Most of us know the disappointment of getting a bad grade. Fewer of us have put all the blame for said grade on the teacher. Even fewer among us would enact revenge for something that, at the end of the day, is more often than not inconsequential in the grander scheme of things.
I’d like to think that only a very small number of people would have murder on their minds for something so petty, and of these, even fewer would be willing to go that far. But, unfortunately, Willard “Chaiden” Miller and Jeremy Goodale fall into this category. In Nov. 2021 the two sixteen-year-olds stalked their 66-year-old Spanish teacher Nohema Graber to a park she often frequented and bludgeoned her to death with a baseball bat.
Upon the body’s discovery, both were quickly suspected due to their activity on Snapchat. Goodale posted some nasty, self-implicating photos, but was not the mastermind of the crime, as that role fell onto Miller, the one who was going to fail Graber’s class and feared being prevented from attending an exchange trip to Spain because of it. Hence, the two Iowa teens involved in the same crime got slightly different sentences for their different roles and contrasting attitudes in court.
Life with the possibility of parole
Jeremy Goodale and Willard Miller were both sentenced to life in prison. However, their juvenile status means parole remains a possibility for them.
That being said, Goodale, who visibly showed more remorse in court than his “friend,” and the one who “made the worst decision of [his] life” just to socially prove something, is eligible for release after 25 years. That’s also partly thanks to a plea agreement that had him testify against his schoolmate. On the other hand, Miller got five more years than the 30-year minimum prosecutors were recommending. The one who kickstarted the murder plan is going to be over 50 when and if he gets out.
The stark difference in attitude of both convicted murderers is clear in their statements to the deceased’s family and those impacted by the heinous deed. Nonetheless, the judge still took all aggravating factors into account when sentencing, namely, that Goodale had the chance to prevent the crime and decided to go along with it instead.
Significantly, Goodale has Graber’s son, Christian, believing he “can be a good man.” Let’s hope that 25 years is enough for him to pave an unshakable path in that direction, and that, for Miller, an additional decade in jail to ponder over his horrific actions will aid him in getting to the same conclusion. In the meantime, with justice served, hopefully, Nohema Graber’s loved ones can find the closest semblance of peace possible.