Two Iowa teens who were 16 when they allegedly murdered their Spanish teacher last year will be tried as adults after a judge declined to move their cases to juvenile court on Wednesday.
Fairfield High School teacher Noheme Graber, 66, was found dead with head trauma on November 3 under a wheelbarrow at Chautauqua Park, where she was last seen a day earlier. The students charged in connection with her death, Jeremy Goodale, 17, and Willard Miller, 16, will be tried in separate trials which Judge Shawn Shower ruled will not take place in juvenile court, according to the Des Moines Register.
Goodale and Miller are accused of fatally beating Graber with a baseball bat and hiding her body. The New York Post reported that the pair exchanged text messages related to Graber’s slaying which included information about a motive. However, authorities have not disclosed specific details about those messages.
According to the Post, police zeroed in on Goodale and Miller after a friend gave them social media messages proving their involvement in Graber’s death. Investigators reportedly executed a search warrant and discovered bloody clothing at the boys’ homes. They reportedly also spoke to someone who claimed they saw one of the suspects at Chautauqua Park wearing bloody clothing the night Graber vanished.
Goodale and Miller are charged with first-degree homicide and conspiracy to commit homicide. Goodale’s trial is scheduled to start on August 23, while Miller’s trial is set to begin on November 1.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast. Listen to the latest episode:
Feature Photo: Jeremy Goodale, left, and Willard Miller/Police Handout; Center, Nohema Graber/Facebook]
