November 11, 2025 • 23 mins
A teacher murdered over a bad grade.
When 66-year-old Spanish teacher Nohema Graber disappeared after her afternoon walk in Fairfield, Iowa, police uncovered a crime that shocked the community — planned and carried out by two of her own students.
In this episode of Murder U, we follow how a respected educator’s disappearance unraveled into a story of teenage rage, digital evidence, and a motive almost too petty to believe.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/murder-u--6152042/support.
When 66-year-old Spanish teacher Nohema Graber disappeared after her afternoon walk in Fairfield, Iowa, police uncovered a crime that shocked the community — planned and carried out by two of her own students.
In this episode of Murder U, we follow how a respected educator’s disappearance unraveled into a story of teenage rage, digital evidence, and a motive almost too petty to believe.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/murder-u--6152042/support.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Oh my gosh. I can't thank you all enough for listening.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
We've had thousands of downloads already and we're just getting started. Anyway,
can I ask you a huge favor. If you're loving
murder You, could you give us a five star review?
It really helps us out and ensures we can keep
bringing you great true crime stories thanks a bunch Abnormia.
(00:25):
From high school hallways to expansive college campuses and the
sanctity of their homes, these once secure spaces have transformed
into hunting grounds for sinister individuals seeking to inflict harm
on the unsuspecting. I'm your host, Mattie. Join me here
each week as we investigate the bone chilling stories of
senseless murders occurring in and around our centers of education.
(00:48):
Welcome to Murder You, an Abnormia original. Welcome back to
(01:17):
Murder You. I'm surprised that in all of the cases
we've covered up to this point, we've yet to cover
anything like this one. We've discussed random acts of violence,
domestic violence related crimes, and killer professors, but this is
our first case of a student targeting a teacher. Now
you might be wondering, what did this teacher do? Or
(01:37):
what could possibly motivate a student to kill their high
school teacher. Hey, we've all had that teacher we couldn't stand,
but we don't murder them. Well, the motive behind this
crime is difficult to understand. To say the least, This
high school Spanish teacher was murdered over a bad grade.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Yep, you heard that right.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Her student was so outraged by the Spanish grade they
earned that he enlisted a friend to help kill the teacher.
And if you think that's insane, wait till you hear
what they did after the murder. Let's dive into this
week's episode. Noema Graber began teaching Spanish at Fairfield High
School in twenty twelve, her second teaching job since receiving
(02:20):
her certification. She remained in the position for so long
because she was beloved by her students, making such an
impact that she would often receive cards from former students
years down the line. Noema was dedicated to her children,
her faith, and her job, as well as hitting her
daily step goal at Chautuca Park, a short walk from
(02:40):
Fairfield High School. Indeed, Noema had come a long way
from Mexico, where she was born. Noema Castillo Ea Castillo,
as she was known, was born to parents no Castillo
Aguilar and Maria Concepcion Castillo on November tenth, nineteen fifty four, Injlapa,
Rare Cruise, Mexico. As a high school senior, she met
(03:03):
Iowa native Paul Graber at a party while he was
spending the year as a rotary exchange student.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
In Hallapa, and I can't lie. Their love story is
pretty cute.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Noema and Paul connected that year, but never dated before
he had to move.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
Back home to attend college.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
However, one day, when Paul was working as a business
consultant eleven years later, his work brought him back to
Halapa on a layover, and as fate would have it,
he reconnected with Noema and she was one, single and
two had the day off from work on the exact
day he asked her out, that's some stuff right out
(03:42):
of a Nicholas Spark's novel. The two began a relationship,
got married, and lived in Mexico City, where they had
their first child, Christian. Noema worked as a flight attendant
for seventeen years and loved flying and traveling so much
that she eventually became a commercial airline pilot and get this,
(04:02):
she was one of the first women in Mexico trained
to do so. When I first heard of this case,
I had no idea we'd be discussing someone who actually
made history during their life. And this isn't even where
her extraordinary accomplishments end. After making a name for herself
in Mexico, Noema and her growing family decided to move
to Paul's hometown of Fairfield, Iowa, since they felt Mexico
(04:26):
City wasn't the safest place to raise a family. Fairfield
was more suburban and had a twenty eight percent lower
crime rate than the national average. They moved there in
nineteen ninety two, where Noema was active in their local
Catholic church and became a pillar of Fairfield's growing Latino community.
The happy couple had two more children, Jared and Noema Marie.
(04:49):
Remember when I said Noema would continue to be extraordinary
well in her fifties. She decided to go back to
school and receive a teaching certificate as an English teacher.
But the demand for English teachers wasn't very popular in
Fairfield at the time. What they really needed was Spanish teachers.
As a native Spanish speaker Noema figured this opportunity would
(05:12):
be much better for her skill set, so she pivoted
her career goals to become a Spanish teacher instead. With
this significant shift in her professional life, her personal life
also changed. In twenty sixteen, Noema and Paul's relationship hit
a rough patch, resulting in an amicable divorce, after which
they remained close friends. They even continued living together. That
(05:36):
shows what a great person she was. For Paul to
remain close even after the marriage ended, she must have
been a positive force in her family's life. Noema Graver
was so beloved in the community that it's hard to
imagine anyone wanting to harm her, which makes the events
of November two, twenty twenty one so shocking. It was
(05:57):
an ordinary Tuesday, and after school most days, Noema would
take a walk at the nearby Chowtucka Park to hit
her daily step goal. She had walked the isolated trail
several times, and the people closest to her knew she
enjoyed hiking this trail, So when she didn't arrive home
that night, her children and ex husband Paul, remember they
(06:20):
still lived together, began to worry. They reported her missing
to the authorities and told them that Noema often walked
to the park every day after school. Investigators began their
search the following morning, and it didn't take long before
the Graver family finally had an answer, and it wasn't
the news they were hoping for. Noema's body was found
(06:42):
in choutucka park, covered in a tarp that was weighed
down by a wheelbarrow and railroad ties. She had apparent
blunt force trauma to the head, which was later confirmed
to be her cause of death. The coroner reported that
the trauma was likely inflicted with a baseball bat. Clothing
had been stripped from her body and cast aside, and
(07:03):
her car had been stolen, only to be found abandoned
just miles from the park on Glasgow Road. While there
were no leads, authorities were confident that the brutality of
the attack meant the motive was personal. I can't imagine
how her family felt when those details were revealed. This
truly is a case of one minute your loved one
(07:23):
is here and the next they're gone. They head to
work and that's the last time you see them.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
It's so heartbreaking.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Of course, Noema's family and friends were shocked. Who could
have possibly wanted their beloved Noema dead. She was adored
throughout Fairfield and made a difference in so many of
her students' lives. She indeed seemed to have no enemies.
It's possible Noima also assumed she had no enemies, but
she didn't know that one of her students had grown
(07:53):
to hate her and that burning rage would ultimately result
in her murder. Willard Chaden Noble Miller, who went by Chaden,
was one of Noema's students. The sixteen year old planned
to study abroad in the coming summer, but he struggled
in Spanish that semester and time was running out to.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
Pass the course.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Miller received several f's on his assignments. As November rolled around,
he needed his grades to improve or he would fail
the class. With a failing grade in Spanish, he wouldn't
be allowed to study abroad because he'd have to attend
summer school. He always got good grades in Spanish in
the years before taking missus Graver's class. He complained to
(08:36):
his parents that Noema was grading students unfairly because she
was a native Spanish speaker, as if she'd expect students
to understand the language as she did. Miller raised his
complaints with Noema asked her to change his grade, which,
by the way, what kind of student has the audacity
to just demand something like that. Negotiating an eighty nine
(08:58):
percent to a ninety person is one thing, but demanding
a better grade is pretty brave. Noemah stood her ground,
telling him he would receive the grade that he earned.
She explained that he'd be able to bring up his
grades in summer school, which was exactly what he was
trying to avoid. But Miller wasn't comforted by the thought.
(09:19):
He continued to complain to his classmates about Noema's grading,
and even spoke about killing her in front of them.
I swear the people in these cases are so bold.
Do they actually think they'll never get caught?
Speaker 1 (09:34):
Though?
Speaker 2 (09:34):
I guess there's got to be a level of delusion
at play to kill someone in the first place. There
is an argument that human frontal lobes aren't developed until
twenty five, delaying a person's ability to fully understand the
consequences of their actions. Still, I like to believe that
even teenagers know that murder will result in some gnarly consequences.
(09:57):
The comments about killing Noema made Miller appears uncomfortable, for sure,
but they dismissed these statements as jokes. They didn't believe
Miller was capable of killing his teacher for something as
minor as a bad grade. But when Noema's body was
discovered and word got out that she had been killed
in the park, the details started rolling in. What sounded
(10:21):
like hyperbole before seemed like actual threats in retrospect. One
friend told authorities that in the days before the attack,
Miller made comments about how predictable Noema's schedule was and
how he could easily hit her with a bat in
the park and get away with it. The student was
also known as a troublemaker in Noeena's class, so he
(10:42):
often complained about her class with Miller. On one occasion,
Miller cryptically stated, if she goes missing in the next
few weeks, don't call the cops. While the friend wasn't
involved in the plans to kill their teacher, he did
nothing to warn the authorities about Miller's statement, But someone
else was involved.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Miller had a friend named Jeremy Goodell.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
By all accounts, Jeremy had done pretty well in Noa
MAI's class, but he seemed to exhibit the same kind
of hatred towards her that Miller had. He began joining
in on Miller's cryptic gossip as well, but gossip wasn't
enough for investigators to know for sure who their suspects were.
They needed something concrete, and John Burnett, a classmate of
(11:27):
Miller and Goodell, came through with exactly what they needed.
Burnett reported to the authorities that he'd not only heard
Miller ranting about how he was going to make Noa
May pay for his bad grade, but he presented them
with some pretty damning pieces of evidence. The days before
and after Noam's attack, John received snapchats from Miller and Goodell.
(11:49):
The social media platform is known for automatically deleting images
and videos after they'd been viewed by the recipient, but
John had a gut feeling that he'd need to screen
some of these snaps due to their ominous and disturbing nature.
John didn't realize what he was seeing at first, as
the snaps were pretty vague, but one picture was a
(12:12):
photo of good All holding a bottle of bleach with
the caption time to hide a body okay, disturbing, but
not super explicit. Right, Just wait, it gets worse. Another
snap showed good Ale wearing a hood stalking cap and
face mask that obscured his nose and mouth. And this
(12:32):
caption is shocking. It reads, POV, You're my Spanish teacher
and this is the last thing you see. There were
at least two other pictures with foreboding captions, and those
are just the ones that John had the foresight to screenshot.
As some of these snaps were sent before the murder,
(12:54):
it's sad to think that if anyone had taken them seriously,
Noema's murder.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
Could have been prevented.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
It's still wild to me that no one said anything.
How delusional does a killer have to be to commit
murder and send pictures to his friends bragging about it. Apparently,
it's not so delusional if all of your friends sluff
off the severity of these threats until it's too late.
I can't help but wonder if Miller thought he was
(13:23):
some sort of hero, if kids were bonding over their
shared frustrations with her class. Could it be possible that
he thought his friends would cover for him because he
did for them.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
What he saw as a favor. Could that be why
he felt.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
So comfortable sharing his plans cryptically with his peers just
the thought. So with all of this information, the investigators
were left wondering what exactly happened on the afternoon of
November two. Well, let me tell you, because it's majorly disturbing.
Good All detailed that they stalked in Oame for two
(14:00):
weeks after school to familiarize themselves with her schedule. They
knew where she walked after school, and even treated emails
making plans to commit the crime. One of the emails,
titled prep, was sent from Miller to Goodell and was
a list of things they'd need for the attack, including
a hammer, a knife, and a baseball bat. It also
(14:22):
detailed their plan step by step quote procedure, stun move
off trail, empty compartments, load cargo, blanket cargo, deactivate compartment contents,
leave bag by exit, transport empty transport safety stun switch glove,
(14:43):
deactivate articles to bag, finalize the win, secure victory, load
into storage spot, don't forget to close the door to
the ground, switch gloves, move the sticks, wipe the tools,
dispose article, and grab bag by exit. Done clearly, Miller
(15:04):
and Goodell put meticulous thought into how to incapacitate and
dispose of Noa May. That afternoon, Miller initially attacked Noa
May with the baseball bat. Then the two drug her
body to where they intended to murder her before Goodell
dealt the final fatal blow. They attempted to dig a
hole to bury her, but the ground was too hard
(15:25):
due to the cold winter climate. That's how Noay May's
body ended up covered in the tarp instead.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
So tragic.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
Luckily, Miller and Goodell's social circle was full of kids
who either came forward independently or were honest when questioned.
Jeremy Goodell's girlfriend had been hanging out with the two
boys of the park that afternoon. Both boys seem excited
about something, but refused to.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
Tell her what.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
At around four o'clock, which Miller knew to be the
time that Noi May arrived at the park to walk lapse,
they Told's girlfriend that she had to leave and she complied.
Another friend told authorities that later that afternoon, Miller had
called him to pick them up on you guessed it,
Glasgow Road, the street where Noe May's car was found.
(16:14):
This was at four fifty pm. To top it off,
bystanders near the park witnessed Noay May's car fleeing the
scene and reported that it was being driven by two
teenage boys. Things just could not look any worse for
Miller and Goodell. After authorities compiled all of this information
less than a day after discovering Noae May's body, both
(16:35):
Miller and Goodell were brought in for questioning. Authorities also
received a search warrant for their homes and electronic devices.
In Miller's room, propped up in a corner, was the
presumed murder weapon, the baseball bat, and in Goodall's room
were his clothes from the attack, unwashed and covered in evidence.
(16:57):
The investigators had what they needed to arrest the two boys.
Goodall quickly requested legal representation and refused to speak without
his lawyer present, which was a good call. Miller, however,
freely spoke with investigators during the interrogation. He was oddly
relaxed and comfortable in the room, attempting to joke with
(17:17):
the officer, showing no remorse for his crime and seeming
confident that he'd get away with it. It's so creepy
when someone is just devoid of empathy. After searching their
electronic devices, investigators discovered even more evidence against Miller, specifically
pointing to him as the orchestrator of the attack. Get this,
(17:40):
He'd sent multiple texts and emails to peers asking if
they'd help him kill Noe Ma. It's like he thought
he was invincible. Amazingly, Noah, their peers took his pleas
seriously or agreed to assist, which is how he ended
up with good Ill as his compliss Once again, it's
(18:04):
so important to point out how this could have been
avoided if any of his friends had spoken up. Miller's
search history also held a plethora of evidence. He'd searched
things like do students receive credit for the class if
the professor is seriously injured or dies more than halfway
through the course, And what happens to students' work if
(18:26):
the teacher dies in the middle of the term. Even
though the boys had intended on killing and burying their teacher,
Miller was really digging his own hole here. And even
after all of this incriminating evidence, both boys pled not
guilty to the murder charges. Miller's mother later stated that
(18:49):
the police had lied to their family when they brought
Miller in for questioning. She alleged that she didn't know
they'd found Noemi's body and wouldn't have sent him in
without a lawyer. And if it's true that the police
did lie, sure that's shifty behavior. But ultimately, her son
was a premeditated killer, so it's hard to muster sympathy
(19:12):
over him being tricked into incriminating himself when there's so
much evidence against him. Unlike Miller, Jeremy Goodell was advised
by his legal team to plead guilty, since helping the
prosecution would look good for him and potentially result in
a lighter sentence, so he told authorities everything he told
(19:35):
them about how Miller was angry about his grade and
asked many classmates to help him kill his teacher. Jeremy
was the only one who agreed to take part in
the crime. When investigators asked him why he agreed, Jeremy
said he didn't know.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
I don't know what's.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
Scarier, a person with a motive who is capable of killing,
or an unlikely killer who was simply pressured into it.
Goodell painted Miller as the mastermind behind the attack, and
Miller painted Goodell as the ring leader. How many times
have we seen that in a case with two killers,
(20:10):
they always end up turning on each other. But in
this case, with many witnesses confirming Miller was the angriest
in Noeme, it's clear to me who the mastermind was.
After Goodell detailed the brutal murder, Miller's team figured there
was no use in pleading not guilty anymore.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
In spring of twenty twenty.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
Three, over a year after the attack, Miller also pled
guilty to Noaeme Gravier's murder. They were sentenced in July
of that year, with Goodell receiving life in prison with
the possibility of parole after twenty five years, and Miller
receiving life in prison with the possitibility of.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
Parole in thirty five years.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
They each apologized in court, with Goodell's sobbing as he
seemed to realize the consequences of his acts. Miller, however,
was emotionless as he apologized to the Graver family and
the Fairfield community. He didn't cry and even had his
lips corked up in a smirk for.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
Much of it, just chilling.
Speaker 2 (21:16):
Despite their apologies, the judge who sentenced them seawan Showers
had the following message for the two young men. I
find that your intent and actions were sinister and evil.
Those acts resulted in the intentional loss of human life
in a brutal fashion. There is not a systemic societal
problem that explains or justifies your actions. Noime's family was
(21:41):
broken by her death. Less than two years after her murder,
Paul Graver passed away after battling cancer, leaving their children distraught,
but they carry on their parents' love of life. At
a vigil in Noime's honor attended by hundreds, her oldest son, Christian,
shared something Noime may had said in a journal he'd
found of hers. She vowed to smile at everyone she
(22:05):
encountered in life because she never knew who might need it.
We've all had those teachers in our lives who are
stern but loved. That was who Nuen was to her students.
She wanted them to succeed. She gave them the grades
they deserved, and wanted to inspire them to do better.
It's hard to believe that she was killed because she
(22:25):
tried to bring out the best in her students. Before
his own death, Paul phrased it nicely. He said, she
just wanted kids to better themselves. That's why this act
of insanity or violence was just such a waste of
so many lives. On that note, that's the end of
this episode. Thank you for listening to Murder You and remember,
(22:47):
if you or someone you know is in crisis, please
call or text nine eight eight, go to the nearest
emergency room, reach out to a twenty four hour crisis center,
or a mobile crisis outreach team in your area.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
The US would sector and faious things
Oh my gosh. I can't thank you all enough for listening.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
We've had thousands of downloads already and we're just getting started. Anyway,
can I ask you a huge favor. If you're loving
murder You, could you give us a five star review?
It really helps us out and ensures we can keep
bringing you great true crime stories thanks a bunch Abnormia.
(00:25):
From high school hallways to expansive college campuses and the
sanctity of their homes, these once secure spaces have transformed
into hunting grounds for sinister individuals seeking to inflict harm
on the unsuspecting. I'm your host, Mattie. Join me here
each week as we investigate the bone chilling stories of
senseless murders occurring in and around our centers of education.
(00:48):
Welcome to Murder You, an Abnormia original. Welcome back to
(01:17):
Murder You. I'm surprised that in all of the cases
we've covered up to this point, we've yet to cover
anything like this one. We've discussed random acts of violence,
domestic violence related crimes, and killer professors, but this is
our first case of a student targeting a teacher. Now
you might be wondering, what did this teacher do? Or
(01:37):
what could possibly motivate a student to kill their high
school teacher. Hey, we've all had that teacher we couldn't stand,
but we don't murder them. Well, the motive behind this
crime is difficult to understand. To say the least, This
high school Spanish teacher was murdered over a bad grade.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Yep, you heard that right.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Her student was so outraged by the Spanish grade they
earned that he enlisted a friend to help kill the teacher.
And if you think that's insane, wait till you hear
what they did after the murder. Let's dive into this
week's episode. Noema Graber began teaching Spanish at Fairfield High
School in twenty twelve, her second teaching job since receiving
(02:20):
her certification. She remained in the position for so long
because she was beloved by her students, making such an
impact that she would often receive cards from former students
years down the line. Noema was dedicated to her children,
her faith, and her job, as well as hitting her
daily step goal at Chautuca Park, a short walk from
(02:40):
Fairfield High School. Indeed, Noema had come a long way
from Mexico, where she was born. Noema Castillo Ea Castillo,
as she was known, was born to parents no Castillo
Aguilar and Maria Concepcion Castillo on November tenth, nineteen fifty four, Injlapa,
Rare Cruise, Mexico. As a high school senior, she met
(03:03):
Iowa native Paul Graber at a party while he was
spending the year as a rotary exchange student.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
In Hallapa, and I can't lie. Their love story is
pretty cute.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Noema and Paul connected that year, but never dated before
he had to move.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
Back home to attend college.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
However, one day, when Paul was working as a business
consultant eleven years later, his work brought him back to
Halapa on a layover, and as fate would have it,
he reconnected with Noema and she was one, single and
two had the day off from work on the exact
day he asked her out, that's some stuff right out
(03:42):
of a Nicholas Spark's novel. The two began a relationship,
got married, and lived in Mexico City, where they had
their first child, Christian. Noema worked as a flight attendant
for seventeen years and loved flying and traveling so much
that she eventually became a commercial airline pilot and get this,
(04:02):
she was one of the first women in Mexico trained
to do so. When I first heard of this case,
I had no idea we'd be discussing someone who actually
made history during their life. And this isn't even where
her extraordinary accomplishments end. After making a name for herself
in Mexico, Noema and her growing family decided to move
to Paul's hometown of Fairfield, Iowa, since they felt Mexico
(04:26):
City wasn't the safest place to raise a family. Fairfield
was more suburban and had a twenty eight percent lower
crime rate than the national average. They moved there in
nineteen ninety two, where Noema was active in their local
Catholic church and became a pillar of Fairfield's growing Latino community.
The happy couple had two more children, Jared and Noema Marie.
(04:49):
Remember when I said Noema would continue to be extraordinary
well in her fifties. She decided to go back to
school and receive a teaching certificate as an English teacher.
But the demand for English teachers wasn't very popular in
Fairfield at the time. What they really needed was Spanish teachers.
As a native Spanish speaker Noema figured this opportunity would
(05:12):
be much better for her skill set, so she pivoted
her career goals to become a Spanish teacher instead. With
this significant shift in her professional life, her personal life
also changed. In twenty sixteen, Noema and Paul's relationship hit
a rough patch, resulting in an amicable divorce, after which
they remained close friends. They even continued living together. That
(05:36):
shows what a great person she was. For Paul to
remain close even after the marriage ended, she must have
been a positive force in her family's life. Noema Graver
was so beloved in the community that it's hard to
imagine anyone wanting to harm her, which makes the events
of November two, twenty twenty one so shocking. It was
(05:57):
an ordinary Tuesday, and after school most days, Noema would
take a walk at the nearby Chowtucka Park to hit
her daily step goal. She had walked the isolated trail
several times, and the people closest to her knew she
enjoyed hiking this trail, So when she didn't arrive home
that night, her children and ex husband Paul, remember they
(06:20):
still lived together, began to worry. They reported her missing
to the authorities and told them that Noema often walked
to the park every day after school. Investigators began their
search the following morning, and it didn't take long before
the Graver family finally had an answer, and it wasn't
the news they were hoping for. Noema's body was found
(06:42):
in choutucka park, covered in a tarp that was weighed
down by a wheelbarrow and railroad ties. She had apparent
blunt force trauma to the head, which was later confirmed
to be her cause of death. The coroner reported that
the trauma was likely inflicted with a baseball bat. Clothing
had been stripped from her body and cast aside, and
(07:03):
her car had been stolen, only to be found abandoned
just miles from the park on Glasgow Road. While there
were no leads, authorities were confident that the brutality of
the attack meant the motive was personal. I can't imagine
how her family felt when those details were revealed. This
truly is a case of one minute your loved one
(07:23):
is here and the next they're gone. They head to
work and that's the last time you see them.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
It's so heartbreaking.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Of course, Noema's family and friends were shocked. Who could
have possibly wanted their beloved Noema dead. She was adored
throughout Fairfield and made a difference in so many of
her students' lives. She indeed seemed to have no enemies.
It's possible Noima also assumed she had no enemies, but
she didn't know that one of her students had grown
(07:53):
to hate her and that burning rage would ultimately result
in her murder. Willard Chaden Noble Miller, who went by Chaden,
was one of Noema's students. The sixteen year old planned
to study abroad in the coming summer, but he struggled
in Spanish that semester and time was running out to.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
Pass the course.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Miller received several f's on his assignments. As November rolled around,
he needed his grades to improve or he would fail
the class. With a failing grade in Spanish, he wouldn't
be allowed to study abroad because he'd have to attend
summer school. He always got good grades in Spanish in
the years before taking missus Graver's class. He complained to
(08:36):
his parents that Noema was grading students unfairly because she
was a native Spanish speaker, as if she'd expect students
to understand the language as she did. Miller raised his
complaints with Noema asked her to change his grade, which,
by the way, what kind of student has the audacity
to just demand something like that. Negotiating an eighty nine
(08:58):
percent to a ninety person is one thing, but demanding
a better grade is pretty brave. Noemah stood her ground,
telling him he would receive the grade that he earned.
She explained that he'd be able to bring up his
grades in summer school, which was exactly what he was
trying to avoid. But Miller wasn't comforted by the thought.
(09:19):
He continued to complain to his classmates about Noema's grading,
and even spoke about killing her in front of them.
I swear the people in these cases are so bold.
Do they actually think they'll never get caught?
Speaker 1 (09:34):
Though?
Speaker 2 (09:34):
I guess there's got to be a level of delusion
at play to kill someone in the first place. There
is an argument that human frontal lobes aren't developed until
twenty five, delaying a person's ability to fully understand the
consequences of their actions. Still, I like to believe that
even teenagers know that murder will result in some gnarly consequences.
(09:57):
The comments about killing Noema made Miller appears uncomfortable, for sure,
but they dismissed these statements as jokes. They didn't believe
Miller was capable of killing his teacher for something as
minor as a bad grade. But when Noema's body was
discovered and word got out that she had been killed
in the park, the details started rolling in. What sounded
(10:21):
like hyperbole before seemed like actual threats in retrospect. One
friend told authorities that in the days before the attack,
Miller made comments about how predictable Noema's schedule was and
how he could easily hit her with a bat in
the park and get away with it. The student was
also known as a troublemaker in Noeena's class, so he
(10:42):
often complained about her class with Miller. On one occasion,
Miller cryptically stated, if she goes missing in the next
few weeks, don't call the cops. While the friend wasn't
involved in the plans to kill their teacher, he did
nothing to warn the authorities about Miller's statement, But someone
else was involved.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Miller had a friend named Jeremy Goodell.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
By all accounts, Jeremy had done pretty well in Noa
MAI's class, but he seemed to exhibit the same kind
of hatred towards her that Miller had. He began joining
in on Miller's cryptic gossip as well, but gossip wasn't
enough for investigators to know for sure who their suspects were.
They needed something concrete, and John Burnett, a classmate of
(11:27):
Miller and Goodell, came through with exactly what they needed.
Burnett reported to the authorities that he'd not only heard
Miller ranting about how he was going to make Noa
May pay for his bad grade, but he presented them
with some pretty damning pieces of evidence. The days before
and after Noam's attack, John received snapchats from Miller and Goodell.
(11:49):
The social media platform is known for automatically deleting images
and videos after they'd been viewed by the recipient, but
John had a gut feeling that he'd need to screen
some of these snaps due to their ominous and disturbing nature.
John didn't realize what he was seeing at first, as
the snaps were pretty vague, but one picture was a
(12:12):
photo of good All holding a bottle of bleach with
the caption time to hide a body okay, disturbing, but
not super explicit. Right, Just wait, it gets worse. Another
snap showed good Ale wearing a hood stalking cap and
face mask that obscured his nose and mouth. And this
(12:32):
caption is shocking. It reads, POV, You're my Spanish teacher
and this is the last thing you see. There were
at least two other pictures with foreboding captions, and those
are just the ones that John had the foresight to screenshot.
As some of these snaps were sent before the murder,
(12:54):
it's sad to think that if anyone had taken them seriously,
Noema's murder.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
Could have been prevented.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
It's still wild to me that no one said anything.
How delusional does a killer have to be to commit
murder and send pictures to his friends bragging about it. Apparently,
it's not so delusional if all of your friends sluff
off the severity of these threats until it's too late.
I can't help but wonder if Miller thought he was
(13:23):
some sort of hero, if kids were bonding over their
shared frustrations with her class. Could it be possible that
he thought his friends would cover for him because he
did for them.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
What he saw as a favor. Could that be why
he felt.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
So comfortable sharing his plans cryptically with his peers just
the thought. So with all of this information, the investigators
were left wondering what exactly happened on the afternoon of
November two. Well, let me tell you, because it's majorly disturbing.
Good All detailed that they stalked in Oame for two
(14:00):
weeks after school to familiarize themselves with her schedule. They
knew where she walked after school, and even treated emails
making plans to commit the crime. One of the emails,
titled prep, was sent from Miller to Goodell and was
a list of things they'd need for the attack, including
a hammer, a knife, and a baseball bat. It also
(14:22):
detailed their plan step by step quote procedure, stun move
off trail, empty compartments, load cargo, blanket cargo, deactivate compartment contents,
leave bag by exit, transport empty transport safety stun switch glove,
(14:43):
deactivate articles to bag, finalize the win, secure victory, load
into storage spot, don't forget to close the door to
the ground, switch gloves, move the sticks, wipe the tools,
dispose article, and grab bag by exit. Done clearly, Miller
(15:04):
and Goodell put meticulous thought into how to incapacitate and
dispose of Noa May. That afternoon, Miller initially attacked Noa
May with the baseball bat. Then the two drug her
body to where they intended to murder her before Goodell
dealt the final fatal blow. They attempted to dig a
hole to bury her, but the ground was too hard
(15:25):
due to the cold winter climate. That's how Noay May's
body ended up covered in the tarp instead.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
So tragic.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
Luckily, Miller and Goodell's social circle was full of kids
who either came forward independently or were honest when questioned.
Jeremy Goodell's girlfriend had been hanging out with the two
boys of the park that afternoon. Both boys seem excited
about something, but refused to.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
Tell her what.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
At around four o'clock, which Miller knew to be the
time that Noi May arrived at the park to walk lapse,
they Told's girlfriend that she had to leave and she complied.
Another friend told authorities that later that afternoon, Miller had
called him to pick them up on you guessed it,
Glasgow Road, the street where Noe May's car was found.
(16:14):
This was at four fifty pm. To top it off,
bystanders near the park witnessed Noay May's car fleeing the
scene and reported that it was being driven by two
teenage boys. Things just could not look any worse for
Miller and Goodell. After authorities compiled all of this information
less than a day after discovering Noae May's body, both
(16:35):
Miller and Goodell were brought in for questioning. Authorities also
received a search warrant for their homes and electronic devices.
In Miller's room, propped up in a corner, was the
presumed murder weapon, the baseball bat, and in Goodall's room
were his clothes from the attack, unwashed and covered in evidence.
(16:57):
The investigators had what they needed to arrest the two boys.
Goodall quickly requested legal representation and refused to speak without
his lawyer present, which was a good call. Miller, however,
freely spoke with investigators during the interrogation. He was oddly
relaxed and comfortable in the room, attempting to joke with
(17:17):
the officer, showing no remorse for his crime and seeming
confident that he'd get away with it. It's so creepy
when someone is just devoid of empathy. After searching their
electronic devices, investigators discovered even more evidence against Miller, specifically
pointing to him as the orchestrator of the attack. Get this,
(17:40):
He'd sent multiple texts and emails to peers asking if
they'd help him kill Noe Ma. It's like he thought
he was invincible. Amazingly, Noah, their peers took his pleas
seriously or agreed to assist, which is how he ended
up with good Ill as his compliss Once again, it's
(18:04):
so important to point out how this could have been
avoided if any of his friends had spoken up. Miller's
search history also held a plethora of evidence. He'd searched
things like do students receive credit for the class if
the professor is seriously injured or dies more than halfway
through the course, And what happens to students' work if
(18:26):
the teacher dies in the middle of the term. Even
though the boys had intended on killing and burying their teacher,
Miller was really digging his own hole here. And even
after all of this incriminating evidence, both boys pled not
guilty to the murder charges. Miller's mother later stated that
(18:49):
the police had lied to their family when they brought
Miller in for questioning. She alleged that she didn't know
they'd found Noemi's body and wouldn't have sent him in
without a lawyer. And if it's true that the police
did lie, sure that's shifty behavior. But ultimately, her son
was a premeditated killer, so it's hard to muster sympathy
(19:12):
over him being tricked into incriminating himself when there's so
much evidence against him. Unlike Miller, Jeremy Goodell was advised
by his legal team to plead guilty, since helping the
prosecution would look good for him and potentially result in
a lighter sentence, so he told authorities everything he told
(19:35):
them about how Miller was angry about his grade and
asked many classmates to help him kill his teacher. Jeremy
was the only one who agreed to take part in
the crime. When investigators asked him why he agreed, Jeremy
said he didn't know.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
I don't know what's.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
Scarier, a person with a motive who is capable of killing,
or an unlikely killer who was simply pressured into it.
Goodell painted Miller as the mastermind behind the attack, and
Miller painted Goodell as the ring leader. How many times
have we seen that in a case with two killers,
(20:10):
they always end up turning on each other. But in
this case, with many witnesses confirming Miller was the angriest
in Noeme, it's clear to me who the mastermind was.
After Goodell detailed the brutal murder, Miller's team figured there
was no use in pleading not guilty anymore.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
In spring of twenty twenty.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
Three, over a year after the attack, Miller also pled
guilty to Noaeme Gravier's murder. They were sentenced in July
of that year, with Goodell receiving life in prison with
the possibility of parole after twenty five years, and Miller
receiving life in prison with the possitibility of.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
Parole in thirty five years.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
They each apologized in court, with Goodell's sobbing as he
seemed to realize the consequences of his acts. Miller, however,
was emotionless as he apologized to the Graver family and
the Fairfield community. He didn't cry and even had his
lips corked up in a smirk for.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
Much of it, just chilling.
Speaker 2 (21:16):
Despite their apologies, the judge who sentenced them seawan Showers
had the following message for the two young men. I
find that your intent and actions were sinister and evil.
Those acts resulted in the intentional loss of human life
in a brutal fashion. There is not a systemic societal
problem that explains or justifies your actions. Noime's family was
(21:41):
broken by her death. Less than two years after her murder,
Paul Graver passed away after battling cancer, leaving their children distraught,
but they carry on their parents' love of life. At
a vigil in Noime's honor attended by hundreds, her oldest son, Christian,
shared something Noime may had said in a journal he'd
found of hers. She vowed to smile at everyone she
(22:05):
encountered in life because she never knew who might need it.
We've all had those teachers in our lives who are
stern but loved. That was who Nuen was to her students.
She wanted them to succeed. She gave them the grades
they deserved, and wanted to inspire them to do better.
It's hard to believe that she was killed because she
(22:25):
tried to bring out the best in her students. Before
his own death, Paul phrased it nicely. He said, she
just wanted kids to better themselves. That's why this act
of insanity or violence was just such a waste of
so many lives. On that note, that's the end of
this episode. Thank you for listening to Murder You and remember,
(22:47):
if you or someone you know is in crisis, please
call or text nine eight eight, go to the nearest
emergency room, reach out to a twenty four hour crisis center,
or a mobile crisis outreach team in your area.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
The US would sector and faious things
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