Court denies Fairfield teen’s evidence suppression, discretionary review requests

FAIRFIELD — Judge Shawn Showers turned down a request to suppress certain evidence and an application for discretionary review from an appeals court in the case of Willard Noble Chaiden Miller, one of two Fairfield teens accused of killing High School Spanish Teacher Nohema Graber in 2021.

In the decision, Showers shot down constitutionality-linked arguments made by Miller’s attorneys, saying they were unfounded in Iowa case law.

“Defendant asserts that because he is charged with conspiracy, he has a greater interest in ensure the constitutionality of the evidence used against him,” Showers wrote. “This argument is unpersuasive as our law does not recognize any sort of special protection in conspiracy cases.”

Miller’s attorneys had argued that evidence filed to charge him with conspiracy to commit a forcible felony — which is a distinct charge from the alleged murder itself — was illegally obtained, since it was gathered under questioning without an attorney present, a practice usually reserved for forcible felonies.

“Our briefing and the facts before this court make it very clear that these are … issues that are well-supported by the case law cited, (and) by both facts and a request by this court to protect the constitutional rights of Mr. Miller,” defense attorney Nathan Olson said at a hearing last week. “I see these as legitimate issues.”

Showers reached similar conclusions about the defense’s other points, including claims that it could file constitutional concerns on behalf of Jeremy Goodale — the other defendant in Graber’s alleged murder — and an argument that a search warrant application for Miller misled the magistrate who authorized it.

“From the record available to the Court, including the search warrant applications and the testimony of DCI Special Agent Kedley, the Court finds, and common-sense dictates, that law enforcement’s reason for arresting the Defendant was to investigate the homicide, not the possible conspiracy,” he said in one court document. “While it is incontrovertible that there was a suspicion of a plan between the Defendant and Goodale, that was not the central focus of the interrogation.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com