The drama took place at the high school in Fairfield, Iowa. Nohema Graber, a Spanish teacher, was found beaten to death and hidden in a field outside the city in early November 2021. Police arrested on November 2 last year Willard Miller and Jeremy Goodale, two 16 year old high school students.
Miller’s attorneys challenged some of the evidence against the teenager during a hearing on Wednesday. They claimed the police had no valid cause when they searched his home and his mobile phone. In response, prosecutors released court documents revealing never-before-seen details of the events, Metro UK can read.
“His bad grade, the motive for the murder”
Police did indeed discover that Graber had met with Miller at Fairfield High School on the afternoon of November 2 to discuss a poor grade in class. “The poor grade is believed to be the motive for Graber’s murder,” prosecutors said.
The teacher then went to a park where she used to walk after work. Witnesses say they saw his van driven by the two young men.
When Miller was questioned by police, he admitted he was frustrated with the way Graber taught Spanish. He said he was present during the teacher’s murder, but had no part in it. Miller further claimed that Graber was kidnapped by a “group of masked children” who forced her to help move her body with a wheelbarrow. According to the teenager, the same group of assailants forced him to get rid of Graber’s van.
Judged as adults
Police used statements from Miller and witnesses to obtain a search warrant. After searching his cellphone, they found he was communicating with another person using the SnapChat app to “cause Graber’s death,” the criminal complaint states. Goodale was arrested soon after. During a search of Miller’s home, “several items of clothing stained with a substance consistent with that of blood” were found.
The two teenagers will be tried as adults in Iowa, where they risk life in prison. If found guilty, they will both have a chance at parole.