Two Virginia Tech Students, MD Natives Facing Charges After Missing Girl Found Dead

BLACKSBURG, VA - Two Virginia Tech students and Maryland natives are facing charges in connection with abduction and death of a missing Blacksburg girl.

The four-day search for missing 13-year-old Nicole Madison Lovell came to an end around 4 p.m. Saturday when Virginia State Police found her remains just inside Surry County in North Carolina, police in Blacksburg said in a news release.

“This is a sad day for the Blacksburg community. As a parent, I know that this is an unbearable loss for the Lovell family. And as the Mayor, while I know that Blacksburg is a safe community, on occasion the Town and the Virginia Tech community have suffered inexplicable tragedies such as this,” Blacksburg mayor Ron Rordam said in a statement.

Lovell went missing Jan. 27 between the hours of midnight and 7 a.m. from her home in Blacksburg. She took prescription medication daily from a liver transplant and was believed to be without it, police said.

Lovell’s family found a dresser pressed up against her bedroom door and believes she climbed out a window, the Roanoke Times reported.

David E. Eisenhauer, 18, of Columbia was arrested Saturday morning in connection with Lovell’s disappearance at his on-campus home and charged with one felony count of abduction. After Lovell’s remains were found, Eisenhauer was further charged with first-degree murder.

On Sunday, Blacksburg police announced the arrest of Natalie M. Keepers, 19, of Laurel. Keepers is charged with improper disposal of a body and accessory after the fact in the commission of a felony. Keepers is a sophomore and general engineering student at the university.

Police said Eisenhauer and Lovell knew each other prior to her disappearance and he used the relationship to his advantage by adbucting and then killing the 13-year-old. Keepers helped Eisenhauer dispose of the body, police said.

Both Eisenhauer and Keepers are being held without bond at the Montgomery County Jail in Virginia.

“This has been an extremely fast investigation within the past 12 hours, “ Blacksburg police chief Anthony Wilson said in a statement. “And we still have a great deal to do as there are multiple interviews to conduct and evidence to be collected and analyzed as we reconstruct the timeline of events leading up to Nicole’s tragic death.”

Police said Eisenhauer did not admit to involvement in Lovell’s death and authorities found her remains through a series of tips, the Roanoke Times reported.

Eisenhauer attended Wilde Lake High School and was a star track athlete. In 2015, he was named the Howard County boys indoor track athlete of the year. He was listed as a long distance runner on Virginia Tech’s track and field team until his bio was removed following his arrest.

Virginia Tech issued the following statement on the case:

Blacksburg Police have announced the arrest of a Virginia Tech student in connection to the case of missing Blacksburg resident Nicole Madison Lovell.

The student arrested is David Eisenhauer of Columbia, Maryland, a freshman majoring in engineering. In the case of a felony arrest, the university has the authority to place a student on immediate interim suspension.

The entire Virginia Tech community extends its support to Nicole’s family and friends. The university is also reaching out to our campus community and the greater New River Valley community who may be affected by the events that have occurred over the several days.

Blacksburg Police continues to lead this ongoing investigation and the university will assist law enforcement agencies working the case in any way it can. The Virginia Tech Police Department has been actively involved in the search and investigation, and over the past 36 hours, hundreds of students in the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets as well as students and researchers conducting autonomous aircraft (or drone) research have assisted in the search.

Those with information or questions related to this case should contact to Lt. Mike Albert of the Blacksburg Police Department at 540-961-1150.

The investigation remains active and anyone with information is asked to contact Blacksburg police at 540-961-1150. The office of the medical examiner in Roanoke will conduct an autopsy.

Pictured Left: David E. Eisenhauer

Pictured Right: Natalie M. Keepers