yeah. Did you HEAR what happened 26 years ago? That story had to get around. So when you come up in 2016 to this abduction site and you see this screwdriver, don't you think some of law enforcement that would have been around that area for, you know, working in that area for a long time might have known this story and sees that screwdriver and, and starts putting two and two together?

[Nick]

Well, in James Worley, even beyond this attack of Ms. Gardner, he's no stranger to the authorities. Like, they, they're well aware of this guy for a multitude of reasons, and we'll get into a lot of that. But thankfully, I say this a lot because unfortunately, the, the killers, the criminals, they often get lucky and, and that aggravates me to no end here. Captain. Captain. But I also am very thankful that most criminals are lazy or stupid or both. And Worley, I think, probably fits into both categories.

[Captain]

He.

[Nick]

He stayed at the scene of this air quotes accident. This is from the defense psychologist. His name is Dr. Fabian. This is from Dr. Fabian's report. It says a park ranger was the first person to talk to Mr. Warley after the accident occurred. She stated Mr. Worley came from the end of the truck to the park ranger. Warley reported to the ranger that he had really messed up and could be in a lot of trouble. He was highly excited and seemed very upset. He was asked to wait by his vehicle and then he came back and wanted to tell his side of the story. He later admitted to the Waterville Police Department that he had put handcuffs on Robin because he was frightened and he didn't want her to run away. He claimed that it was her fault. The whole accident was the woman's fault because she cut in front of him and he put the handcuffs on her because he thought she was going to leave the scene of the accident and he was just trying to stop her from that. So I, you know, a citizen's arrest, I guess, is, is his claim here, because you could, one could say this is a he said, she said. They're out in the middle of nowhere. It's her word against his. But, but her word is like gold when you see that she's handcuffed.

[Colonel]

Yeah. The handcuffs are what gave it away.

[Nick]

Yeah. And of course, no one's going to buy this guy's story. He gets charged, he ends up.

[Colonel]

And she also has a skull fracture.

[Nick]

Yeah. He pleads guilty to abduction and was sentenced to four to ten years in prison. He started serving his sentence in November of 1990 and was paroled in December of 1993. So garage math here, that is almost a whole year less than the minimum sentence that he was given. This is a incredibly violent offender, and he received what I would refer to as a slap on the wrist for this. What could have resulted in abduction, rape, and murder. But she just, she was able to fight him off.

[Colonel]

I think he should have been charged with attempted abduction, attempted murder. I mean, the. The skull fracture there. There's your evidence. There's your argument in court.

[Nick]

Well, yeah, he pled guilty to abduction in that case, and this would not be his only conviction. So after he's released in December of 93 and now he's a felon and he's not allowed to own a gun, he violated that law and also decided to undertake a large marijuana grow operation. He was raided and arrested and pled guilty to both those offenses. This is in 2000, and he gets two years for that and serves time in Ohio prisons from October 2000 to September of 2002. It looks like he stayed out of trouble up until this abduction of Sierra.

[Colonel]

Yeah, look, once this abduction, this failed abduction takes place in what, 1990, and you stay in that community, you stay in that. That county area, you're going to be on law law enforcement's radar for quite a long time.

[Nick]

Absolutely. Absolutely. Captain. An autopsy was conducted in the Sierra Joggin case. This took place at the Lucas county coroner's office. She was found bound impartially, dressed in undergarments and socks. Her wrists were handcuffed together, Again, use of handcuffs, handcuffed together behind her back, again with cuffs that law enforcement could not open. So this is almost mirroring Robin's case.

[Colonel]

Like I said before, the screwdriver they.

[Nick]

Would find, eventually they're going to find keys that. That fit these handcuffs. Unfortunately, the victim's wrists were also tied to her ankles with rope. Her ankles were bound together with thick tape. She had head injuries and some kind of wound to her left leg. The official cause of death was asphyxiation from a large yellow plastic gag that was found in her mouth. This was like a cone shaped type gag.

[Colonel]

I think they believe it was like a dog chew toy.

[Nick]

Yeah, it's just a horrific scene. And again, found buried not very deep out off of a country road. What the public, I mean, outside of people that knew Sierra, there was a lot of information about her in her obituary. She was born in 96 in Sylvania, Ohio. She grew up in Fulton county, graduated from Evergreen high school. We've the high school that we, we mentioned that she, she was riding past on her bike that night. Her family described her as someone who was full of life and had great, a great sense of humor. She loved to travel. She spent time exploring Italy. She loved horses. She had a tight bond with her family.

[Colonel]

And she, she was close long term relationship with her boyfriend, Correct?

[Nick]

She was between her sophomore and junior year at the University of Toledo. She was studying human resource management. She was a member of a business fraternity. She played volleyball. That summer she had an internship at her uncle Howard's ice company where I guess it was the intention was she was going to go work for him after she graduated from college. Like we said earlier, she knew Josh. They were going strong after dating since middle school or early into high school. They were in it for the long haul. There was, there's talk that they were talking about getting married, but Sierra, they had agreed that they would wait until after college.

[Colonel]

Yeah, Anybody that dated somebody in high school and then starts, continues on dating that person in college, there might not be a lot of talks or serious talks, detailed talks about getting married, but it, it kind of becomes implied.

[Nick]

Outside of James Dean Wardley's history of abduction, he had plenty of other law enforcement interactions. Let's say police had been called to his property. So he lived with his brother and his mother. And his timeline is a little tricky for me. I couldn't pin down exactly when this took place, but his mother moved to a nursing home. I wanted to figure out if this was before he was arrested for Sierra's abduction and murder or after. And I couldn't quite pin that down. But in regard to his interactions with law enforcement, a lot of these reports is he's the one that called law enforcement to his property. So it, here's a report. James 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 of 2011 detailed newspaper deliveries left on the driveway. So you know how some people have those boxes attached to their mailbox that is designated for the newspaper. He calls the sheriff's department because he's like, hey, that the newspaper person, the delivery person is putting the newspaper in my driveway and not in this enclosed, not enclosing it in this box. And he's saying if, if people, if the wrong person sees the, the paper or multiple papers in my driveway, then they're going to know that I'm not home. And somebody, somebody's going to come out here and break into my house. His home, his property is not. You can't view it very easily from the road. And so it's. It's secluded. I don't know if this is the marijuana paranoia or. Or he's got stuff on the. On this. Let's call it a farm, on this farm that he doesn't want discovered or if he's just a weirdo. I mean, it could be. It could be all three. That's a combo meal.

[Colonel]

Yeah, I think we're going to get to that because he spent most of his time and in a barn on the property.

[Nick]

Yeah. So he has all these interactions with police or the sheriff's deputies about people worried about people that may go up to his property or stealing from him. And in some of these situations, he's chasing people that are. You know, on one situation, he chased two boys that are on bikes.

[Colonel]

He's very anti bicyclist.

[Nick]

Very anti bicyclist. And a search of this property, I think is going to tell us a lot because it's going to. It's going to show us that this guy probably just isn't paranoid. He's probably got a lot to hide. So let's go to Thursday. Right. We're going to jump back in time a little bit. This is the Thursday after Sierra went missing. July 21st. Sheriff's deputies, they're canvassing the area. They stop at James Worley's home. This is 10627 County Road 6. Now, they're going to interview him, they're going to question him. But really, truly, Captain, this is just like everybody else in the area. They're just looking for people that have possibly seen Sierra, seen her on her bike or biking that evening. He lives about seven miles approximately from the abduction site, but he's on the same road. Now, this is important to note that the investigators did not know that the persons that are talking to Wardley on the. On July 21, 2016, they don't know about his history of abduction, his history of violence in this moment. But these canvassers, we'll call them, said he immediately started acting suspicious. In their report, they say Mr. Worley makes a statement about how he was riding his motorcycle and his bike, meaning his motorcycle is having issues. He says it sputtered out. He went into a cornfield. And then again, thankfully, he's dumb. He says, I lost my helmet fuses, a screwdriver and my sunglasses. And of course, the law enforcement officers are. They're shocked. This information's not been released to the public yet. Right.

[Colonel]

And he's information that only the killer would know. We. We found a screwdriver at the abduction site. We found these glasses. But the damning piece of evidence is that we found this motorcycle helmet that has blood on it that we know is human blood.

[Nick]

Mr. James Dean Worley, dumbass, puts himself squarely at the scene. So the investigators know those items were found. They know motorcycle tracks were found. Right. Recovered right where Sierra's bike was located. And then he starts saying other odd statements like, I don't. I don't steal from chicks. And, oh, I. I don't steal people. He says, I don't steal people.

[Colonel]

Not a normal thing to.

[Nick]

To say no in these campers.

[Colonel]

I don't steal. I don't steal people. Just to let you know, never have.

[Nick]

Never will.

[Colonel]

I've. I've stolen some gum every now and then, but I don't steal people.

[Nick]

The canvassers observed what appeared to be fresh marks on the arms of Mr. Worley and what appeared to be bruising on his lower legs. And so this behavior, along with what they witnessed, their observations. This is going to lead to a search warrant. They're going to go and get a search warrant for two cell phones, one of which is Sierra Joggins and the other belonging to James Dean Worley. What they learn here, Captain, is this is from the cell phone records. James Worley spent almost two hours in the area of that abduction scene. And in regard to his activity that night, they're asking him, did you see Sierra at any point? Have you seen this young lady? This is from the Toledo Blade, where it says Worley initially told investigators that his motorcycle broke down and he alternated pushing and riding at home, where he remained for the night. He later said he left again that night in his truck to look for his lost helmet, sunglasses, and screwdriver after investigators told him he was captured on surveillance video from Evergreen High School. Okay, this portion of he's not just offering up. This is after they tell him, well, we. We've seen you on camera in this area as well. So now he has to explain why he's seen on camera on his motorcycle, and then later, a truck is seen matching the description of his truck. He repeatedly denies any involvement in Joggins disappearance. He did ask investigators at one point, how do you kidnap or take somebody on a motorcycle? He offered up no explanation for the blood that was found on his motorcycle or the helmet that was retrieved, which investigators told him the blood was determined to be from a female I did have questions about this myself here, Captain, when even before finding his statement about how do you kidnap or take somebody on a motorcycle, I wondered the same thing. I wondered this. I mean, it could. It could be done and unfortunately it has been done, but it would be difficult. But it looks to me trying to parse this together from the evidence, it might mean that he would. He's at this scene. They put his cell phone at this abduction scene or near the abduction scene for approximately a two hour time period. And him leaving on the motorcycle makes sense. And then coming back in his truck. He may have come back in the truck to transport her away from where he attacked her.

[Colonel]

Well, like you said, he's. He's roughly what, seven miles from the abduction site. So it's not a far trip or a lengthy trip.

[Nick]

James Worley triggered massive alarm bells in the law enforcement canvassers minds as soon as they left. Of course, the first thing they did was run his record. And when they did, they learned about Robin Gardner's case. It wasn't a giant leap to figure out that he had done something to. Sierra Police now had grounds to obtain a search warrant for James Worley's property.

[Colonel]

A lot more to get to in this horrific case. Join us back here in the garage. Same bat time, same bat channel.

[Nick]

Until then, be good, be kind, don't worry.

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