Authorities have found a second suspect for the death of 13-year-old Nicole Lovell, whose remains were found in North Carolina on Saturday.
On Sunday, police charged 19-year old Natalie M. Keepers with one felony count of improper disposal of a dead body and one misdemeanor count of accessory after the fact in the commission of a felony -- according to a report from CNN.
Keepers was a Virginia Tech student, police said.
Police on Saturday charged 18-year-old David E. Eisenhauer, a second Virginia Tech student of Columbia, Maryland. The suspect was charged with murder and felony abduction for the death of Nicole Madison Lovell.
The victim was from Blacksburg where the tech campus is located.
The police on Sunday released a statement following the second student’s arrest, they said:
"Based on the evidence collected to date, investigators have determined that Eisenhauer and Nicole were acquainted prior to her disappearance”.
Authorities claim that Eisenhauer used his relationship with Lovell to his advantage so he can “abduct” and “then kill her”. Keepers’ role was to help Eisenhauer dispose the victim’s body.
New York Times reported that investigators of the case are still on the process of reconstructing the timeline of events which lead to the demise of Nicole, while also seeking for a motive. Also, the nature of Eisenhauer and the victim’s relationship is yet to be determined.
Nicole’s dad, David Lovell, expressed his grief in a status he shared on Facebook. "I'm so in shock I know nothing more to say. I'm broken!," he said.
Virginia Tech president Tim Sands also expressed his emotions over the unfortunate incident, according to a report from USA Today.
Sands said that the school community was “stunned and saddened” by Nicole’s untimely death.
"Our hearts go out to Nicole’s family and friends," Sands said.
At present, the university has offered counseling to students and others who might be experiencing emotional or mental distress over the news.
