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COFFEE COUNTY, Ga. (WALB) - Nearly two decades after Doris Worrell was found shot and killed inside her family’s Douglas business, her husband, Jon Worrell, is now facing trial. Now, his defense attorneys are asking a judge to move the case out of Coffee County, saying that too much media attention has made it impossible to seat a fair and impartial jury.

On May 27, 2025, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) arrested Jon Worrell on charges of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery and conspiracy to commit a felony. A Coffee County grand jury indicted him on June 10. Just weeks later, a judge denied bond, ruling that Worrell would be a flight risk if released.

Worrell appeared in court on July 24 and entered a not guilty plea. That same day, his attorneys filed a 14-page Motion to Change Venue. The filing argues that Coffee County residents have been significantly exposed to two decades of news coverage, true crime specials, podcasts and social media commentary about the case. Defense lawyers pointed to hashtags like #jonworrell, TikTok videos with millions of views, and petitions demanding justice for Doris. They also noted that Coffee County has a relatively small jury pool of about 26,000 eligible residents, many of whom may already have strong opinions about the case.

The motion cites landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases, including Rideau v. Louisiana, Estes v. Texas, and Sheppard v. Maxwell, in which convictions were overturned because widespread publicity tainted the trial process. Worrell’s attorneys argued that denying the venue change could lead to “a reversible error if he is convicted.”

On Aug. 14, court filings confirmed upcoming hearings in the case. A status conference and plea hearing is scheduled for Aug. 27, and a second arraignment is set for Sept. 4 in Coffee County Superior Court before Judge Dwayne Gillis.

Worrell remains in custody as the case moves forward.

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