Judge resets hearings for Fairfield teens accused of killing teacher with baseball bat

FAIRFIELD — A judge Monday reset hearings for two teens charged with killing a Fairfield High School Spanish teacher with a baseball bat and who are asking to have their cases moved to juvenile court.

The Iowa Supreme Court last week declined an appeal to overturn 8th Judicial District Judge Shawn Showers’ rulings to allow the public to attend the hearing and denial to have a suppression hearing before the reverse waiver hearing on moving the case from adult to juvenile court.

A hearing for Jeremy Everett Goodale, who turned 17 this month, on a reverse waiver is set for April 28. The hearing will be May 6 for Willard Noble Chaiden Miller, 16. Both have been charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit a forcible felony in the killing of Nohema Graber, 66, in November, according to court documents.

Both teens are charged was adults. If the cases were moved to juvenile court, they would face lesser charges and sentences. If the teens stay in adult court and are convicted of first-degree murder, they would serve less than mandatory life sentences because they are juveniles.

According to a search warrant unsealed late last month, the teens killed Graber with a baseball bat after scheming over social media to kill her by monitoring her routine before ambushing her on her daily walk in a city park. They killed her with the bat and later hid her body, according to court documents.

In a previous ruling, Showers said both teens could be moved out of Jefferson County because the defense attorneys plan to file for a change of venue and the prosecution will not resist. Those motions haven’t been filed at this time.

Goodale’s trial was reset to Aug. 23 and Miller’s to Nov. 1.

Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com