Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Father found out his daughter was murdered on TV after police forgot to tell him

He called the mistake a 'screw-up'

Matt Payton
Thursday 11 February 2016 10:29 EST
Comments
David Lowell, Nicole's father, speaking to Dr Phil
David Lowell, Nicole's father, speaking to Dr Phil (CBS/Dr Phil)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A father only found out his teenage daughter had been murdered from a TV news report - because police forgot to inform him.

David Lowell's 13-year-old daughter, Nicole, had sneaked out of her bedroom in Virginia on 27 January.

Her body was found over the state line in North Carolina after a four-day search.

Despite calling it a "screw-up" - Mr Lowell said the authorities have apologised and he did not blame them for the mistake.

David Eisenhauer, aged 18
David Eisenhauer, aged 18 (Montgomery County Sheriff's Department)

Virginia Tech student David Eisenhauer, 18, has been charged with the abduction of Nicole and first-degree murder.

Another Virginia tech student, Natalie Keepers, 19, has been charged with accessory.

She stands accused of illegally dumping Nicole's body across the North Carolina state line.

Mr Lowell said he had raised concerns over her chatting to older men online but regrets not putting a stop to it.

Natalie Keepers, aged 19
Natalie Keepers, aged 19 (Montgomery County Sheriff's Department)

He told US talk show host Dr Phil: "If I would've been there, maybe she wouldn't have went looking for acceptance from older guys.

"There's regrets that I have that I'll never get over."

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in