Iowa teenagers plead guilty to murder of Spanish teacher ahead of trial
Rachel Schilke
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Two Iowa teenagers accepted plea deals and pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the death of Fairfield High School Spanish teacher Nohema Graber.
Willard Miller, 17, and Jeremy Goodale, 18, were accused of beating Graber, 66, to death in November 2021. The teenagers had originally pleaded not guilty, and Miller was set to stand trial on Friday, with Goodale’s trial to begin in May.
IOWA TEENAGER’S POSSIBLE MOTIVE DISCOVERED IN MURDER OF SPANISH TEACHER
Miller entered his plea on Tuesday. He was followed by Goodale. The teenagers were charged last year with homicide in the first degree and conspiracy to commit homicide in the first degree in connection to Graber’s death.
Prosecutors said the teenagers struck Graber over the head with a baseball bat and destroyed the evidence. Goodale told the court that he was the lookout while Miller hit the teacher first. When Miller’s hit did not kill her, Goodale took the bat and struck Graber.
Evidence collected from social media exchanges suggested the murder was spurned by a bad grade that Graber had given Miller. Miller provided several conflicting statements regarding his knowledge of her disappearance.
At first, Miller told investigators he had been frustrated with Graber’s methods of teaching Spanish but denied any knowledge of her disappearance. Later, prosecutors said Miller told them he knew of her disappearance but did not participate. Finally, he said that “a roving group of masked kids made him help” move the body for the “real killers.”
A witness told authorities that he or she saw two males in Graber’s van the night of the murder near the park where her body was eventually discovered. Authorities said Graber suffered extensive head trauma.
The prosecution recommended a sentence between 30 years and life in prison with the possibility of parole as part of the plea agreement for Miller, according to reports from within the courtroom via local outlet KCCI. Prosecutors recommended a sentence between 25 years and life with the possibility of parole for Goodale.
A sentencing date has not been announced.
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The two teenagers were tried as adults but not subjected to a mandatory sentence of life without parole because they were 16 years old when they murdered Graber.
Goodale had previously agreed to testify against Miller at his trial on Friday. At the time, a plea deal had not been struck, so it was unclear what he would receive for his testimony against Miller.