The murder of 13-year old Nicole Lovell may have been planned 3 weeks before the actual killing. The suspects are Lovell's 18-year old online boyfriend in Kik and his accomplice, both from Virginia Tech.
Nicole Lovell's killing may have been planned between January 4 and January 27, 3 weeks before the actual murder. Daily Mail reported that the 13-year old girl was reported missing on January 27 and found dead from stab wounds at the same day.
Two students from Virginia Tech have been charged in relation to the crime. An 18-year old named David Eisenhauer was charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping. Eisenhauer was identified as Nicole's online boyfriend whom she met through the Kik messaging app. The motive of the murder is still unknown.
His accomplice named Natalie Keepers, 19, was charged of being an accessory before the fact to first-degree murder. She was originally indicted with being an accessory after the fact but authorities later upgraded the charge after suspicions that the murder had been pre-meditated. She was accused of helping organize the murder as well as disposing the body.
Details on the investigation are still scarce. Police officers said that they are still in the early stages of the inquiry. Nicole's body was found in a North Carolina road which is two hours south of Virginia Tech campus. Attorney Mary Pettitt pronounced the cause of death was stabbing.
WJLA reported that the two suspects were bright and promising students in Virginia Tech. People who knew Eisenhauer and Keepers were shocked about their arrest. The Baltimore Sun named Eisenhauer as the Boys Indoor Track Performer of the Year. On the other hand, Keepers had an internship at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
A lead given by Stacy Snider, Nicole's neighbor, led the police to arrest Eisenhauer. Snider told authorities that Nicole mentioned she was meeting her 18-year old college boyfriend at the night of the murder, showing her Eisenhaeur's pictures and messages in Kik.
Kik is a popular messaging app among kids and teens. It allows users to remain anonymous and only requires a unique username. The anonymity is said to ensure that users can control who they interact with on Kik. However, it can also be used by pedophiles and online predators to target children, reported Business Insider.
Nicole's mother, Tammy Weeks, spoke about her daughter in tears during a news conference. Weeks said that Nicole battled with emotional and health problems since her childhood. She added that Nicole had been a victim of bullying at school because of her weight and a tracheotomy scar.
Police said that Eisenhauer used his online relationship with Nicole to lure and kill her. Eisenhauer said he believes that the truth will eventually set him free.
