Iowa Teen’s Fate Sealed in the Murder of His Teacher
In the fall of 2021, the remains of Nohema Graber, a Spanish teacher at Fairfield High School, were discovered. She was reported missing on November 3rd, and officials found her body in Chautauqua Park later that same day.
Investigators were able to quickly identify the suspects in this grizzly murder. They were two of her high school students.
Sixteen year olds, Willard Noble Chaiden Miller and Jeremy Everett Goodale were charged with Homicide in the First Degree and Conspiracy to Commit Homicide, according to initial reports.
The teens allegedly beat Graber to death with a baseball bat, with prosecutors claiming the attack was motivated by a bad grade one of the students received.
Even though the Iowa students were minors at the time, due to the nature of the crimes they were tried as adults.
Last year, both of the boys received their sentencing.
Goodale, pleaded guilty to the crime and received a sentence of at least 25 years in prison before being up for parole, according to reports.
Miller on the other hand, received a bit harsher of a sentence. The ruling required him to serve 35 years of jail time before he will be considered for parole.
His defense team attempted to appeal this sentence, according to reports.
They argued that it is unconstitutional to sentence juvenile offenders to a minimal jail sentence before parole eligibility.
This was taken to the Iowa Supreme Court, where the court unanimously agreed to uphold the sentence he was initially given.
HOWEVER, it is in fact against the Iowa Constitution for juvenile offenders to be sentenced to life without parole.
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