DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — One of two Iowa teenagers charged in the beating death of an Iowa high school teacher has pleaded guilty to first-degree murder.
Willard Miller changed his plea to guilty Tuesday morning and admitted that he served as a lookout while Jeremy Goodale beat 66-year-old Nohema Graber, their Spanish teacher at Fairfield High School. Her body was found in a Fairfield park in November 2021.
Prosecutors said the evidence shows that both Miller and Goodale struck Graber with a bat. Investigators have said the attack was possibly regarding a dispute over grades in Graber's class.
Prosecutors agreed to recommend a sentence between 30 years and life in prison with the possibility of parole as part of an agreement with Miller.
Goodale is scheduled to appear in court later on Tuesday morning. He had previously agreed to testify against Miller at his trial, which was expected to begin later this week.