Willard Miller, 16 at the time, and another teen, fatally attacked 66-year-old Nohema Graber, a Fairfield High School teacher, in 2021. Miller, sentenced to life in prison with a mandatory minimum term, challenged the sentence, arguing that imposing a set minimum before parole for juveniles was unconstitutional.
The court unanimously upheld the lower court’s ruling, stating that mandatory minimum sentences for juveniles are legal as long as the specific circumstances of the case are considered. The justices agreed that the sentencing judge properly applied these factors.
Iowa’s Constitution prohibits sentencing juveniles to life without parole, according to AP News.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Miller and Jeremy Goodale, who received a life sentence with parole possible after 25 years, killed Graber on November 2, 2021, in a park she often visited after school. Prosecutors said the teens were angry over a poor grade Graber had given Miller
The teens were prosecuted as adults, but their age prevented them from facing a mandatory life sentence without parole for first-degree murder.
At Miller’s sentencing, he admitted guilt and apologized. His defense team pushed for immediate parole eligibility, while state attorneys suggested a 30-year minimum sentence
[Feature Photo: FILE – Willard Miller, the first of two Iowa teenagers who pleaded guilty to beating their high school Spanish teacher to death, makes a statement during his sentence hearing at the Jefferson County Courthouse in Fairfield, Iowa, Thursday, July 6, 2023. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette via AP, Pool, File]
