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"Transcript" of NK's 2/5 bond hearing:
Keepers took the stand during her bond hearing, explaining her mental health issues, including thoughts of suicide in eighth and ninth grade. She said it was during that time her parents got her involved in a Christian Counseling Center program in Columbia, Maryland where she learned “techniques to reduce stress.” She told Judge Robert Viar, “If I do get bail my parents will start looking for a psychiatrist near my house so I can get the help that I need. ”
Keepers also testified she sought help at the Cook Counseling Center at Virginia Tech as soon as she got to the university in August because she was having a hard time transitioning from high school to college. She started seeing a psychiatrist who prescribed medication to deal with depression and anxiety attacks. It was at Cook Counseling where “I learned how to love myself,” she said.
She also admitted to “cutting” on and off until 2014 when she made herself a promise she said. “I chose instead of putting an end to my life I chose to make a decision and be strong about it. ” Keepers then got a semicolon tattoo behind her ear as a permanent promise to herself, her family and God to never do anything suicidal again. Project Semicolon is an organization aimed at providing “hope and love for those who are struggling with mental issues, suicide, addictions and self-injury.”
Keepers parents each took the stand, as Lovell’s own parents sat in the front two rows of the courtroom listening to the details. Lovell’s own father, David Lovell eyed Keepers throughout the trial.
Her father, Tim Keepers described them as an extremely close family. Tim Keepers, wife Sara Keepers as well as Natalie’s siblings – a sister and twin brothers, all live in the Laurel, Maryland home where her father promised she’d be held up if released on bond. “We all talk together. My sons love Natalie our daughters love Natalie. Close very strong, Christian family. We’re very happy.”
The father described the moments after learning of his daughter’s arrest as “complete and utter devastation. It still is extremely confusing to me. We are still very, very, very, sad,” calling his daughter an absolutely wonderful role model to the rest of his kids. He described learning of her arrest as like “being punched in the stomach by someone much bigger than you.”
Tim Keepers, an aerospace engineer, described their home as one that stressed education, education before chores. It was all about “deadlines or school work.” He says he had to tell his daughter, Bs were ok in school.
Tim Keepers broke down, hanging his head while on the stand when explaining how his daughter wanted to follow in his footsteps. “She wanted to follow… follow in my footsteps and also be an aerospace engineer,” he said fighting back tears.
He said his daughter didn’t drink or do drugs. Her lawyers said she liked Swedish Fish and was a member of the Disney Princess Club.
Sara and Tim Keepers both said they became aware of their daughter’s friend, David Eisenhauer in October or November when he “dropped everything to take her to the hospital” when she needed an appendectomy. “He did so at great speed,” Tim Keepers said.
Upon questioning by Pettitt, both parents said their daughter never called them to say Eisenhauer asked her for assistance or to move a dead body and did not hear about it until she had been arrested.
Keepers’ parents offered to pay for home electronic monitoring in order to get their daughter released on bond and out of the Western Virginia Regional Jail where she is being held in isolation, paid for by the Commonwealth, her defense lawyer said.
In arguing for her release, Keepers lawyers said being with her parents would allow her medical and dietary needs to be met. Keepers, who said she suffers from a gluten allergy as well as seasonal allergies, said she is not being fed a gluten free diet in jail. The jail is also giving her half the dosage of her anti-anxiety and depression medicine, in direct contradiction to psychiatrist orders.
Prosecutor Mary Pettitt, opposed to bond, argued one of the charges against Keepers, accessory before the fact to the first degree murder, “essentially puts her in the same place as the person that committed the murder.” Keepers is also facing a charge of improper disposal of a body and being an accessory after the fact.
In announcing his decision denying bond, Viar called the case a tragedy in every sense of the word. He said the one tie Keepers had to the community, (Virginia Tech, where she has been banned from campus) she severed . Viar said he’d be relying on a company out of state to provide for the safety of citizens in Virginia and Maryland.
http://wsls.com/2016/02/04/commonwe...omething-secret-and-special-in-lovell-murder/
Keepers took the stand during her bond hearing, explaining her mental health issues, including thoughts of suicide in eighth and ninth grade. She said it was during that time her parents got her involved in a Christian Counseling Center program in Columbia, Maryland where she learned “techniques to reduce stress.” She told Judge Robert Viar, “If I do get bail my parents will start looking for a psychiatrist near my house so I can get the help that I need. ”
Keepers also testified she sought help at the Cook Counseling Center at Virginia Tech as soon as she got to the university in August because she was having a hard time transitioning from high school to college. She started seeing a psychiatrist who prescribed medication to deal with depression and anxiety attacks. It was at Cook Counseling where “I learned how to love myself,” she said.
She also admitted to “cutting” on and off until 2014 when she made herself a promise she said. “I chose instead of putting an end to my life I chose to make a decision and be strong about it. ” Keepers then got a semicolon tattoo behind her ear as a permanent promise to herself, her family and God to never do anything suicidal again. Project Semicolon is an organization aimed at providing “hope and love for those who are struggling with mental issues, suicide, addictions and self-injury.”
Keepers parents each took the stand, as Lovell’s own parents sat in the front two rows of the courtroom listening to the details. Lovell’s own father, David Lovell eyed Keepers throughout the trial.
Her father, Tim Keepers described them as an extremely close family. Tim Keepers, wife Sara Keepers as well as Natalie’s siblings – a sister and twin brothers, all live in the Laurel, Maryland home where her father promised she’d be held up if released on bond. “We all talk together. My sons love Natalie our daughters love Natalie. Close very strong, Christian family. We’re very happy.”
The father described the moments after learning of his daughter’s arrest as “complete and utter devastation. It still is extremely confusing to me. We are still very, very, very, sad,” calling his daughter an absolutely wonderful role model to the rest of his kids. He described learning of her arrest as like “being punched in the stomach by someone much bigger than you.”
Tim Keepers, an aerospace engineer, described their home as one that stressed education, education before chores. It was all about “deadlines or school work.” He says he had to tell his daughter, Bs were ok in school.
Tim Keepers broke down, hanging his head while on the stand when explaining how his daughter wanted to follow in his footsteps. “She wanted to follow… follow in my footsteps and also be an aerospace engineer,” he said fighting back tears.
He said his daughter didn’t drink or do drugs. Her lawyers said she liked Swedish Fish and was a member of the Disney Princess Club.
Sara and Tim Keepers both said they became aware of their daughter’s friend, David Eisenhauer in October or November when he “dropped everything to take her to the hospital” when she needed an appendectomy. “He did so at great speed,” Tim Keepers said.
Upon questioning by Pettitt, both parents said their daughter never called them to say Eisenhauer asked her for assistance or to move a dead body and did not hear about it until she had been arrested.
Keepers’ parents offered to pay for home electronic monitoring in order to get their daughter released on bond and out of the Western Virginia Regional Jail where she is being held in isolation, paid for by the Commonwealth, her defense lawyer said.
In arguing for her release, Keepers lawyers said being with her parents would allow her medical and dietary needs to be met. Keepers, who said she suffers from a gluten allergy as well as seasonal allergies, said she is not being fed a gluten free diet in jail. The jail is also giving her half the dosage of her anti-anxiety and depression medicine, in direct contradiction to psychiatrist orders.
Prosecutor Mary Pettitt, opposed to bond, argued one of the charges against Keepers, accessory before the fact to the first degree murder, “essentially puts her in the same place as the person that committed the murder.” Keepers is also facing a charge of improper disposal of a body and being an accessory after the fact.
In announcing his decision denying bond, Viar called the case a tragedy in every sense of the word. He said the one tie Keepers had to the community, (Virginia Tech, where she has been banned from campus) she severed . Viar said he’d be relying on a company out of state to provide for the safety of citizens in Virginia and Maryland.
http://wsls.com/2016/02/04/commonwe...omething-secret-and-special-in-lovell-murder/
