A pair of Iowa high schoolers allegedly killed their elderly Spanish teacher as retaliation for being given a bad grade and will be tried as adults in the case.
The news was according to prosecutor’s claims found in court papers this week, Fox 5 reported Wednesday.
“The documents reveal a possible motive in the case for the first time since the teenagers — Willard Miller and Jeremy Goodale — were arrested in November 2021. The boys, who were 16 at the time, face murder charges for the death of their 66-year-old teacher Nohema Graber,” the outlet said.
In November of last year, a community member expressed shock regarding the case.
“Children of this community that went to school with these boys, they’re just distraught, they’re just overwhelmed by the magnitude of this act,” Fairfield resident Debbie Brill said at the time:
Miller reportedly had a meeting with Graber on November 2, 2021, about the bad grade he received in her class.
Following the meeting, she drove to a park where she took regular walks but her van was apparently seen driving away not long after she got there with two men inside it.
According to investigators, the vehicle was abandoned on a rural road and someone picked up the young men as they hiked back to town.
The following day, Graber’s body was located at the park laying beneath a tarp, wheelbarrow, and railroad ties.
She was reportedly beaten to death with a baseball bat and one of the young men was accused of bragging about what happened online.
In addition, Miller reportedly acknowledged his frustration over her teaching methods and how the grade hurt his GPA.
“The poor grade is believed to be the motive behind the murder of Graber which directly connects Miller,” court documents read.
Video footage showed Miller during a court hearing where a detective spoke about the young man’s demeanor during questioning, describing him as “remarkably relaxed.”
When Miller’s mother was asked about his grades, she acknowledged Spanish was where he struggled.
The teenagers have since plead not guilty, according to Inside Edition.
Per the Fox 5 report:
Miller initially denied involvement in his teacher’s death but later said he had knowledge of the events but did not participate and that a “roving group of masked kids” were the real killers, who forced him to give them his wheelbarrow to help move her body. He also claimed the alleged masked kids had him drive her van from the park, according to court documents.
Miller’s trial is set for March 20 and Goodale’s on December 5.
The rise in violent crime across President Joe Biden’s (D) America is emerging as the deciding issue for voters in the upcoming midterm elections, Breitbart News reported October 5.
“A Politico poll released Wednesday found that 77 percent of Americans believe violent crime is a significant problem in the country,” the outlet said.