Two Iowa teens who stand accused of murdering their Spanish teacher will be tried as adults.
This week, a judge rejected the requests of both Jeremy Goodale and Willard Miller, who hoped to move their cases to juvenile court.
At Jefferson County Courthouse, the judge told the teens that they will each face a first-degree murder charge for the beating death of 66-year-old Fairfield High School teacher Noheme Graber.
The alleged incident took place on November 2, 2021. Both suspects were 16 at the time. Still, District Judge Shawn Showers told the teens, in separate rulings that there wasn't enough time for them to be rehabilitated for “a crime of such magnitude.”
Miller is still 16, while Goodale has turned 17 since the alleged crime. The older teen is accused of helping Miller kill Graber using a baseball bat. They then allegedly worked together to dump her body in a park "under a tarp, a wheelbarrow and railroad ties," according to court records.
According to criminal complaints, the teacher’s body was found with trauma to the head.
Investigators became suspicious of the teens after a friend showed them telling social media messages from Goodale. The messages indicated he and Miller “were involved in the planning, execution, and disposal of evidence." The social media messages enable officers to obtain search warrants, which reportedly led them to clothing that was covered in blood.
In the messages, Goodale allegedly described, not just the murder of the teacher and how her body was disposed of, but also how he had premeditated the murder, by keeping a close watch on her. According to the criminal complaint, the details also included a motive.
That motive has not been made public.
