Both Fairfield teenagers charged with the death of high school teacher Nohema Graber will be tried as adults, given a second ruling filed by District Court Judge Shawn Showers Thursday.
Sixteen-year-old Willard Noble Chaiden Miller’s reverse waiver request to be tried in juvenile court was denied for charges of first-degree murder, a class A felony, and conspiracy to commit a forcible felony, a class C felony. The ruling laid out the testimony given last week by a psychologist on the defense’s behalf and Eighth Judicial District Juvenile Probation Officer Karen Dennler on the State’s behalf. Showers also noted many letters filed in support of Miller, supposing that he has the potential for rehabilitation. However, he states that the juvenile court has too little time to rehabilitate Miller for a crime of such magnitude, as the State alleges that Miller took affirmative steps to plan Graber’s murder by observing her and gathering the necessary supplies, and taking steps to conceal the crime and Graber’s body.
A hearing is to be scheduled on Miller’s motion to suppress evidence on or before May 25th, and a jury trial is set for November 1st at a venue to be determined with a pretrial conference on October 3rd at the Jefferson County Courthouse. A request to be tried as a juvenile was denied Wednesday for the other defendant of the crime, 17-year-old Jeremy Everett Goodale, whose jury trial is set for August 23rd.