Jeremy Goodale, 18, from Fairfield, Iowa, was sentenced to life imprisonment without the option of parole for 25 years on November 15, 2023, for participating in the murder of a 66-year-old Spanish teacher at Fairfield High School.

Following his admission of guilt for first-degree murder in April 2023, the sentence was pronounced.

The murder occurred in November 2021. Goodale and Willard Miller, also 18, conspired and committed the murder of Nohema Graber, their Spanish teacher. The driving force behind this act was Miller’s discontent with the bad grade he was given in Graber’s class, fearing it would hinder his study abroad opportunities. The pair tracked Graber on her usual afternoon walk in a park and beat her to death with a baseball bat. 

Miller has been sentenced to a life term, with a minimum of 35 years to be served before being eligible for parole.

Details revealed during the court proceedings painted a disturbing picture of the crime. Graber was attacked in Chautauqua Park, and her body was later found hidden under a tarp and wheelbarrow in a wooded area of the park. The murder weapon, a baseball bat with a unique flame pattern, was retrieved from Miller’s room.

Discrepancies arose during the trial about each defendant’s role in the murder. Goodale claimed he struck Graber after Miller’s initial assault, whereas Miller contended he only served as a lookout.

Originally scheduled for May 15, 2023, Goodale’s trial was delayed to November 14 and 15, 2023, culminating in his plea of guilt and subsequent sentencing.