Teenagers accused of killing their Spanish teacher over bad grade

Two teenage boys in Iowa, US, have been accused of killing their high school Spanish teacher after one of them got a poor grade.

Willard Miller and Jeremy Goodale are in court this week after being charged with the murder of their teacher Nohema Graber last year.

Graber's body was discovered in Fairfield park, Iowa, on Thursday, 3 November, 2021 hidden under a tarp, a wheelbarrow, and railroad ties.

It was later revealed that she had been beaten to death with a baseball bat.

According to documents filed ahead of the hearing this week, seen by the Associated Press, prosecutors believe that the two students were behind their teacher's murder due to frustrations over a poor grade.

Police Handout

Detectives discovered that Willard Miller, who was 16 at the time, had met with his Spanish teacher on the afternoon of Wednesday, 2 November, to discuss a bad grade she had given him.

Later that same day, Ms Graber drove her van to a park, where she often went for walks after school. Less than an hour later, witnesses claimed they saw Ms Graber's van leave the premises with two men sitting in the front. The van was found at the end of a rural road.

A witness has claimed that they picked up Goodale and Miller as they walked along the same road, after getting a call from Goodale.

"The poor grade is believed to be the motive behind the murder of Graber which directly connects Miller," a court document from Jefferson County Attorney Chauncey Moulding and Assistant Iowa Attorney General Scott Brown read.

During a police interview, Miller admitted that he was frustrated with Ms Graber's teaching methods, and with his poor grades in her class affecting his GPA.

Police Handout

At first, Miller denied that he had any involvement in his Spanish teacher's disappearance.

But, according to court documents, he 'later stated he had knowledge of everything but did not participate'.

Other documents suggest that a witness has handed in photos of a Snapchat conversation as evidence 'that identify Goodale's admissions that he acted in concert with another person to bring about Graber's death.'

According to the witness, Goodale has been identified making statements that would implicate both him and Miller.

Both Goodale and Miller, now 17, will be tried as adults.

Miller's trial is scheduled for 20 March, while Goodale's is due to go ahead on 5 December.

In Iowa, the penalty for first-degree murder is a life sentence in prison.