Dang it! I had the video of the live presser pulled up on my phone to transcribe, but I missed the very beginning somehow and didnt hit start. So, I started back at the beginning & paused it a few times (not knowing I shouldnt do that), and then the video completely cut out halfway through. GRR!
Anyway
Below is a transcription of what I managed to get, and Ive added a few tweets from local news reporters who were live tweeting.
Lt. Albert: Good afternoon. Im Lt. Mike Albert with the Blacksburg PD, in addition to Chief Anthony Wilson, and Mary Pettitt, the Montgomery County Commonwealths attorney. Im also joined today by Nicole Lovells youth pastor, Josh Blankenship, and Mrs. Tammy Weeks, Nicoles mother, who would like to read a statement on behalf of the family.
Tammy Weeks (Nicoles Mom): My daughter, Nicole Lovell---Coley is what we called her---was born May 3, 2002. Shortly thereafter, we began to notice health problems with her abdomen. She was diagnosed with a rare tumor in her liver at 10 months old and received a liver transplant. After the transplant, she was able to come home at the age of 1. She tried to live a normal life until she was 4, when she was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins lymphoma. She was able to battle and overcome that. Years later, we almost lost her again when she developed ARDS, slipped into coma, and also developed MRSA. She had only a 1% chance of survival, but she came home after 8 months in hospital and started to thrive. She had a passion for pandas, music, dancing, dreamed of being on American Idol someday. Her favorite color was blue. Nicole was a very lovable person. She touched many people throughout her short life.
(Nicoles mom became too overcome with emotion to finish her prepared statement at this point, and Pastor Blankenship finished it for her):
Our hearts still ache in silence/and our tears still quickly flow/what it meant to lose you/no one will ever know.
Chief Anthony Wilson: This has been an extremely difficult time. Please know that our department is keeping you in our thoughts and prayers. There is no mistaking the familys anguish and we are asking media to be respectful in the coming days as they prepare for her funeral. Those arrangements have been made and that information will be released this afternoon, following this press conference. At the familys request, media restrictions will be placed on the funeral and we ask that you honor those restrictions.
Theyve made two arrests, and local, state, and federal government agencies continue to make progress in reconstructing the timeline of events leading up to Nicoles abduction and murder. They continue to pursue more than 400 leads generated from tips. Our department, along with multiple agencies, are fully dedicated to seeing justice done. We will not let this violence define us. This is still the place of anywhere else on earth that I would live.
From @DannerEvans (ABC13News)
Mary Pettit, commonwealths attorney explaining court process right now. Preliminary cause of death -- stabbing
Mary Pettitt -- offense date amended to Jan 27th, same day she went missing
Mary Pettitt -- Natalie Keepers now charged with also accessory before the fact in the death of #NicoleLovell
Blackburg Police will not answer anymore questions at this time
From @ChrisHurstwdbj (WDBJ7)
Source tells me divers searching VT pond for knife
From @abc13news:
CW Attorney: My responsibility in this case is to find justice
.I will not provide any more information.
CW Attorney: Keepers will be charged with accessory before the fact of murder on top of current charges.
CW Attorney: All cases when the victim is a minor, must occur in Juvenile and Domestic Court.