Two Iowa teens had beaten their Spanish teacher to death about a year ago, and state prosecutors feel they may have found a motive for at least one of the teens.
Willard Miller, one of the teens, met with his Spanish teacher, Nohema Graber, on Nov. 2, 2022.
According to new court documents, the discussion was about his poor grade in her class. This grade is now believed to be the motive behind her murder.
What happened to the Spanish teacher two teens are accused of murdering?
According to 13 WHAM, Graver was reported missing the day after their discussion. She would be found later that day, dead in Fairfield’s Chautauqua Park.
Miller was charged with her murder as well as another Farfield High School student named Jeremy Goodale.
Both teens have been in custody since being charged.
The teens were interviewed and Miller said he did not like how Graber taught Spanish, but denied knowing anything about her disappearance.
Later, he said he did know about her disappearance but didn’t participate in it.
Finally, he said the “real killers” forced him to help them move her body and called them “a roving group of masked kids.”
Miller’s lawyers are fighting to defend him
Miller is due back in court today and his lawyers plan to ask the judge to suppress evidence against him.
They are arguing that law enforcement violated his rights by searching his phone, computer, and snapchat account without probable cause.
The defense also claims that statements made by Miller weren’t voluntary, and that they failed to inform Miller’s mother that they were investigating a homicide before asking her to sign a waiver.
When shown the waiver, she was told they were looking into a missing person, but they did not mention they were investigating a homicide or that Miller was a suspect.
The defense originally filed a motion to suppress the evidence in March but the prosecution filed its resistance this week.
According to the state, probable cause did in fact exist after a juvenile witness who knew both Miller and Goodale gave evidence to police from Snapchat that suggestsed the teens were involved in her disappearance and death.
Miller will go to trial on March 20 of 2023 and Goodale will go to trial on Dec. 5 next month.
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