FAIRFIELD, Iowa — With a sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole after 35 years, the case against Willard Miller in the 2021 killing of Nohema Graber has come to a close.
Miller and his co-conspirator, 18-year-old Jeremy Goodale, pleaded guilty to the crime in April. Goodale's sentencing is scheduled for July 17.
Graber, a 66-year-old Spanish teacher in Fairfield, was fatally beaten with a baseball bat. Prosecutors said the teens, who were 16 at the time, were angry with Graber over a bad grade she had given Miller.
On Thursday, Judge Shawn Showers handed down the sentence, calling Miller's actions "sinister and evil." The defendant shared a message with the Graber's family in court on Thursday.
“I would like to apologize for my actions, first and foremost to the family,” he said. “I am sincerely sorry for the distress I have caused you and the devastation I have caused your family.”
Among the emotional victim impact statements given in court were two of Nohema's brothers-in-law: Tom and Jim Graber. They told the court that Nohema's late husband, Paul, passed away recently and the funeral service was Wednesday, the day before sentencing.
"Not only was Nohema robbed of thirty-some of the best years of her life, her murder deprived Paul Graber of the love of his life, and certainly hastened Paul's own premature death," Tom Graber said.
Nohema and Paul's son, Christian, underwent dialysis due to severe diabetes, Tom said in court, and in 2021, "things were lastly looking up" after receiving a kidney transplant.
"This is the first time I've heard some type of an attempted apology from Mr. Miller," said Jim Graber. "I don't believe it because he showed no signs of remorse whatsoever."
"Nohema had a good life, but she had a lot of good life left. Her death definitely sped up Paul's demise and it affected their immediate family greatly," he added.
Nohema and Paul leave behind three children.