Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Via AP news wire

Trial set for Iowa teen accused of teacher's beating death

Photos by Joseph Cress; Iowa City Press-Citizen, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK

A trial for a 17-year-old charged with murder in the death of a southeast Iowa high school Spanish teacher has been set for March 20.

A judge on Thursday set the trial date for Willard Miller, who is charged with first-degree murder in the beating death of 66-year-old Nohema Graber. Another student, Jeremy Everett Goodale, also is charged with murder in Graber's death.

Judge Shawn Showers had previously set the location for Miller's trial in Council Bluffs, about 200 miles (322 kilometers) west of Fairfield, where Graber's body was found in a park last November. Graber, a Spanish teacher at Fairfield High School, had been beaten to death with a baseball bat.

The judge also set a hearing date for Nov. 2 in Fairfield for Miller. His attorney is seeking to keep jurors from hearing certain evidence police gathered during their investigation.

The judge earlier had moved Goodale’s trial about 80 miles (128 kilometers) east from Fairfield to Davenport. It is set to begin Dec. 5.

Both teens will be tried as adults. In Iowa the penalty for a first-degree murder conviction is life in prison. However, Iowa Supreme Court rulings require juveniles convicted of even the most serious crimes to be given a chance for parole.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.