Testimony reveals James Worley was suspected of another murder

Has the man convicted of killing Sierah Joughin killed before? That possibility was brought up Tuesday in court as Worley’s defense team tries to keep him off death row.

This instance is something we've not heard about before. Worley was suspected, although never charged, with killing a prostitute in 2000.

This coming today in the first day of testimony in the penalty phase. Worley could face the death penalty. He also could get life without parole and life with parole after 25 or 30 years. But even his defense lawyer today admitted the jury won't be choosing a parole option.

Worley has already been convicted of killing Joughin in 2016. But was it the first time he's killed someone?

Tuesday we heard a recorded conversation between a defense hired investigator and Worley's sister in Los Angeles. The investigator mentioned that Worley was suspected of killing a prostitute in 2000 but never charged.

Here is part of that conversation played in court Tuesday:

Private investigator: "2000... Ummm prostitute. He was ."

Sister: "I only know it because he had told me. Most of our contact, obviously, have been over the phone because I would call to talk to Mom and Jim and Mark probably because I lived in California."

Investigator: "that's right."

Sister: "I'm not there so I try to call once a week, sometimes it was only every couple of weeks. Depending on when I could get a hold of them. He mentioned her name and i think i know who you are talking about."

Investigator: "but the authorities suspected your brother of killing her"

Sister "uh-huh"

Investigator: "burying her on the farm. I guess that's where your step-father was... His ashes...."

Sister: "yeah his ashes

Investigator : "so they looked on the farm and couldn't find anything."

The investigator said no body was ever found so it's not clear if the woman was murdered in the first place. No name of that potential victim was released in court.

Worley was never charged with any crime in connection to that instance.