First of 2 Iowa teens scheduled to be sentenced in 2021 beating death of teacher
The first of two Iowa teenagers who pleaded guilty to fatally beating their high school Spanish teacher with a baseball bat is to be sentenced Thursday
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The first of two Iowa teenagers who pleaded guilty to beating their high school Spanish teacher to death with a baseball bat will be sentenced Thursday morning.
Willard Miller and Jeremy Goodale pleaded guilty in April to the 2021 attack on Nohema Graber in a park where the 66-year-old teacher regularly walked after school. Prosecutors said the teens, who were 16 at the time, were angry at Graber because of a bad grade she had given Miller.
Miller will be the first sentenced after he pleaded guilty as part of an agreement in which prosecutors recommended a term of between 30 years and life in prison, with the possibility of parole.
Under Goodale's agreement to plead guilty, prosecutors recommended a sentence of between 25 years and life with the possibility of parole. Goodale's sentencing is scheduled for August but his lawyers have sought a delay in the hearing.
The teens acknowledged killing Graber on Nov. 2, 2021, in Chautauqua Park in Fairfield, a city of 9,400 people about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southeast of Des Moines.
Goodale testified they had planned the killing for about two weeks and that both of them struck the victim and then hid her body. Goodale said Miller had initiated the plan. Miller admitted helping but denied hitting Graber.
The two were charged as adults, but because of their age they weren’t subject to a mandatory sentence of life without parole for first-degree murder. Miller is now 17 and Goodale is 18.