VA - Nicole Lovell, 13, Blacksburg, 27 January 2016 #3 *Arrests*

[cvaldez1975]

BMM YAASSSSSS in the Lyndon albers case as well... I do not care if she is having "issues" she kidnapped a baby, burned her and left her naked on the side of the road. no effs to give really!!!

It seems odd since Keepers was up to her eyeballs from the beginning of this murderous plot that she isn't also charged with first degree. In many other cases I have seen others were charged with first degree even though they weren't the ones who actually killed the victim. They were still charged equally along with the one who actually did the killing since they plotted and conspired for it to happen. I have a feeling it may come out that Keepers was there as Nicole was being murdered. As excited as she was about all this I cant see her wanting to miss watching the murder itself happen. To me its no different than one who hires a hit man to murder a spouse. The mastermind behind the plot to murder is charged with first degree even they did not do the murders themselves. The law in VA must be different than other states.

And since LE states Keepers became involved on January 4th she may be the very one who put this all into play by being the mastermind behind the plot. Maybe that is what DE means when he said 'the truth can set me free' or whatever he said. I wonder if this is like other cases we have seen before where the female will be the mastermind behind the murder plot but she talks a guy into doing the actual dirty work while she sits by and watches the murder go down?

It just seems there is much more to the case concerning Keepers true involvement. imo

As an aside:

As far as Keepers and her mental issues, I have to admit, I don't care one tiny bit about her mental state. She not only tricked Nicole along with DE but she had no problem helping him dispose of this young girl's dead body. So she knew right from wrong and that is all I care about. Imo, she will not be ruled incompetent nor insane even if the court agrees to have her evaluated which they probably will. They may find out she has no conscience and is only able to cry for herself. As I posted earlier, only a full blown psychopath would get excited to be involved in a plot to murder another human being.

Once someone crosses over to the dark side, any sympathy I may have had for them, under a different set of circumstances, becomes zero. Instead of having sympathy she totally disgust me.

Keepers is a very dangerous person along with her evil sidekick and both of them should never be allowed out in society again where they once again can bring such pain and suffering not only to the next victim but the next victim's family. Keepers seem to delight in plotting this horrific murder. That means she was thrilled at the thought of Nicole being abducted to be murdered and wanted very much to be a part of it. If that isn't enough to scare the hell out of most people I don't know what would.

Even if DE did have a prior sexual contact with Nicole... I believe even that was still all part of their wicked plan. A part of the luring and getting her to trust them. Imo, even before contact was made he and NK had already targeted Nicole as the one they were going to murder. He pretended to care so that Nicole wouldn't be afraid to meet him.

To know how they both betrayed this lonely young girl.... who had already gone through so much in her short life..... is almost unbearable to even think about and the evilness they both had to possess to carry it all out.

IMO

 

[maggieo]

UGH. The amount of evil that came from that otherwise relatively normal-seeming young man, who seems to have never done anything remotely like this before, is astounding. Thank God he's off the streets.

The young woman---can't tell what to make of her yet--

Really such a distressing crime. That child was hurt so much in her life--and then murdered. I can't really process it.

 

[ykw]

Or he just "delivered the goods" to NK, maybe he didn't do anything....seems NK is the one spilling all the beans, imo to glorify it or relive this exciting moment of her life. She really seems to enjoy talking about it, hence the reason she told her roommate all about it as soon as she got back, like she was telling her about the super duper date she'd just went on.
It's possible all DE did was lure NL out of her house, brought NL to NK & then helped load the body & drove, almost like their roles in this are totally reversed!
Just thinking out loud here & it strikes me odd all this talking NK keeps doing & makes me doubt just how much she supposedly wasn't involved.

I've been wondering whether NK could have possibly initiated the catfishing, using a profile she created with picture of DE.

 

[thepeppers]

Not sure if this was posted https://www.facebook.com/natalie.keepers?fref=ts

Well according to that she also eats sour patch kids and cookie dough, so much for her gluten insensitivity.

Also, Virginia state law will dictate the charges and penalties, as the murder and abduction occurred in Virginia. No offense to all the other posters who have cited other state case, but they don't matter unless they occurred in Virginia.

Virginia has the death penalty via capital murder. While I agree this is a vile crime, I do not think it rises to the level of capital murder as the defendants are both under 21 and I don't see another category under which the circumstances fit. FYI murder for hire is a capital offense.

As for keepers, I am also not convinced at this time she didn't participate in the stabbing. I think she thought she could talk her way out of it with the police by using the shaggy defense ("it wasn't me"), using totally idiotic and irrational excuses and blaming DE. Regardless if she is just charged with accessory to murder, in Virginia if you are charged with accessory before the fact to any crime you are not just later charged with the actual crime later on, UNLESS the investigators have proof you did in fact do it or participated and then you by definition aren't an accessory any more. How being an accessory before the fact screws you in Virginia is that by statute/law you are subject to the same penalties as if you had done the actual crime. So at this time both DE and Keepers face a minimum of 20 years and a max of life.

I believe the reason it is first degree murder is because it qualifies as premeditated murder by abduction.

Here is definition of accessory in Virginia.

http://law.justia.com/codes/virginia/2006/toc1802000/18.2-18.html

 

[ClaireNC]

FWIW - I've updated the map with new info as it has been released. https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z2VLvG6QAl8U.ka7xd-tCxjMI&usp=sharing

 

[Inthedetails]

I've been wondering whether NK could have possibly initiated the catfishing, using a profile she created with picture of DE.

That's what I'm starting to think too. I"m wondering if NK is the one who found Nicole online, not DE.

 

[JohnTate90210]

As for keepers, I am also not convinced at this time she didn't participate in the stabbing. I think she thought she could talk her way out of it with the police by using the shaggy defense ("it wasn't me"), using totally idiotic and irrational excuses and blaming DE. Regardless if she is just charged with accessory to murder, in Virginia if you are charged with accessory before the fact to any crime you are not just later charged with the actual crime later on, UNLESS the investigators have proof you did in fact do it or participated and then you by definition aren't an accessory any more. How being an accessory before the fact screws you in Virginia is that by statute/law you are subject to the same penalties as if you had done the actual crime. So at this time both DE and Keepers face a minimum of 20 years and a max of life.

I, too, just can't imagine she was "excited" about it being so "secretive and special" but just came along for the cleanup. I imagine there may be video from security cameras at her dorm showing her leaving. Assume DE picked up Nicole at about 12:40 (based on last message). It's a 16 minute drive to the shooting range area. If he got Nicole out of the car and immediately attacked her, took a few minutes to catch his breath and hide the body, and another 13 minutes back to NK's dorm. If the cameras show NK leaving the dorm around 12:45 rather than 1:15, I'd think she was being picked up by DE and Nicole.

Thinking more about the time... Then 13 back out to Craig Creek. A few minutes to discuss things and load the body. I think we're looking at the very earliest for leaving the site is 1:30. Then an hour to Wytheville's Walmart. So arrive there no earlier than 2:30. Give them ten minutes to shop and pick up snacks because it's going to be a long night. Leave Walmart at 2:40 at the earliest. Then an hour to the dump site, at least. That's assuming they had an exact spot already picked out and weren't looking around. So, arrive there no earlier than 3:40. Give them 15 minutes to figure out digging frozen dirt is hard work and leave no earlier than 3:55. They'd get back to Blacksburg around 5:30 at the very very very earliest. I'm guessing it was more like 6:30.

 

[cvaldez1975]

I agree but look at karla homolka. she is living a happy little family life now.

I would not feel comfortable with someone like her ever walking free among our society again. I find it absolutely unfathomable that murderers are ever released from prison. You willfully kill someone without just cause, you spend the rest of your life behind bars. The end.

At best, if the meds made her do it, lock her up in some mental health facility with better living conditions and family visitation than she might otherwise get in prison. But that's as far as I would go, and the burden of proof would have to be on her defense team, not the state. Just my opinion.

 

[JohnTate90210]

Here's the timeline with figures rounded off a bit. I'd say these are the earliest possible times for each site if DE truly picked up NK after the murder and took her back to Craig Creek Road.

12:39 Last message between DE and Nicole.
12:40 DE picked up Nicole.
01:00 DE and Nicole arrive at murder site (Craig Creek Road shooting range area).
01:10 DE left murder site.
01:25 DE picked up NK.
01:40 DE/NK arrive at murder site.
01:50 DE/NK leave murder site.
02:50 DE/NK arrived at Wytheville Walmart
03:00 DE/NK left Walmart
04:00 Arrive at Lowgap body disposal site.
04:15 Leave Lowgap
05:45 Arrive at dorms.
07:27 Sunrise in Lowgap.

At some point they may have visited the VT pond to dispose of evidence. If this occurred before Walmart, then everything shifts a bit.

 

[wyome]

I cannot for the life of me find anything on DE. Only one friend, Gaige Kern, who runs with him at VT made a comment about his shock, but that's it. GK did write a personal letter to DE on his fb 2 days ago, but I don't think I'm allowed to post.

 

[al66pine]

....
Also, Virginia state law will dictate the charges and penalties, as the murder and abduction occurred in Virginia. No offense to all the other posters who have cited other state case, but they don't matter unless they occurred in Virginia.
Virginia has the death penalty via capital murder. While I agree this is a vile crime, I do not think it rises to the level of capital murder as the defendants are both under 21 and I don't see another category under which the circumstances fit. FYI murder for hire is a capital offense.

Here is definition of accessory in Virginia.
http://law.justia.com/codes/virginia/2006/toc1802000/18.2-18.html

^sbm. Thank you very much thepeppers for trying to focus discussion on applicable law: Virginia. Ppl can compare this to other cases in other states or other countries, but as you noted - "...other state case, but they don't matter..."

Thanks for linking to VA statutory definition.

The "facts"* of this case may be very similar "facts" of other cases, and VA's law may be very similar to another state's law, but LE, prosecutors, and ultimately judge, jury, will apply VA law. If prosecutor or judge says - DE (or NK) would be guilty of first degree murder in State Y, or if def. team, judge or jury said DE (or NK) would be not guilty of any crime in State Z, does it matter? IDTS. Also w passage of time, statutes are amended, so certain actions may not longer be criminal or may be 'newly' criminal.


* Using quotes around "facts" here, because ATM, few (if any) claims, allegations, conjectures, or theories - about who did what when, etc. - are conclusively indisputable. Many unknowns.
JM2cts.

 

[LaborDayRN]

"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/

:tyou:

 

[thepeppers]

Someone correct me if I am wrong but if Nicole was stabbed (throat slashed) wouldn't she need to bleed out, and that be incredibly messy? Where is the mess? On the side of Craig Creek Road? And even if she did bleed out there, wouldn't she be super messy to pick up and store in your car? What about DE and NK's clothes?

 

[Safeguard]

I agree but look at karla homolka. she is living a happy little family life now.

I have wondered how she treats her kids behind closed doors. She wasn't born with the empathy gene. I think she fakes it well, as needed, but it is tough for me to imagine her having that gut instinct to know when your child is hurting, or her having anything like good judgement, and sensitivity toward her children. It makes me shudder to think of her alone with littles. She is a monster who enjoyed sadism. Very sad that she didn't get life. Jmo

 

[Ven]

This discussion reminds me of a case about 5 years ago in the Dallas area. There were two teens who were planning to meet up to buy a misdemeanor amount of marijuana from another couple of teens. In the process, the driver of the car of teens who wanted to buy marijuana shot the dealer, completely to the surprise of the other teen in the car.

In court, the prosecutor tried to pin murder on the one unsuspecting marijuana buying passenger, but the charges didn't stick. The defense lawyer argued that the surviving teen in the other car (the car that contained the murdered dealer) was just as culpable - even more so than the witnessing teen in the buyers car, because the surviving teen in the other car was participating in a higher crime - selling, not buying marijuana.

In any case, only the actual murderer was charged with murder and the witnesses were charged with something lesser.

Sorry I don't have a link. The case involved classmates of my nephew.

That's as it should be. I'm as anti-drug as anyone, but we need to have some common sense and stop prosecutors and lawmakers from running amok. There are so many drunk drivers out there who implicitly knew they could harm someone with their decision to get behind the wheel, did it anyway, killed someone, and then get out of jail in a year or two. Meanwhile some dumb kid going along with his friends to buy a petty amount of contraband gets charged with felony murder and possible life imprisonment by association? What a joke.

There is some kid here in Indiana who was present with his friends when they murdered one of their stepfathers. The kid was like 11 or 12, and the prosecutors wanted the death penalty. It's like medieval times around here, I'm surprised they don't ask for public executions and festivals these days.

 

[Hollzzz]

Someone correct me if I am wrong but if Nicole was stabbed (throat slashed) wouldn't she need to bleed out, and that be incredibly messy? Where is the mess? On the side of Craig Creek Road? And even if she did bleed out there, wouldn't she be super messy to pick up and store in your car? What about DE and NK's clothes?

We had tons of snow the previous weekend so I'm thinking there would have been obvious red spots indicating that someone had been killed at the site. The snow was definitely still there when police were searching Craig Creek.

 

[Kie green]

If some evidence is via cell phones, could that bring the FBI in? Not that they need a specific reason, often they are asked simply for their resources and expertise. State lines being crossed is not necessary anymore though it still can be a factor. Jmo

I think the FBI was called as soon as NL went missing or at least when they found a correlation between her and DE. Not just a runaway but an abduction.

 

[JohnTate90210]

We had tons of snow the previous weekend so I'm thinking there would have been obvious red spots indicating that someone had been killed at the site. The snow was definitely still there when police were searching Craig Creek.

My thought was that perhaps he had Nicole bring the blanket so they could sit somewhere (playing up the romantic angle). Perhaps a lot of the blood was on it. That would be quite a mess for NK to put in a suitcase, though. The other thought about the snow is they could have used the shovel to cover the snow with more snow. Not easily done in the dark and flashlights would have attracted attention.

 

[LaborDayRN]

Or, she joined the Disney club to mock young girls.
JMO

I was thinking that. She was probably there as a troll

 

[Kie green]

About the talk of DE having only a public defender...it may be more of the case that his parents are searching for the best possible firm for him, which may take some time given the severity of the case. I personally would not know where to begin to find a capable, qualified attorney for a high profile serious charge as this. Lord, I hope I never have to be in their position.

I imagine they have a month before he has to go to court again? Did I read somewhere that his next court appearance is in March? I could be wrong.