Two Iowa Teens To Be Tried As Adults After Allegedly Murdering Their Spanish Teacher

Two teenagers in Iowa will be tried as adults in the killing of their Spanish teacher.

Willard Miller,16, and Jeremy Goodale, 17, have been charged as adults with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder after they killed their 66-year-old Spanish teacher Nohema Graber. According to court documents, the two teens – who attended Fairfield High School, stalked and took note of Graber’s daily schedule.

During her daily walk, the teens attacked her, dragged her to the woods, and beat her with a baseball bat, NBC News reports, per court documents. Her body was found on November 3 in Chautauqua Park in Fairfield “concealed under a tarp, wheelbarrow, and railroad ties.”

Both have pleaded not guilty, and both attempted to have their cases moved to juvenile court. NBC News reports that their requests were denied. Both of the teens were 16 at the time of the incident.

“Such statements support a conclusion that Defendant has the potential for rehabilitation. However, the juvenile court simply has too little time to rehabilitate the Defendant for a crime of such magnitude and of the nature described in the minutes of testimony,” said District Judge Shawn Showers on Wednesday in his ruling, reports NBC affiliate WHO of Des Moines.

There are no details about the two teens’ legal teams.

Willard Miller and Jeremy Goodale are set to be tried separately in August and in November.