A teenager in Iowa, the US, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for beating his high school Spanish teacher to death with a baseball bat, according to a report in NBC News. Willard Miller committed the crime in 2021, when he was 16, and received the sentence from District Judge Shawn Showers on Thursday. As per the outlet, he showed no emotion as the judge handed down his decision. Nohema Graber, a 66-year-old teacher at Fairfield High School, was found dead on November 3, 2021.
During the sentencing, Miller apologised to Ms Graber's family, his own family, and the community for the distress he caused. He accepted responsibility for his actions, acknowledging his carelessness and ignorance, NBC News further said.
Ms Graber's body was discovered in Chautauqua Park in Fairfield, concealed under a tarp, wheelbarrow, and railroad ties. She had suffered head trauma. Miller and his accomplice, Jermey Goodale, both 16 at the time of the crime, were charged as adults with first-degree murder. According to court documents, they observed the teacher's daily routine, ambushed her during her walk, dragged her body into the woods, and beat her with a baseball bat.
Prosecutors said that the motive behind the attack was Miller's anger towards Graber due to his failing grade in her class. Miller pleaded guilty in April and reached an agreement with prosecutors, who recommended a life sentence of 30 years with the possibility of parole. Goodale's sentencing is scheduled for August, and his lawyers have requested a delay in the hearing. As part of his guilty plea, prosecutors recommended a sentence of 25 years to life with the possibility of parole for Goodale.
During the proceedings, Goodale testified that they had planned the killing for about two weeks, with Miller initiating the plan. Goodale admitted to striking Graber, while Miller admitted to assisting but denied hitting her. Miller's defence attorney argued that he should not receive a mandatory sentence, citing his cooperation with investigators and the absence of physical evidence connecting him to the fatal blow.
"He goes through in great detail how he started out as dark jokes and a plan that just went forward. He admits providing the bat. He admits being a lookout. He admits participation," defence attorney Christine Branstad said. "There is some disagreement about whether or not he had the bat and struck the first blow. ... I think the evidence supports what Mr. Miller has said. There was no blood on him. There was blood on Mr. Goodale."
Although charged as adults, both teens were not subject to mandatory sentences of life without parole due to their ages. Miller is now 17, and Goodale is 18.
Ms Graber was remembered by her loved ones and students as a beloved and dedicated teacher who cared deeply for her students. One of her former student, Claire Epperson, described her as a pure soul and an angel on Earth. Ms Graber's family highlighted her devotion to teaching, her strong ties to the church, and her advocacy for the poor and Hispanic communities.
Tragically, Ms Graber's ex-husband Paul Graber, who relied on her as the primary breadwinner due to his disability, died from metastatic cancer shortly before Miller's sentencing. Family members expressed their grief, stating that Nohema Graber's murder not only robbed her of many years of life but also hastened Paul's own untimely death, as she would have supported him in seeking medical attention sooner.
