Two southeastern Iowa teenagers pleaded not guilty Monday to killing their high school Spanish teacher, whose body was found earlier this ...
Two southeastern Iowa teenagers pleaded not guilty Monday to killing their high school Spanish teacher, whose body was found earlier this month in a park where she took daily walks in the sleepy Iowa town of Fairfield.
Willard Noble Chaiden Miller and Jeremy Everett Goodale, both 16, are charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the killing Nohema Graber in Fairfield, but denied those claims at their arraignment Monday.
Graber, 66, was reported missing November 2 and her remains were found later that day in the local park. Authorities said she suffered 'inflicted trauma to the head.'
Willard Noble Chaiden Miller (seen in court last Tuesday) and Jeremy Everett Goodale (right) are accused of murdering mother-of-two Nohema Graber, 66, who was found dead in the sleepy Iowa town of Fairfield on November 2. The pair have both pleaded not guilty to murder
Nohema Graber's body was found concealed under a tarp, wheelbarrow and railroad ties at the Chautauqua Park in Fairfield where she was known to take daily walks
Her body was found concealed under a tarp, wheelbarrow and railroad ties at the Chautauqua Park in Fairfield, about 95 miles southeast of Des Moines where she was known to take daily walks.
Authorities haven't disclosed a possible motive for the killing. The teenagers, who have been both charged as adults, allegedly posted about the attack on social media according to police, but they haven't offered further detail on the nature of those postings, what platform they were made on, and whether they were public or private.
Miller and Goodale, who are being held in juvenile detention centers, entered their pleas in arraignment documents filed with the court Monday.
They waived their right to a speedy trial, meaning prosecutors wouldn't have to try them within 90 days of them being charged, and Judge Joel Yates scheduled the trial to begin April 19.
Miller (left) and Goodale (right), who have been both charged as adults, allegedly posted about the attack on social media according to police
He told lawyers to plan on a pretrial conference on March 21 to discuss issues involving evidence, trial length and jury selection method.
Last week, the teens' lawyers asked Yates to lower their bond so they could be released to their parents' supervision, saying they had no way to flee prosecution.
Miller's attorney, Christine Branstad, said research shows that detaining juveniles away from family for prolonged periods before trial can have a detrimental effect on them and stunt their development.
Prosecutors, though, called for the bonds to be kept at $1 million or even raised to $2 million.
Assistant Iowa Attorney General Scott Brown said the 'extremely brutal murder of an innocent person' justified keeping them the defendants in custody.
Yates indicated he would rule on the bond issue later this week.
Graber, a mom of three, leaves behind her two sons and one daughter (not pictured). Graber's eldest son, Christian (right), took to social media to say he forgives his mother's alleged killers
Cops have said the killing was premeditated. They said earlier this month the murder of the teacher who hailed from Mexico was not racially motivated without providing further information.
Court documents detailing the criminal complaints against the two teens also allege that Miller admitted to investigators that he took part in the murder.
During the interview with detectives, Miller allegedly admitted he was at the park as the murder was taking place, provided materials used in the murder and helped hide Graber's body, the complaint reveals.
Goodale was said to have worn bloodied clothes, although investigators still haven't said who they suspect of beating the teacher to death.
Both teens attended Fairfield High School, where Graber had taught Spanish since 2012.
Willard Noble Chaiden Miller and his attorney Christine Branstad are pictured appearing in ocourt last week
Jeremy Everett Goodale and his attorney Nicole Jensen are seen in court last week
Court documents also revealed that an associate of both Goodale and Miller provided information detailing social media exchanges between the two teens that indicated Goodale knew specific details pertaining to Graber's disappearance and death.
A search warrant was then executed by Jefferson County police, who searched Goodale's residence, uncovering 'multiple clothing items appearing to have a substance consistent in appearance with that of blood,’ the complaint states.
The court documents also revealed that investigators questioned an additional teen, this one an 'associate' of only Goodale, who reported meeting with Goodale at the park the day that Graber disappeared.
Investigators added in their report that the clothes the witness described matched a blood-spattered outfit cops seized from Goodale's home, adding in the report that the clothes 'contained a substance consistent in appearance with blood.'
According to police, the witness 'described Goodale as wearing clothing consistent in appearance to that which was seized' during the search.
The witness also told lawmen that saw Miller at the park as well.
Nohema Graber, 66, had taught Spanish classes at Fairfield High School since 2012 before she was murdered
After her remains were recovered, Graber's son Christian memorialized his mother on Facebook: 'I’m sorry I can’t respond to the all of the messages', he wrote, 'but I’ll just say what I’ve been told. My mother passed away. As I understand it was pre attempted murder by two students. I forgive them and feel sorry that they had that anger in their hearts. There’s no point in being angry at them. We should hope that they can find peace in their lives'
After they were charged, Graber's son and daughter both took to social media to say they forgive their mom's alleged killers.
Her son Christian wrote: 'I’m sorry I can’t respond to the all of the messages but I’ll just say what I’ve been told. My mother passed away.
'As I understand it was pre attempted murder by two students. I forgive them and feel sorry that they had that anger in their hearts.
'There’s no point in being angry at them. We should hope that they can find peace in their lives.
'My mother was an angel of a woman and was one of the kindest souls.
'She gave me the gift of the Spanish language and helped many of her students over the years.
'She was well loved in the community and around the world.
'Thanks to everyone who reached out. I may ask for some help with things in the following days but in the end everything will be ok. Te amo madre.'
Police said that Graber, pictured here with her three children, suffered head trauma before her homicide death
Meanwhile, daughter Nohema Marie wrote, 'We’ve lost an absolute angel in our family.
'It is all thanks to her for instilling a love of travel and languages that my brothers and I have continued to experience the world throughout our lives.
'We had the wonderful fortune of growing up in a home filled with such an abundance of warmth and love.
'I will miss her loud laugh and dancing with her to any music that was playing, she had so much joy in her eyes and such a deep sense of faith.
'To the two teenagers that so cruelly took her life,' she continued, 'it is clear that they need more love and light in their hearts.
'But I agree with my oldest brother Christian, all we can do is forgive.
'I am filled with so much gratitude to have had such a strong and beautiful woman as my mother.
'And from the outpouring of messages, it’s incredibly touching to know that her presence impacted so many. What a blessing she is, we know that her soul lives on in heaven.'
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