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Willard Miller was sentenced to life in prison for murdering his Spanish teacher because she gave him a bad grade. Miler, now 17, will be eligible for parole in 35 years.
Judge Shawn Showers admonished Miller and said he would have sentenced the teen to life without the possibility of parole if he could. Under Iowa law, juvenile convicts cannot be given a sentence of life without parole.
"Your horrific actions led to the death of Nohema Graber, and her family will never be able to fill that void," Judge Showers said.
Miller and Jeremy Goodale both pleaded guilty in April to killing 66-year-old Nohema Graber in November 2021. They were both 16 at the time of the killing. The teens followed Graber to a park and beat her to death with a bat. They hid her body in a wooded area of the park, concealing it under a tarp and wheelbarrow.
Goodale, now 18, will be sentenced in August.