A Georgia resident, Jon Worrell, 58, has been arrested for allegedly orchestrating the murder of his wife, Doris Worrell, 39, at his sports park nearly 20 years ago. After the crime, he reportedly fled to Costa Rica with the family’s nanny. Worrell is now facing multiple charges, including malice murder, felony murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and aggravated assault.
The murder occurred on September 20, 2006, at Jon’s Sports Park in Douglas, a city in southern Georgia. Initially, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office viewed Jon Worrell as a grieving husband, suspecting his wife was a victim of a failed robbery or retaliation for expelling a patron from his business.
However, as the investigation progressed, it revealed a more complicated scenario. The Worrells were reportedly having marital issues, and Jon was allegedly engaged in an affair with the family’s 18-year-old nanny, who had been residing with the family for two to three years. It is alleged that Worrell planned his wife’s murder to avoid losing custody of their three children, all under 12 years old at the time, in a potential divorce.
Law enforcement officials claim that Worrell enlisted Glidden Rodriguez and Brandon Cage to execute the murder. Both men were subsequently arrested for conspiracy to commit murder, but charges were later dropped due to lack of evidence. Rodriguez has since passed away.
After his wife’s death, Worrell moved to Florida and later to Costa Rica, where the nanny, who had been deported from the U.S. for withholding vital information about the murder, joined him. The pair raised Jon and Doris’ children together. However, after their relationship ended, the nanny began cooperating with authorities, providing them with the information needed to arrest Worrell. He was apprehended at his home in Missouri.
Coffee County Sheriff Fred Cole emphasized that the case had never been forgotten, stating, “Justice delayed is still justice. Today we honor Doris and her loved ones with this long-awaited breakthrough.” The arrest serves as a warning to others who believe they can evade justice, and a beacon of hope for families of victims in other cold cases.
Doris Worrell’s sister, LeAnn Tuggle, expressed her suspicions about her former brother-in-law when he moved his family out of the country without disclosing their location. She hopes her sister will be remembered for her kindness, describing her as “the sweetest person anyone could have known.”
Worrell has waived extradition and is currently being held without bond at the Coffee County Jail.