Defense asks to suppress evidence from search warrant, interrogation

FAIRFIELD — A defense attorney for one of the Fairfield teens charged with murder is seeking to suppress evidence obtained in a search warrant and an interrogation.

Defense attorney Christine Branstad filed a motion Tuesday, March 1, arguing that the court should dismiss evidence law enforcement obtained from her client, Chaiden Miller of Fairfield, who along with Jeremy Goodale is charged with killing Fairfield High School Spanish teacher Nohema Graber in November 2021.

In her motion, Branstad asked the court to suppress statements Miller made to law enforcement during an in-custody interrogation on Nov. 4, and physical evidence seized from his residence that same day, which included seizing Miller’s phone and computer. The following day, a second search warrant was executed on Miller’s phone that included making a complete electronic copy of it, and later search warrants obtained information from accounts with Snapchat, U.S. Cellular and Google.

Police told Miller’s mother they wished to speak with her son regarding a missing person, and presented her with a juvenile waiver, according to Branstad’s motion. The motion states that Miller’s mother was informed of vandalism at Graber’s home.

“At no time was Miller’s mother informed: the warrant regarded a homicide investigation, the body of Graber was found, or Miller was a suspect,” Branstad wrote.

Branstad asked the court to suppress evidence obtained from Miller’s phone and computer because the search warrant failed to “establish a sufficient nexus” for the seizure and failed to establish probable cause that evidence of the alleged crimes would be in either piece of property. She wrote that this seizure of Miller’s property was a violation of his “state and federal constitutional rights” and that the evidence obtained from these searchers should not be admitted in court.

Branstad further argued that Miller’s statements to law enforcement should be suppressed, too, because “Miller did not validly waive his right to counsel as the in-custody interrogation by law enforcement occurred without Miller’s parents and without Miller being told his arrest and placement in custody was due to a murder investigation.”

Jefferson County Attorney Chauncey Moulding, one of the prosecuting attorneys in the case, said he plans on filing a resistance to the defense’s motion next week since the prosecution denies that Miller’s rights were violated during the investigation.

“Local law enforcement, in conjunction with Special Agents from the [Division of Criminal Investigation], conducted a thorough and professional investigation in this matter, while simultaneously preserving and protecting the defendant’s constitutional rights,” Moulding said. “This investigation was meticulous and detailed, but not coercive. There were no tricks or gimmicks here, just good detective work. The defendant has the fundamental right to challenge the evidence arrayed against him, but I am fully confident the court will find that the state’s evidence in this case was discovered well within the boundaries of legally permissible investigative practices.”

The next hearing scheduled in this case concerns whether Miller and Goodale will be tried as adults, as the prosecution is requesting, or tried as juveniles, as their defense attorneys are requesting. That hearing is scheduled for March 24. Miller and Goodale were both 16 at the time they were charged with homicide.

Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com