Two sixteen year old boys, Willard Miller and Jeremy Goodale, murdered their Spanish teacher due to a poor grade.
The body of sixty-six year old Fairfield High School teacher, Nohema Graber, was found dumped in a park after reported missing. On Nov. 3, 2021, Miller and Goodale had hidden her body under a tarp, and records show cause of death to be trauma to the head.
During the investigation, it came to authorities attention that a majority of this gruesome murder had been communicated with peers through social media. These receipts included the motive for killing Graber, the planning and how they would hide the crime.
Investigators found clothes covered in blood that belonged to Miller and Goodale. During interrogations, both boys admitted to being at the park during the time of murder/disappearance, but claimed they had nothing to do with it.
In 2021, Miller was sentenced at life with 35 years until parole, and Goodale was sentenced life with 25 years until parole after they both admitted to the murder.
Prosecutors said Miller was frustrated with his grade and had been arguing with her relentlessly. Goodale knew she often went to the park and suggested they do something about the grade. That’s when they found her walking and repeatedly beat her in the head with a baseball bat until she died.
The Iowa Supreme Court prohibits anyone under the age of 18 to receive mandatory minimum sentences for a crime committed.
On October 11th, 2024 the Iowa Supreme Court upheld the sentence given to Willard Miller. He is asking the Iowa Supreme Court to resentence him to up to life in prison but without a mandatory minimum. The appeal argues against the judge for doing this, as its seem as “cruel and unusual punishment.”
The court argues with his appeal, and decided it was necessary to have a mandatory minimum.
In 35 years, he will stand before the court again, and appeal for parole, but until then, he’ll be sitting in the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison.
