Transcript

Episode 287

From Sword and Scale · Episode page · Watch on YouTube

· 1 h 8 min · 9,709 words · 163 timestamped sections

This is the full, timestamped transcript of "Episode 287", an episode of Sword and Scale published December 11, 2025 (1 h 8 min, about 9,709 words). It mentions 69 people, works and ideas, including Jeremy, Chaden, Fairfield, Noa Greyber, Jefferson County.

What this episode is about

The content delves into the complexities of trust and peer influence in small-town America, specifically focusing on a local community in Iowa where the seemingly idyllic life is threatened by dark, underlying themes of manipulation and danger. It emphasizes the importance of critical thinking and awareness when following others, as well as the potential consequences of misplaced trust in leaders with questionable intentions.

Key takeaways

  • Fairfield's calm facade shattered; parks can harbor nature and dark secrets alike.
  • In 2025, Noa Graber's disappearance baffles: a town where missing cell phones raise eyebrows.
  • Even small towns like Fairfield hide deep secrets beneath friendly waves and unlocked doors.
  • A trip to the park became a community's nightmare; sometimes, there's no safe place.
  • Not every leader has pure motives; question your path before realizing it too late.

What is discussed, and when

  1. – 10:00: Fairfield, Noa Greyber, Sword and Scale, 205 West Washington
  2. – 20:00: Fairfield, Jefferson County, blue tarp, Chiakwa Park
  3. – 30:00: Chaden, Olivia, Eric Chason, Jefferson County
  4. – 40:00: Jeremy, Chaden, Fairfield, bleach
  5. – 50:00: Chaden, Jeremy, baseball bat, Jeremy Goodale
  6. – 1:00:00: Chaden, Jeremy, No. McGraber, Noa Greyber
  7. – 1:08:08: Jeremy, Chaden, Jeremy's dad, Jeremy Goodale

Notable quotes from "Episode 287"

  • Taden told his friend Dill that Olivia's kind of dating not to be surprised if the teacher comes up missing.
    about Olivia · at
  • In the heartland of Iowa, Fairfield is one of those small towns where everyone seems to know everyone else and life moves at a leisurely pace. It's the kind of place where neighbors wave from their.
    about Fairfield · at
  • Shitakqua Park lies just on the outskirts, surrounded by thick woods and quiet trails that wind through the tall grass and dense trees. The park is where town's people often take their morning.
    about Shitakqua Park · at
  • This was the first homicide in Jefferson County in over 10 years.
    about Jefferson County · at
  • According to Olivia a couple weeks ago this kid I can't say his name. Chason or Chaden or whatever.
    about Chaden · at
  • Okay. Tell me about the situation. I was at Shitakqua with Jeremy and I seen Miss Kramer's car pull up and this was yesterday and or I'm sorry, two days ago, Tuesday night,.
    about Jeremy · at
  • Well, [sighs and gasps] he plead guilty and was given life and the possibility of parole in 35 years.
    about parole · at
  • Sadly, Jeremy's dad died of cancer after becoming weakened from the stress of this whole ordeal.
    about Jeremy's dad · at

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

  • Jeremy — Person · 31 mentions · first at
  • Chaden — Person · 28 mentions · first at
  • Noa Greyber — Person · 6 mentions · first at
    Of place where neighbors wave from their porches. Friday night football games are packed and teachers like Noa Greyber are not just part of the school but part of the…
  • Olivia — Person · 3 mentions · first at
  • Jeremy Goodale — Person · 3 mentions · first at
    [clears throat] This is the part where Jeremy Goodale comes in. Chaden was at Chiakqua Park with his friend Jeremy and Jeremy's girlfriend Zoe.
  • Jeremy's dad — Person · 3 mentions · first at
  • Noama Graber — Person · 2 mentions · first at
    Apart, leaving them to wonder if any place at all was safe. The first person to notice that Noama Graber was missing was her husband. Actually, her ex-husband. See, the Grabers were divorced, but they still live together a lot of the time.
  • Principal Becker — Person · 2 mentions · first at
    Grade changing at FHS for quote unquote favorite people. He specifically pointed the finger at Principal Becker.
  • No. McGraber — Person · 2 mentions · first at
    In custody and both of them have charges for killing Mrs. Graber and they will not be going on today. No.
  • Paul Graber — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Hello. My name is Paul Graber. I would like to report a missing person and I'm curious to know if there have been any accidents last night.
  • Dan Stone — Person · 1 mention · first at
    And I just received a call from Mr.
  • District Attorney Chanty Molding — Person · 1 mention · first at
    That was District Attorney Chanty Molding. Fairfield is where he was born and raised. It has a cultural side that feels unexpected for such a small town.
  • Joy Craig — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Where they saw her in the days before and after her disappearance. Hi, my name is Joy Craig and I just got an email from the school saying that Mrs.
  • current principal — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Paul said his wife was even confronted by the current principal and his wife in order to give their son a better grade.
  • vice principal — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Unable to only because of a procedural error. Becker was in the room when the vote was taken. The current vice principal had the same negative view of Noama because of her posture on grades.
  • Eric Chason — Person · 1 mention · first at
    So D apparently according to Olivia a couple weeks ago this kid I can't say his name. Chason or Chaden or whatever.
  • Willard Noble Chaden Miller — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Didn't like her and quote wouldn't be surprised if she disappeared was named Willard Noble Chaden Miller and simply went by the name Chaden.
  • Sean Allen — Person · 1 mention · first at
  • Jeremy's mom — Person · 1 mention · first at
    What he said through his tears was that Jeremy's mom kind of abandoned him. From then forward, their relationship was strained and eventually stopped altogether.
  • Bob Dylan — Person · 1 mention
  • CASEY IRENE D — Person · 1 mention
  • Chad — Person · 1 mention
  • Chaden boy — Person · 1 mention
  • Dill — Person · 1 mention
  • Jaden — Person · 1 mention
  • Jeremy's mom's boyfriend — Person · 1 mention
  • Noa — Person · 1 mention
  • Noima — Person · 1 mention
  • Rachel Zoe — Person · 1 mention

Companies & orgs

Products & tech

  • red wheelbarrow — Product · 1 mention · first at
    Tracks keeping the others in view. One went forward and saw a red wheelbarrow hidden in the shadows with a blue tarp strewn over it. Near this was a cluster of rocks showing faint red drops of what seemed like blood. Careful not to.
  • blue tarp — Product · 1 mention · first at
    Keeping the others in view. One went forward and saw a red wheelbarrow hidden in the shadows with a blue tarp strewn over it. Near this was a cluster of rocks showing faint red…
  • bleach — Product · 1 mention · first at
    I think they I think I don't know he showed me a picture that him packing up bleach into a backpack. I'm not sure what he did though with the body and he said he packing what into a backpack.
  • baseball bat — Product · 1 mention · first at
    Had the kids at school saying Chaden told them, I caught a body with a baseball bat. With all this evidence and more, there was enough probable cause for search warrants. They uncovered the bat, the murder weapon.
  • 1997 Honda Odyssey — Product · 1 mention
  • Sword and Scale Plus — Product · 1 mention

Concepts & topics

  • parole — Concept · 3 mentions · first at
  • exchange student — Concept · 2 mentions · first at
    Years after graduating high school. She worked as a flight attendant and he was in Mexico as an exchange student. He flew back to the states but never forgot about Noama.
  • probable cause — Concept · 2 mentions · first at
    Told them, I caught a body with a baseball bat. With all this evidence and more, there was enough probable cause for search warrants. They uncovered the bat, the murder weapon.
  • flight attendant — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    Was because she met Paul Greyber a few years after graduating high school. She worked as a flight attendant and he was in Mexico as an exchange student. He flew back to the states but never forgot about Noama.
  • commercial airline pilot — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    She decided she would be a commercial airline pilot instead.
  • Day of the Dead — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    And I just want to say that I know I saw her at the library on Monday the 1st because we had a Day of the Dead celebration.
  • subpoena — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    And of course, the cops can always get their hands on records through a subpoena.
  • public defense — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    Jaden eventually accepted public defense, but Jeremy and his dad hired a lawyer right away and didn't speak. It didn't really matter though who spoke and who didn't. The cops had Jeremy in.
  • leniency — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    Later, Jeremy offered to give a complete and accurate account of what happened in exchange for leniency. but do you recall the first time ever having a conversation with Chaden…
  • mental health therapists — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    Much what he did all day. His dad went on to say that he sought out three different mental health therapists for his son. But weirdly, he never got to have a single session with any of them.
  • end-to-end encryption — Concept · 1 mention
  • No Child Left Behind Act — Concept · 1 mention
  • search warrant — Concept · 1 mention

Places & events

  • Fairfield — Place · 10 mentions · first at
  • Jefferson County — Place · 4 mentions · first at
  • Shitakqua Park — Place · 2 mentions · first at
  • 205 West Washington — Place · 1 mention · first at
    Okay. Where is she missing from? from 205 West Washington here in town.
  • Iowa City — Place · 1 mention · first at
    After being in Iowa City as well for appointments. We came home expecting her to be here and looked like she had prepared the starts of a meal for us in the evening, but no sign. and.
  • Dallas, Texas — Place · 1 mention · first at
    On Sunday evening about oh about 8:00 from my brother's home in Dallas, Texas.
  • Middletown — Place · 1 mention · first at
    Calls were coming from everywhere, like a man who thought he saw Noa and her van in Middletown the day after she went missing. And this doctor leaving the hospital thought she saw Noa's van in the parking lot.
  • railroad tracks — Place · 1 mention · first at
    The police formed a grid and officers started looking near the northeast side where thick underbrush lined railroad tracks keeping the others in view. One went forward and saw a red wheelbarrow hidden in the shadows with a blue tarp strewn.
  • Chiakwa Park — Place · 1 mention · first at
    After quickly finding Noama at the local Chiakwa Park, the investigation shifted into high gear. Local law enforcement alongside state investigators started piecing together the evidence, hoping to make sense of what happened.
  • Chitakqua Park — Place · 1 mention · first at
    Found Noa Greyber's body concealed under a tarp and wheelbarrow in a heavily wooded area of Chitakqua Park. On that day, two ordinary students with hopeful futures became…

Sponsors

  • Heat — Sponsor · 1 mention

Full transcript with timestamps

Sword and Scale contains adult themes and violence and is not intended for all audiences. Listener discretion is advised.

Taden told his friend Dill that Olivia's kind of dating not to be surprised if the teacher comes up missing.

Didn't expect to hear back from me so soon, did you? I mean, I told you you're getting more Sword and Scale. It's just some people just don't listen for some reason. This is season 12, episode 287 of Sword and Scale, a show that reveals that the worst monsters are real.

So, from now on, episodes that are only available to Plus members will have a little plus next to the name. Easy, right? If you want to get them, you'll have to sign up for Plus. Go to swordscale.com or download our app on Android or Apple. You know, things cost money, so

Heat. Sometimes the most dangerous thing we can do is follow someone's lead without thinking about it. It's easy to get caught up in the movement, swayed by a friend's confidence, especially when you're young and naive. We all want to belong. We all want to feel like we're part of something. So there are times where we might be distracted, preoccupied with other things. But sometimes you have to really stop and ask, "What the hell am I doing here? What am I following? And where is this all leading me?" Because not every leader has good intentions and not every follower realizes the stakes until it's too late.

In the heartland of Iowa, Fairfield is one of those small towns where everyone seems to know everyone else and life moves at a leisurely pace. It's the kind of place where neighbors wave from their porches. Friday night football games are packed and teachers like Noa Greyber are not just part of the school but part of the community. People don't think twice about letting their kids roam freely or leaving doors unlocked. Fairfield feels safe and predictable. Shitakqua Park lies just on the outskirts, surrounded by thick woods and quiet trails that wind through the tall grass and dense trees. The park is where town's people often take their morning jog. Children play by the pavilion. And now Agraber likes to walk after school.

This ritual wasn't just an exercise though. It was a means of unwinding after being with students all day long. But on this fall evening, the park would prove to be anything but safe. The trails that provided calm and refuge hid a dark secret. On November 2nd, 2021, she would go for a walk and never come home. 911 calls started to trickle in as the community's sense of security was ripped apart, leaving them to wonder if any place at all was safe. The first person to notice that Noama Graber was missing was her husband. Actually, her ex-husband. See, the Grabers were divorced, but they still live together a lot of the time.

County Sheriff's Office. Um, hello. My name is Paul Graber. I would like to report a missing person and I'm curious to know if there have been any accidents last night.

Okay. Who is the missing person? Her name is Noa Greyber. G R E R. She is a she is a teacher at the high school. And I just received a call from uh Mr. Stone, the principal, and she has not appeared at work today.

Okay. Where is she missing from? from 205 West Washington here in town. Okay. And when was the last time that she was seen?

Well, my son and I had been out of town in Texas and she knew we were arriving yesterday.

Uhhuh. After being in Iowa City as well for appointments. We came home expecting her to be here and looked like she had prepared the starts of a meal for us in the evening, but no sign. and uh

we've been wondering all night. I didn't know whether to call or not. I thought she would come in c certainly she would come in for work today but a mistress and said she is not there and they have physically checked the room.

Now was the last person who would take off for no reason. I know we say that a lot but this just simply wasn't in her character. Noa was a very thoughtful, deliberate person who kept her schedule and did not miss school.

Okay. She did take the automobile. Which car is it? It's a 1997 Honda Odyssey. Okay. And do you know what the uh license plate is?

No. I can I can dig it up. Uh who is it registered to? Is it registered to her?

Yes. Yes. It's the dark blue. Okay. And have you is her phone off? Have you tried calling her? Is it just going to voicemail?

She has no cell phone. Okay. You can tell by the dispatcher's reaction that that's a weird thing to say. I mean, of course it is. It's 2025. How do you not have a cell phone?

Yeah. I'm sitting right next to I'm I'm in the home right now. And uh And her phone is there?

It's It's here. She it's one that she can only use for calls on WhatsApp and different things. It doesn't have service a regular phone service.

Okay. And when was the last time the last time you actually spoke to her? On Sunday evening about um oh about 8:00 from my brother's home in Dallas, Texas. And she was excited that we're coming back and said that a lot of things had happened.

Jefferson County. And what did she teach at the high school? Pardon me. Oh, she uh is a Spanish teacher. She's one of two teachers.

In case you didn't hear him say it, Noa was one of two Spanish teachers at Fairfield High School.

County is about 18,000. Don't it's not an exact figure, but in that ballpark. Um it's kind of a you know, it's Iowa, so Iowa's counties are all laid out on a grid. So, all things considered, it's it's it's a, you know, small Midwestern city with a pretty good and diverse economic base. Certainly one of the more unique towns in the state of Iowa, that's for sure.

That was District Attorney Chanty Molding. Fairfield is where he was born and raised. It has a cultural side that feels unexpected for such a small town. Home of Maharishi International University. People from all over the world attend school and live here, making the tiny town exceptionally diverse. This brings us back around to Noa Greyber, who was native to Mexico. Although she didn't attend Maharishi University, she lived in Fairfield. That was because she met Paul Greyber a few years after graduating high school. She worked as a flight attendant and he was in Mexico as an exchange student. He flew back to the states but never forgot about Noama.

Meanwhile, being a flight attendant wasn't lofty enough for Noama, who was extraordinarily bright and ambitious. She decided she would be a commercial airline pilot instead. So, she paid her way through flight school and became one of the first women in Mexico to be licensed to fly passenger jets. 11 years after Paul first met no, he was back in Mexico and looked her up. The couple reconnected, married, and raised a family in Fairfield. Only in her 50s did no decide she wanted to be a teacher. So being the kind of person that just does what she wants to do, she earned her degree and certificate.

For the next 9 years, many Fairfield students would learn Noama's native language directly from her. She goes missing. Um, people go missing, right? It's not it's always treated as serious, but it's not always presumed that the person that the worst has happened, right? You have to you have to assume and and look, but 99 times out of a 100 when somebody goes missing, it's, you know, they either don't want to be found from a significant other that they're hiding from or it's a kid that runs away, whatever it is. But Mrs. Gber's lifestyle and life pattern really was a predictable and b uh she's not somebody that would just go missing. So, her being missing was taken very seriously.

And her, you know, she's not somebody that would just not show up to class. You know, she's not somebody that would just not come home uh to her husband. Her husband happened to be out of town the day that she went missing. Um so, he comes home and she's just not there.

Almost immediately, residents started calling the dispatch center detailing where they saw her in the days before and after her disappearance. Hi, my name is Joy Craig and I just got an email from the school saying that um Mrs. Greyber is missing. Okay.

And I just want to say that I know I saw her at the library on Monday the 1st because we had a Day of the Dead celebration.

Okay. And she was there and that was 8. Okay. And you said that started at 5. Yeah. So I don't it ended at 6 because we closed at 6:00 and so I know she was there sometimes during that period and um I believe she was there by herself.

All right, we will get that added into our report. A lot of people calling in were parents and students who had just seen Noa at school the day she went missing. So, my son and I were there yesterday at school. We met with her

at uh quarter after 1. I think we left about 2:30. And I just was seeing posts on Facebook that people were reporting they didn't know what happened to her in the afternoon, so I thought it would be useful to let you know. Calls were coming from everywhere, like a man who thought he saw Noa and her van in Middletown the day after she went missing. And this doctor leaving the hospital thought she saw Noa's van in the parking lot.

Jefferson County Law Center. Yeah. Um, I was curious, are you still looking for information about the missing teacher or was she found?

Um, go ahead. What information do you have? Oh, I just saw something unusual when I was leaving work from the hospital. And I don't know if it involves her or not. I just saw like an argument, you know, two cars pulled into the parking lot when I was leaving about 5:45 on Tuesday evening. And uh one looked kind of like her van and she got out and she was upset. She was talking really loudly and she walked towards the driver's door of the other car that looked like kind of like a sedan or something.

Okay. Had more than one person in it. And I don't know if it was her, you know, I didn't look real good, but I'm a physician and I just got in my car real quick because I thought maybe there was a fight and uh there wasn't hardly anybody else there. You know, this parking lot was pretty empty. The thing is the cops located Noama in record time due to the consistency of her routine. She always took a walk at Shitakqua Park at the end of the school day. So that's where they first started looking.

Now unbeknownst to them, we found the body at that point. The body was found close to close to sundown, but uh the search pattern located her relatively quickly. Um she was in a you know not a welltraveled part of the park but she was in a public park you know

the police formed a grid and officers started looking near the northeast side where thick underbrush lined railroad tracks keeping the others in view. One went forward and saw a red wheelbarrow hidden in the shadows with a blue tarp strewn over it. Near this was a cluster of rocks showing faint red drops of what seemed like blood. Careful not to disturb the evidence, the two continued walking westward and came to a paved trail deeper into the park. But then all of a sudden, the officer turned around and spotted a green sweater and dark shirt lying tangled in the brush.

The sweater, marked with a brown stain, was twisted amongst branches, and the shirt had a red substance with the unmistakable consistency of blood. Then a call came in from an officer back where the wheelbarrow was seen. He found what appeared to be a human foot, barely visible beneath the tarp, partially covered by the railroad tie. As they regrouped at that location, they had to climb down a steep hill. This is where they uncovered Noama about 100 yards east of the trail under the tarp and wheelbarrow. She had been violently assaulted.

Her pants were down around her ankles with her underwear. Her top had slid up or was pulled up and she was wearing only a white bra. Lying somewhat on her side, the back of her head was noticeably battered and bloody with tiny twigs and broken leaves smashed into the hair strands along with dried caked blood. As the search pressed on, other deputies followed new leads streaming in from the dispatch center. One caller in particular would deliver a revelation that changed everything. Fast-tracking the hunt for Noima's killer or killers.

This was the first homicide in Jefferson County in over 10 years. In the early morning hours, After Noama Graber's body was found, residents of Fairfield, Iowa were about to face the reality of her brutal killing. It was the fall of 2021 and quiet town known for its peaceful streets and close-knit community was suddenly shaken by the kind of tragedy it had rarely, if ever, faced. The victim was one of their very own respected teachers. After quickly finding Noama at the local Chiakwa Park, the investigation shifted into high gear. Local law enforcement alongside state investigators started piecing together the evidence, hoping to make sense of what happened.

Leads emerged. Calls kept coming in and a clearer picture of Naima's final hours was starting to take shape. But for detectives, one question loomed. largest of all. Who could do this and why? The very person closest to Noa was her ex-husband who still lived with her part-time. The pair had even discussed getting remarried, something that would make all three of their children happy, but especially their youngest since he was disabled. Her ex-husband Paul brought out some startling information. While noa was well respected amongst her peers, she wasn't liked by all the students, especially the students who didn't work hard for their grades. He also noted that there was a history of grade changing at FHS for quote unquote favorite people. He specifically pointed the finger at Principal Becker.

Get this. Paul said former principal Becker wanted his wife fired for not fixing grades. And the current administration immediately fell into the same mindset. The mentality that no child should be left behind, no matter what the circumstances, but especially not if it's their child. Paul said his wife was even confronted by the current principal and his wife in order to give their son a better grade. But no standards would never let her do something like this. It's, you know, unethical. Remember ethics? Remember that [ __ ] She rebuted that the only way she would change their son's grade would be if she changed every student's grade, too.

Paul reported that former principal Becker threatened his wife physically by telling her he hoped he'd never meet her alone. Becker tried to get her fired, but was unable to only because of a procedural error. Becker was in the room when the vote was taken. The current vice principal had the same negative view of Noama because of her posture on grades. I guess the idea of them being earned and all didn't sit well. If you think our legal system is bad, then don't even bother looking at the educational system. It'll frustrate the [ __ ] out of you. According to Paul, his wife was uh very old school in the way she thought.

You know, earning things and not just being handed them. Boomer [ __ ] Some people don't like boomer [ __ ] and they get very very angry. Paul said if a student wanted a grade, she expected them to put in the work and didn't believe in just handing them out. He went on to tell police that at one point their house was egged and windows were broken by a huge group of students who also threatened, "We'll get you." Meaning they were going to be violent if they didn't get their way. So, who would have thought that being a teacher, at least one that takes their job seriously, would make you a target by the very administration who's supposed to be watching over these children.

Among the calls flooding into dispatch and the DA's office, one call stood out and led investigators in a dark direction.

Hi, Jefferson County Law Center. Hey, Trace, it's Tracy again. Hi. Hey. I have a question. I don't know what PD officers are working or anything, but um I was talking with my daughter and she was talking with me a little more about

um the boy that she's kind of seeing being friends with this kid that I talked to Barker about

and she gave me a little more info from this friend. I didn't know if it was something I needed to bring her in and and disclose to an officer.

Okay. Who do you know who the kid is, Tracy? Uh the boy she's seeing his name is D or Dylan or something like that.

Okay. Um this this Bill and it has it's pertaining to this teacher that's missing.

Yes. So D apparently according to Olivia a couple weeks ago this kid I can't say his name. Chason or Chaden or whatever.

Um do you know best friend? I do not. Mhm. So, I guess Olivia said a few days ago, um, this Chaden told his friend Dill that Olivia's kind of dating,

not to be surprised if the teacher comes up missing. Right. Right. Okay. And so, I just didn't know if I needed to bring her in so she could just tell them what she had discussed with the boyfriend.

Okay. Yep. Yep. Yep. And your daughter is um Madison or this? No, Olivia. Olivia.

Olivia. Yeah. Okay. Are they currently still seeing each other? Dill and Olivia.

Um, yeah. I mean, they're they talk every night. Okay. So, Okay. And last night told the Shaden boy is the one that told D.

Yes. And D told Olivia because D was concerned. Sure. Okay. Let me go ahead and pass on the information um on this. Uh Tracy,

this mother gave two different time frames for when this kid had heard the information. A few days and two weeks, but whether it was days or weeks, this was evidence that some students still headed out for their Spanish teacher. One of those students who admitted he didn't like her and quote wouldn't be surprised if she disappeared was named Willard Noble Chaden Miller and simply went by the name Chaden.

What were you getting in Spanish? Oh, I was doing great because so I started the year like any other with open mind ambition. I want to get the work done. I'm not like other kids. I don't see how do people just say in class on their phone like they know that work. It's not the heart.

Yeah. Honestly, and it makes your life hell and it really just [ __ ] over your future honestly.

The scream is very old-fashioned. Hates technology. Yeah. Well, makes your life hell if she sees your phone. And she's not that great at English. So, just that. And she kind of just stands in front of the class and like talks about stuff and then will give us worksheets, but I feel like the information has not been covered nearly enough for us. Some kids like us can do it. She picks favorites.

I don't I don't feel good speaking illy cuz she's likely missing. But I just I wasn't one of her favorites, I think. And she will prioritize her favorites even though they're the ones that are usually doing the best in class. And it's the way she teaches. It's not like to pass the class. And it feels very self-taught and you're on your own.

Jaden tried talking to Noa and even talked to the principal about her. The principal's response was to tell him that he was [clears throat] aware of the problem because so many kids through the generations had trouble and tried to get her fired. The principal took copious notes and Chaden remarked that he was a good principal who liked the kids a lot and that made the principal happy. But who had so much hatred towards Noa that they would attack her and bash her skull in? That's what police wanted to know. As Dick mentioned, we're here, you know, helping out with the investigation, trying to figure out what happened with uh with Miss Graver. Um, what do you think happened to her?

It's not like she's a very routine person. That's what we've heard. What do you like her to just stop and leave? And when you say she's very routine, what do you what do you what do you know about her that would indicate that she's very routine?

Well, she's always on time. She's always where she says she'll be when she says that. I don't have too much of a personal relationship with her, but I know people that do.

Do you know of anybody out there that would have a serious gripe with with Miss Graver that uh that may want to hurt her in some way? I know there's a lot of kids that fall into the same boat as me in Spanish classes and they don't like her. She's kind of an [ __ ] sometimes not like her enough to hurt her. I don't know. I I heard about her window being smashed.

I don't know how long ago that was. And then just yesterday, my dad, he had gone and actually had a meeting with her because I had been complaining to him about her and how this Spanish is kind of [ __ ] on my GPA. And so he was like, "Okay, I'll go talk to her." And he just told me yesterday on driving me to therapy that he didn't want to tell me anything because I would still be seeing her. But apparently, so I didn't know that it happened all in the same night. Her house got egged and teepeeed and I guess the window was smashed.

I guess it happened all at the same time. And that meeting, Miss Graver had asked him about it. That's how he found out. [snorts] Asked him because she was suspecting me.

It was clear that a lot of people took issue with no students, parents, and even the principal. Well, both principles to be fair. She had a history of students vandalizing her house at least once. But while Chaden felt like his Spanish grade was [ __ ] on the rest of his GPA, he confronted No. Aima directly and wasn't part of the group that had broken windows. And so, um, again, we're not here to to come down on you if you were involved in an egging or a teen, but if you were involved,

not I don't but if you were involved, we want to get it out on the table now. So we don't we so we can identify that and move on from it. Okay. So were you involved?

No. You were not involved? And I No, I have no idea. Usually people like when something like this happens, you can find out cuz once again, small town. People can be boasty. You never know when no word will slip from someone's mouth and then it can spread.

Mhm. I [clears throat] haven't heard anything. And I got to ask around maybe if I know, but I bet they're being real quiet because it was pretty serious. [clears throat] I mean, smashing his window. That's

That's a big charge. Actually, it's not. Well, if you very easily become breaking and entering right?

No, not for just if you smash a window and if you go inside and start making, you know, mess around, that's that could be an issue. But, um,

for a high schooler, that's pretty good. So, tell me this. Is there any Can you think of any reason why somebody might say you were involved in that?

Uh, because we butt heads in class. Okay. But like with a little bit more specifically, like anybody might say like, "Hey, listen. I know for a fact he was involved." Not I think he was.

No, other than us arguing in class. No, I don't. Okay. Yeah. I wasn't invited. Yeah. Yeah. Okay.

All right. I don't cuz I could just so easily go south. I feel like if the car pulls up, it's just not It's just a hole,

right? Chaden may not have been involved in vandalizing Noama's house with a group of students, but he did know something else about another group and their retaliation against her in the park on the day she went missing. This is what he says happened.

It was very sketchy and I am very good with body language and I knew that I did not want to be involved.

Okay. And I got out of there as [clears throat] I want to I wanted to completely disassociate myself from anything that would have happened.

You wanted to at that time I before anything happened I said I need to get out of here. I if something goes down I don't want to be involved at all.

Mhm. and I left and I didn't assist with anything. I had no I want to say no knowledge but I something was up and

cuz it sounds like you did have knowledge. Okay. [snorts] Mhm. Okay. And I know there's

it's just I something was kind of I've been in situations where No, this isn't body language.

Okay. And don't short change it. Now, I'm not short changing anything. What I'm saying is that

I've been in situations where I may not be involved, but I may be with the people that did it or whatever it was,

and things go south very very quickly as soon as officers show up and whatnot. And I knew I could feel that this is this could be very easy to be one of those situations.

Mhm. And so I left. Okay. Tell me about the situation. I was at Shitakqua with Jeremy and I seen Miss Kramer's car pull up

and this was yesterday and or I'm sorry, two days ago, Tuesday night, right? And something didn't I had had some by some prior something from the past few days and I knew that this is this is when I'm going to leave cuz I don't know what's going to go down. And so I did.

Okay. And I don't know anything past that point other than the next day I see that she's not at school. [clears throat]

This is the part where Jeremy Goodale comes in. Chaden was at Chiakqua Park with his friend Jeremy and Jeremy's girlfriend Zoe.

We were hanging out for a little bit and we were at the shelter that's you can kind of see the parking lot even though it's far off. You can see the parking lot.

Yeah. But then Zoe has to leave. She leaves and then some [ __ ] didn't seem right and well, Miss Gray,

don't glaze over that. What What didn't seem right? I had had I had heard prior things for the past week about just a lot of people talking about Miss Draberg and just I knew something. I bet that there were other people at the park posted up I don't know on the trail or what but and I had seen some teenagers when we were coming like in the distance going down and it was sketchy and I see her and I think something might go down. I need to disassociate myself cuz I am I'm staying on the right track. I need to keep clean record. I'm getting all my grades in. I'm getting as much college credit in. I'm not trying to [ __ ] this up by getting becoming a suspect because of me being by something that just happened and being a teenager. And so I left.

And that's what every parent hopes their kid will do, right? Leave the scene when [ __ ] starts getting shady. But what about his friend Jeremy? Well, unbeknownst to him, Jeremy has already been implicated in one of many phone calls reporting sightings of noa from Wisconsin, no less. But Jeremy does not disassociate himself like his friend Chaden does.

Hi. Um, I'm calling regarding maybe some information about uh a a missing woman. Uh, NMA Greyber.

Okay. What's your name? My name is Sean Allen. A Len? Yes, it is. Okay. What information do you have?

Okay. So, I've got a for I I live in Wisconsin. I've got a 14-year-old who has been playing Xbox with a young man named Jeremy. What's his last name?

Good. Goodale. G O O D A L E. Um, my son and my son's friend from California have been in an Xbox Snapchat relationship with this person for a couple of years. My son comes to me tonight just distressed,

just distressed, crying, and he's got to tell me something important. And he proceeds to tell me to he tells me that this Jeremy person had shared with my son and my son's California friend that he killed somebody. and and there was a group of people and he described some things in detail to do with a bat and a car and it it freaked my son out. He kind of blew it off. But then they received this KTVO missing person's thing and now it's got my son just really, really, really freaked out.

So, you know how Snapchat's really big because the messages and pictures are immediately deleted with the correct settings? Two warnings. First of all, the receiver can still screenshot it. Nuhuh. And of course, the cops can always get their hands on records through a subpoena. Oh, I'm sorry. Did you think it was end to end encrypted? Yeah right.

And then, like I said, last night, Ben and Jack received a snap, which I think has been selfdeleted or gone at this point, but this Jeremy

allegedly told this tale about what he had done. And Ben, Ben then, my son, thinks Jeremy may be using drugs.

And when did Jeremy say all this? Ben, what time yesterday did Jeremy get a hold of you?

10:00 last night, central time. This begged the question, since Jeremy admitted he killed someone, did he say when he did this? So Ben's thinking between after school and 10 o'clock.

Okay. Sean, how do you spell your first name? Is it S W E A N? Yeah. Okay. Where he might have done it because he's looking

Oh, it sounds like Ben and Jack, my son and my son's friend were a little freaked out and were trying to be sleuths and track where this guy was on Snapchat and took some screenshots and stuff. So,

does it show that he's in Fairfield? It shows that Jeremy is in Fairfield. Apparently, Jeremy thought that since Snapchat is anonymous and can be set to delete immediately, it was okay to confess to murder to someone in a different state. Not only did Jeremy confess, but he also gave details like a complete [ __ ] [ __ ] You know, zoomers, the future leaders of society. Ben was recalling that Jeremy said there was a group of friends

that Ben did they say they hid the car, did something with the the body did any of that?

I think they I think I don't know he showed me a picture that him packing up bleach into a backpack. I'm not sure what he did though with the body and he said he

packing what into a backpack. Ben says Jeremy sent him pictures of what appeared to be a bloodied shirt.

and bleach going into her backpack. Imagine you're a parent and your kid lays this on you. Would you believe him?

Part of me was thinking, "Okay, this has got to [clears throat] be bullshit." But

right, Ben, you know, we found the kid on Facebook. Ben knows that he plays tennis. Um, that name is on the tennis roster at the high school in Fairfield. Um, again, somebody weird could have all figured that out and made it up, but

right, whatever. There some of those things were lining up. Um, okay, Sean, I don't know when this I don't know when this missing person's thing came out. It looks like Oh, it looks like today.

The missing person's alert hit the state of Wisconsin just 2 days after the group of teens allegedly killed Noa. This dad called in because his son received a snap from a gamer friend, Jeremy, who lived in Iowa. Jeremy implicated a whole group of teens and police were interviewing Chaden, who initially claimed no involvement. But Chaden's story was changing. And I get why you came in here and you spent the first 45 minutes avoiding certain things because they're very, very uncomfortable to talk with. Okay. But even in this new version of it that you're telling me where you were out there and you actually saw Miss Graver,

I saw her pull up. You saw her pull up, but then you decided, "Oh, I don't want to be a part of this." That doesn't I don't buy that for a second. Not for a second.

She pulled up and I knew. Here's why. Can I tell you why that doesn't shake out? Sure. Because for 45 minutes, you were in here saying, "No Shitakqua, barely any Germany, nowhere but my house." Then all of a sudden, I confront you with the fact of something that you already knew was true. And then your story changes, but not enough.

Jaden's story was a slow roll out, like putting your big toe in a lake to see how cold it is and if you can handle it. Then putting your whole foot in and then your leg. So you realize you're freezing and you should get the hell out of this leg. Anyway, the story kept changing one little bit at a time.

Okay, like I said, we have a lot of people working on this. I can tell in your eyes that you have regrets, okay? But the lies and the falsehoods and have truths don't show a person who's remorseful about what they did. [snorts] We were walking down the path uh the road and it there were other people. Okay,

I'm telling you this was not a a one person thing. There were five, six, seven maybe.

Okay. And I'm walking down and then we get to the there's another trail that heads off and then I a few minutes later I look down and I couldn't see who there were multiple people around and they were moving.

Moving what? my body. Okay. And I freaked out. I had a panic attack and I ran. But as the officer pointed out already, he wasn't buying it. Not for a second. And if Chaden didn't want to immerse himself in the deep waters of truth, he was going to get a shove.

We're right back to where we started. You understand, Chad? You understand how that doesn't shake out. Okay? And as I told you, we have other people putting you a lot deeper involved in this than what you're explaining. Okay? Basically, what we're trying to figure out is whether you're the ring leader or you're just along for the ride because there's a big difference.

I didn't plan anything. I had no input in any plans. And Jane, looking right now, I can tell that you have a lot of regret about what happened. [snorts] Okay? We can't change the past. And it's a bitter pill to swallow. With all the interviews being conducted and all the surveillance footage reviewed, there was one person who could either get Chaden off the hook or completely drown him. The kid that sent the Snapchat, Jeremy Goodale, [clears throat] I'm glad you're here. Uh because we certainly have a lot of things that we kind of need to hash out and whatnot. I've got some questions that I'd certainly like to discuss uh with Jeremy if possible, but because he's a minor, uh we we need to go through you. Okay. I'm sure the at the conclusion of any questions that I have, I'm sure he'll have some questions for me, but ultimately that's completely up to the two of you whether you want to speak any further with me and and hear

what I have to say. I'd like to know what's this is an investigation of. Has this graver been found?

Uh, so at this point, and and I'll be upfront and honest with you, at at this point, human remains have been located. Okay. Those human remains have not been positively identified as Miss Graber, but due to a lot of different circumstances, we feel um so this is a murder investigation. Jaden eventually accepted public defense, but Jeremy and his dad hired a lawyer right away and didn't speak. It didn't really matter though who spoke and who didn't. The cops had Jeremy in Snapchat admitting the murder and showing a bloody shirt. They had footage of Jeremy pushing a wheelbarrow past the school to Titakqua Park that night. They had the kids at school saying Chaden told them, "I caught a body with a baseball bat." With all this evidence and more, there was enough probable cause for search warrants. They uncovered the bat, the murder weapon.

The footage at the park during the hours of Noa's murder, and concealment showed no other teens in the park. It was down to Jeremy and Chaden. All the evidence was pointing to Jeremy as the lead killer. But what didn't make sense was the motive. Jeremy had already taken and passed Noa Greyber's Spanish class. He had literally no skin in the game. It was Chaden who was planning a trip to Spain that depended on whether or not he passed or failed. It was also Chaden and his dad who went to discuss this grade within hours of Noama's murder. According to her husband, Noa warned him about this meeting with Chaden and his parents. She said it wasn't pleasant and she felt like Chaden legitimately hated her. She would even turn from the whiteboard to face the class, and every time she felt like Chaden's angry stare was burning into her core.

Both teens were arrested, and 11 months later, Jeremy offered to give a complete and accurate account of what happened in exchange for leniency. Uh, but do you recall the first time ever having a conversation with Chaden about Miss Graver? And not necessarily about what happened, but just a conversation with him about, you know, some frustrations or a general awareness of her. um probably would have been about a month and a half before November 2nd, he would have brought up some he brought up some frustrations to me talking about how he was having a hard time and he didn't feel like she was being very adequate or understanding.

Okay. So, so probably early in the school year. Okay. So, hypothetically, of course, exactly how do you approach another person, especially at school, and ask for help in killing a teacher?

It was just like any other day. I was eating lunch in the cafeteria with John and Jaden and a few other people that we sit with. And um when I got up to bust my lunch trays, he kind of pulled me aside and said Would you help me if I killed Miss Grager?

Mhm. I mean, I guess it's just like that. And what was your response? I paused for a moment and looked at him and then I said, "Sure." Pretty much I said yes.

Okay. And I mean, that's not a not a request that a friend asks you every day. And so what was your immediate reaction that hey or what kind of thoughts were going through your mind before you say like yeah sure?

I mean originally was just trying to Yeah. As soon as you said that I was like holy [ __ ] I mean I guess I'll help you. Like I'm just trying to be a good friend.

Just trying to be a good friend. That's what goes through the minds of underdeveloped idiotic brains. Remember that

I would have been feeling pretty nervous at the time. I mean, at this point, I was pretty convinced that he was going to go through with it, and I had already agreed, and I just didn't want to seem like a like a coward or a wuss by backing out at the last moment. While Jeremy was committed enough to his friendship with Chaden to be complicit in murder, it seems the friendship may not have been reciprocated. It sure felt like Chaden tried to pin everything on first a group of kids and second Jeremy. Suspiciously, he asked Jeremy to go to get a wheelbarrow from Chaden's house later that night when they moved the body. Was he trying to set him up?

This was DA Chanty Molding's response. Well, you're asking a question that we on on our team have asked a few times and I think uh I think it was I I haven't watched the proper interview with with Jeremy in a very long time. But there was a a real big part of of my thought process that wondered why Chad couldn't bring the wheelbarrow himself and was it possible that he was setting Jeremy up to be the father? Um, and I don't have enough information one way or the other, but you know, it doesn't make sense to me if we're both sneaking out of our house at midnight for it to ask if if you and I live in the same town or we're going to meet at the same place at midnight, I wouldn't ask you to come to my house and grab something. I would bring it myself.

This isn't to say that Jeremy wasn't completely in on the plan. He was. And nobody forced him to tattle to his gamer friend through Snapchat, either. Remember, the picture was sent showing Jeremy's face with the caption saying that this was the last face his Spanish teacher would see. It didn't feel like there was a lot of remorse. That to me shows somebody that's um not ashamed of what he's doing is what I'm getting at. And so um there had to be some pride. I would think that was between the two of you that you're working together on this and executing the the way that you wanted to. Is that fair?

There would have been some bravado trying project myself as some I don't know coldhearted killer.

Okay. Okay. Now, when was the Let's talk about in terms of the planning. You agree to help him out. You agree that, hey, there's a 4-day weekend coming up. Um what are your different options here?

Explain what you mean by options. What What are the different um options for a plan? like we could shoot her, we could use baseball bats, we could stab her, we could do all these different things. What's being discussed between you two?

I really just left the planning up to him. Detectives were able to back up Jeremy's story after finding a murder list created by Chaden that detailed every implement they would need down to garbage bags. Then under a column entitled procedure were the damning words of a young killer. Stun. Move off the trail. Empty compartments. Load cargo. Blanket cargo. Deactivate compartment contents. Leave the bag by exit and transport. Safely. Stun. Switch glove. Deactivate the article to bag. Finalize the win. Secure victory. Load into the storage spot.

Don't forget to close the door on the ground and switch gloves. Move the sticks, wipe down tools, dispose of articles, and grab bag by exit. Done. Just going to say this once. If you're the type of person that has the limited intellectual capacity to where you have to write things down, otherwise they might slip your mind. And one of those things is a list of items you'll need for murder and how to actually murder. And you have to actually write out the word done at the end of it. You know, I hate to say this, but you might not have what it takes for murder.

in Fairfield, Iowa, a place with small town routines and traditions. Students at Fairfield High School were used to getting a pass in some classes like Spanish. At least some students were. And it seemed the school's administration condoned the lenient grades given out to some. No student left behind. You know, all that [ __ ] But no Greyber's traditional style and strict grading left some students frustrated and resentful, particularly those who think they're entitled to whatever grades they want. Again, particularly a student by the name of Chaden Miller. Chaden and Jeremy were two ordinary high school boys. Both were, you know, somewhat intelligent, I guess, and neither had a criminal record.

But Jaden was ambitious and calculating. He led the way by repeatedly venting his frustrations about his Spanish grade and how this was going to [ __ ] up his future. I guess murder wouldn't do that though, right? [ __ ] right? Jeremy, his loyal friend who'd known him since preschool, was impulsive and easily influenced. So, he quickly fell in line with his friend's ideas. If you can't lead, follow. That's what they say. Anyway, on November 2nd, 2021, the extent of Chaden's hatred became horrifyingly real when search teams found Noa Greyber's body concealed under a tarp and wheelbarrow in a heavily wooded area of Chitakqua Park. On that day, two ordinary students with hopeful futures became hardened killers. When Jaden and Jeremy were brought in and it was determined that uh we had probable cause to charge first-degree murder for both Shaden and Jeremy, the most difficult part in the initial stages for

me personally was just having to sit down with Jeremy's family and Jaden's family and explain to them, look, um I'm sorry to be the one to have to tell you this, but both your sons are in custody and both of them have um charges for killing Mrs. Graber and they will not be going on today. No. McGraber would also not be coming home. She may have been an old school teacher, but she was still loved by many students and certainly loved by her family.

She gave up that life to uh move here and teach Spanish and she was uh married to Paul who her husband who unfortunately all died was it a week before uh of Chad. So he was he was very uh very good. The whole Graver family is some of the most sweet and and just openhearted people we've ever dealt with as as victims. And you they're very to be completely frank with you far more forgiving of these two boys than I ever would be. So she was a well- reggarded teacher. I I think that she made a pretty big impact on the the kids that she she taught. She was strict, but she was fair and she was very kind. And I think that she really kind of left an impact on the kids that she taught because there is there is still like a uh a memorial, you know, for her and and the kids put something together every year, an annual walk for Mrs. Graber at at the park where she was killed.

Chaden was in fact the leader, planner, and mastermind behind the killing of Noa Greyber. Though Chaden's parents were separated, he lived with his mother and his father lived around the corner. Provided with a doting mom and a sharp mind, he couldn't bear the idea of anything or anyone standing in the way of his plans. After all, they were his plans, and the children are our future. Or so I'm told. No. McGraber, his Spanish teacher, had become an obstacle. And Chaden didn't like obstacles. Chaden's dream was to join an exchange program in Spain, a plan that he feared his failing Spanish grade would ruin.

Ironically, his victim's story started with a similar dream. Noa first met her husband Paul in Mexico when he was an exchange student. Little did she know that by refusing to give in to the demands of this young man, Chaden, his family, and the school administration, she would lose her life to his ambition. Well, [sighs and gasps] he plead guilty and was given life and the possibility of parole in 35 years. His statement at the sentencing hearing was anything but ambitious. I would like to take this opportunity to accept responsibility for the role that I've played in the murder of human river. I would like to apologize for my actions. First and foremost, for the family, I'm sincerely sorry for the distress that I've caused you and the devastation family with all my heart.

Sorry for your loss of some of Noa's family didn't quite believe in Chaden's sincerity. To this day, it's clear to me that he feels no genuine remorse. No doubt he's sorry for himself, sorry he's here, sorry for what's coming, perhaps sorry for his family, but I don't believe he feels genuine remorse for slaughtering Noah McGra. I believe Willard Jade Miller should be sentenced to life in prison, the requirement that he actually served no less than 35 years before becoming eligible to be considered for the possibility of parole.

Sadly, Jeremy's dad died of cancer after becoming weakened from the stress of this whole ordeal. His only son committed an act that would stain his life, and he would never see his son as a free man again. The funeral was held the day before Chaden's sentencing, making it all that much sadder. Jeremy Goodale was Chaden's opposite in many ways. Whereas Chaden had friends, he was socially awkward. Jeremy was the more popular of the two, but somehow played the role of follower to Chaden's lead. He was easily influenced and quite vulnerable. the only boy with four older sisters. You might think there was plenty of estrogen in the household, but his parents separated when he was just 10 and his mother moved to a different state with her boyfriend. This was Jeremy's dad at the sentencing hearing right before he died.

You know, his he's he was, you know, his mom kind of abandoned him. What he said through his tears was that Jeremy's mom kind of abandoned him. From then forward, their relationship was strained and eventually stopped altogether. Jeremy's dad did the best he could to keep the family farm going, but he had to sell it when Jeremy was 12. Then 2020 came along and Jeremy's dad attributes the school closings and isolation as playing a role in Jeremy's deteriorating mental health.

And how was Jeremy performing with his school work uh when everything was online?

Not very well. You know, I was a single parent at that time. Um I had to go to work. kind of provide for the family. And I was to leave a 14-year-old kid at home by himself. He had to be online because that's how they were getting their the studies. It was an utter disaster. If you can imagine, he was not doing his work. He was, no matter what I seem to do, since he had access to the internet, you know, I couldn't I couldn't keep him from playing video games. And that's pretty much what he did all day. His dad went on to say that he sought out three different mental health therapists for his son. But weirdly, he never got to have a single session with any of them.

Two of them died suddenly before the first appointment and one lost his license just before the first session. Weird. After the lockdowns and loneliness of 2020, Jeremy came to school hungry for a connection. In his need to belong, he was easily influenced by Chaden. Maybe Jeremy didn't realize how far things would go. In his mind, it was too late to back out of the dark plan for fear of coming off to his friend as weak. But unlike Chaden, Jeremy was plagued by remorse. After fully realizing the horror of what he'd been a part of, caught between his own sense of guilt and his loyalty to Chaden, he became tangled in a scheme that was never truly his. I want to say I'm grateful for this chance to speak my peace. I offer my sincerest apologies to the Greyber family, but I know my words will never be enough.

I've had time to think on what to say, and I'm sorry. Truly sorry. What I've taken can never be replaced. Every day I wish I could go back and stop myself. prevent this loss and this pain that I've caused. Everyone, everyone in the community and outside of it, those closest to me and those closest to the Gaper family, as well as the Graer family. I didn't know how taking this graper's life would affect you. I can't comprehend losing a loved one in such an awful way. I'm sorry I didn't stop this from happening in the first place.

Jeremy went on to finish with a sincere and poignant apology. He was given life with the possibility of parole after 25 years.

Jeremy's need for connection made him vulnerable to Chaden's control. Chaden had the charisma to lead, but didn't seem to have the conscience behind it. Jeremy was isolated after years without his mom, a dad who worked long hours and the loneliness of the pandemic. So, he followed Chaden, likely because he craved the excitement and didn't want to lose the friendship. The problem with following the wrong person is that it can lead you to places that you never wanted to go. The search for connection, approval, or even just something to believe in can cloud our judgment. We are after all emotional animals, reactive and not all that uh disciplined.

Sometimes it takes us a while to learn a very important lesson. Sometimes it takes us a little maturity. And that lesson is that with the wrong leader, the price of following might just be more than you're prepared to pay.

All right, we did our part. Now it's time for you to do yours. Go tell a friend about your favorite podcast, swordandscale.com. Heat. Heat.

Heat. Heat.

Questions about this episode

What is "Episode 287" about?

The content delves into the complexities of trust and peer influence in small-town America, specifically focusing on a local community in Iowa where the seemingly idyllic life is threatened by dark, underlying themes of manipulation and danger. It emphasizes the importance of critical thinking and awareness when following others, as well as the potential consequences of misplaced trust in…

What is mentioned in this Sword and Scale episode?

69 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Jeremy, Chaden, Fairfield, Noa Greyber, Jefferson County, Olivia. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Episode 287"?

The episode runs 1 h 8 min; the transcript is about 9,709 words in 163 timestamped sections.

More from Sword and Scale

About this transcript: the episode's spoken words as captioned on YouTube, split into timestamped sections. Reclip.Me locates every person, work and idea in the text, keeps the time it is first named, and quotes the words around it verbatim. Last updated December 15, 2025.