FULTON COUNTY, OH (WTOL) - The man accused of killing UT student Sierah Joughin in 2016 appeared in a Fulton County court Monday afternoon.
It was determined that James Worley, Joughin's accused killer, will go to trial and have a jury decide his fate.
Worley was arrested for Joughin's murder in July of 2016, shortly after authorities found her remains.
Back in December, he was offered a plea deal by the state, but during Monday's hearing there wasn't any mention of it. The attorneys on both sides declined to comment on if the deal was still on the table or if Worley rejected.
But because there was no formal decision made on the plea deal, attorneys say that it is still an option for Worley.
Instead, the hearing was about moving forward with the trial, which is expected to begin next month.
Several potential jurors for the case were dismissed before jury selection even started for medical reasons and vacation conflicts. However, there is still a pool of over 300 jurors that will be expected check in with the court. Jury selection is scheduled to begin March 5th and is expected to take well over a month.
The state also dismissed two the counts of aggravated robbery charges that Worley was facing. The reason for the dismissal was not given, but he is still facing 17 charges in this of aggravated murder, kidnapping and felonious assault to name a few.
Because there was no formal decision made on the plea deal, attorneys say that it is still an option for Worley.
