Man ‘found’ wife dead after errands in 2006, Georgia cops say. Now, he’s charged
A woman was found shot to death inside her South Georgia business in 2006, and now her husband is suspected in her killing, state investigators said.
Jon Worrell, 58, was arrested on charges including malice murder and felony murder in the death of his wife Doris Worrell, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
It comes nearly 20 years after Doris Worrell was found dead at the couple’s business, Jon’s Sports Park, in Douglas, the bureau said in a May 20 news release.
At the time, Jon Worrell told deputies he had stepped out to run errands and returned to find his wife fatally shot, according to state agents.
He was arrested in Maryville, Missouri, a town about 100-miles north from Kansas City, without incident, authorities said. State and local agencies, including Missouri State Highway Patrol, helped in the investigation.
“Over the years, the GBI and the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office pursued investigative leads, both in the U.S. and internationally, remaining committed to uncovering the truth behind Doris’ murder,” the GBI said.
“This arrest is the direct result of those relentless efforts.”
The Coffee County Sheriff’s Office on Sept. 20, 2006, asked the GBI for assistance after Doris Worrell, 39, was shot and killed inside the couple’s business, the bureau said in the release.
Her husband told investigators he left to run errands at 9:40 a.m. and that his wife stayed behind to clean, per the GBI. Jon Worrell said he came back at 11:15 a.m. and found his wife’s body.
Investigators will hold a news conference at 10:30 a.m. Friday, May 23, in Coffee County and provide additional details about the case.
For now, Jon Worrell is awaiting an extradition hearing in Missouri to determine when he’ll be returned to Georgia, the GBI said.
Douglas is about a 200-mile drive southeast from downtown Atlanta.
This story was originally published May 21, 2025 at 12:35 PM with the headline "Man ‘found’ wife dead after errands in 2006, Georgia cops say. Now, he’s charged."