Suvechha Sarkar
Sierah Catherine Joughin was a bright and spirited college student. However, her life came to an abrupt end in July 2016 when she suddenly disappeared while returning home on her bike in Metamora, Ohio. What began as a missing person’s case soon turned into a race against time to find her, but alas, it was sadly her remains that were discovered three days later. The brutal crime left her family completely grief-stricken, and the community shocked. ABC’s ’20/20: She Was Almost Home’ revisits the investigation details that led the officials to her killer. It also features emotional interviews with her loved ones and the officials who helped serve justice.
Sierah Joughin Was on Her Way Home When She Went Missing
Sierah Catherine Joughin, lovingly known as Ce, was born on February 11, 1996, in Sylvania, in Lucas County, Ohio. She arrived as a ray of sunshine in the lives of her parents, Sheila Vaculik and Tom Joughin. Growing up, she always had the love and support of her parents, her sisters, Kayla Joughin and Avah Vaculik, and her brothers, Carson Joughin and Hunter Vaculik. Sierah was also one of the favorites of all her grandparents, Pete and Cathy Shaffer, Cleantha and Ward Joughin, and Mike and Linda Klute. She was adventurous and loved immersing herself in activities like traveling and skydiving. During her time at Evergreen High School, she diligently played volleyball. After graduating from high school, she set her sights on building a future in business and enrolled at the University of Toledo in the summer of 2016.
At the university, Sierah joined the Alpha Kappa Psi, the university’s business fraternity, and continued her love for volleyball by participating in intramural leagues. She later even took on an internship at ICE Industries, where she was paving the way to a career in human resource management. As if that’s not enough, Sierah was dating her childhood friend turned love of her life, Josh Kolasinski. However, everything turned upside down on July 19, 2016, when she was living at her grandparents’ home in Metamora, Ohio, for the summer. On the fateful day, Sierah had visited her boyfriend at his home just to hang out before leaving shortly after. Since she was on her bicycle and lived 6 miles away, Josh had decided to follow her on his motorbike, only for him to turn around 3 miles in at her behest. They said their goodbyes at roughly 6:43 pm, with him asking her to text him once she made it home safe. She never did, resulting in him contacting her mother a few hours later.
Sierah Joughin’s Remains Were Found in a Corn Field Three Days Later
When Sierah’s mother asked her grandparents to check if she had returned, they shockingly discovered she was not home. They didn’t even see her bicycle in the garage where it was usually parked. So, around 10:30 pm, Sheila rushed to alert the authorities that her daughter was missing. Shortly after, on County Road 6 in Fulton County, Ohio, a deputy noticed matted-down corn stalks in the adjacent cornfield. Upon checking the area, he discovered Sierah’s purple bike – it was hidden a few rows into the field. There was blood on the handlebars and seat of the bike. Officials later also found a pair of men’s style sunglasses, a screwdriver, a set of fuse boxes, and a sack nearby. Moreover, they noticed streaks of blood on the corn stalks. As news of Sierah’s disappearance was made public the following day, a farmer came forward and provided the police with a helmet that he had found in the cornfield.
Upon inspection, officials discovered that the helmet was covered in blood stains. All this led them to hypothesize that Sierah had likely been abducted, with her perpetrator having been on a motorcycle. As the missing persons investigation continued, more and more people came out to volunteer to search for Sierah. On July 22, 2016, a farmer informed them about an area on his cornfield with several suspiciously broken corn stalks. That’s where law enforcement officials soon discovered a freshly dug shallow grave with Sierah’s remains inside – this was along County Road 7. Although there were no signs of sexual assault, her hands were bound with cuffs, and she had been gagged. The ensuing autopsy determined her cause of death to be asphyxiation from the plastic toy used as a gag.
The Items at the Crime Scene Led Investigators to Sierah Joughin’s Killer
During the initial investigation, detectives understandably questioned Josh since he was the last person to see Sierah. He completely cooperated by telling them everything from what he and Sierah had done to the route they had taken. Although his home was searched, he was soon eliminated as a suspect since there was no evidence against him. Then, as officials began questioning the locals, they came across James Dean Worley, who lived along the County 6 Road, 2 miles away from the original scene. When he was first questioned on July 20, 2016, he claimed that his motorcycle had broken down at the cornfield where he had spotted a bluish bike. He alleged that he had lost some items at the location, like sunglasses, fuses, a screwdriver, and his helmet. Furthermore, James claimed he had touched a bicycle he’d found nearby, so his fingerprints might be on it, all the while asserting he “didn’t steal anything or kill anyone.”
The following day, a search warrant was executed at James’ property. Although officials found no evidence inside his home, they discovered a freshly raked floor just outside his barn. Furthermore, behind the hay bales, they found a crate containing multiple zip-lock bags. They consisted of female undergarments, stockings, tube tops, duct tape, and many other such items. Upon removing the hay bales, detectives found an area of the floor covered with plywood too. They reportedly discovered an empty and buried chest freezer when it was lifted. It had a carpet saturated with blood and wet from bleach. Moreover, CCTV footage from the nearby high school captured James’ truck driving towards the cornfield at night, long after he had told detectives he had returned home for good at 10 pm. He claimed he had returned to find his lost helmet, but there were zip-ties and a ski mask in his truck.
Sierah Joughin’s Killer Has Been Convicted and is Currently on Death Row
Investigators discovered his past conviction of abduction in 1990 when James tried to abduct a woman named Robin Gardner under similar circumstances. Ultimately, he was arrested on July 22, 2016, and was initially charged with abduction. After the discovery of Sierah’s remains, he was also charged with aggravated murder. He was formally indicted on August 16, 2016, on 19 counts, including aggravated murder, kidnapping, felonious assault, and tampering with evidence, among many others. The trial of James began in March 2018, and he was convicted of 17 counts out of a total of 19 on March 28, 2018. After deliberation, the jury unanimously recommended the death penalty, citing overwhelming aggravating factors. On April 19, 2018, the judge formally sentenced him to death.
James also received a sentence of 11 years for kidnapping, eight years for one count of felonious assault, 11 months for possessing criminal tools, and three years each for tampering with evidence and using a weapon under disability. His execution was initially scheduled for June 3, 2019, but it has been delayed multiple times due to pending appeals. In July 2020, James sought a new trial, citing alleged jury bias. However, the Ohio Supreme Court denied it and upheld his conviction and sentencing. The court then set a new execution date for May 20, 2025. However, that date has been delayed owing to pending motions filed by the defense. As of writing, no new execution date has been set. James is awaiting his execution at Ross Correctional Institution in Chillicothe, Ohio.
Read More: Josh Kolasinski: Where is Sierah Joughin’s Boyfriend Now?
