Sierah’s Story

My name is Sierah Joughin, or “Ce” for short.  I was born on February 11, 1996 in Sylvania, Ohio.  I graduated from Evergreen High School in 2014 and was getting ready to return to the University of Toledo for my junior year in the College of Business.

I was kidnapped while riding my bicycle on July 19, 2016 by a repeat, violent offender who lived in my community, and was only miles away from Evergreen Schools.

I was not his first victim.  He was arrested in 1990 for the abduction of another female while riding her bicycle in a rural area. He received a plea deal for 10 years in prison, of which he only served three.

My kidnapping and murder devastated my family, friends, and our community.  While my death and this violent act do not define my life, I was robbed of fulfilling my dreams on earth because of preventable violence and a system that failed to keep me safe.  My dreams for the future are different now than they were before.

My dream today is that this does not happen to another person; that no one is robbed of their hopes and dreams.  My passion now, as well as my family’s, is that we all work together to change the current system in every state and to empower others with self-awareness and self-defense techniques because Knowledge Is Power.

#JusticeForSierah