MONTGOMERY COUNTY (WSLS 10) - The motions hearings for Natalie Keepers wrapped up on Wednesday, two days ahead of schedule.
Keepers is charged with accessory before the fact in the murder of 13-year-old Nicole Lovell.
The hearings were scheduled to determine what can and cannot be admitted in court during her March trial. The judge did not make any decisions on Wednesday and will not make any for several weeks. The issue at hand was whether Keepers' confession to police about her involvement in Lovell's death can be admitted in court during her trial.
The defense claims she was coerced into making those incriminating statements. They also argued that police illegally held her before reading her her Miranda rights.
The Commonwealth argued that everything was done properly and therefore her confession should be allowed.
A forensic psychologist testified in court about Keepers' mental state shortly after Lovell was killed. He called her a masochist, self-destructive and borderline psychotic at the time of their interview, just a couple of months after Lovell's death.
Dr. Jonathan Mack gave Keepers an extensive mental health evaluation. He then diagnosed her with panic disorder, PTSD and borderline personality disorder, among other mental health issues and symptoms. He said he believes she was mentally ill at the time she was questioned by police and that her condition made her more susceptible to being coerced. He described some of her behavior with the police as childlike and said that she has the emotional maturity of a junior-high school aged child.
Interview clips played in court on Wednesday showed that Keepers told police she helped David Eisenhauer find a location to kill Lovell. She said he wanted it to be out of the public eye, but not too far from the road. She then said that Eisenhower was very thorough about it and never expected to get caught.
She said Eisenhower discussed different pills that might poison Lovell or make it look like a suicide.
She said he really wanted her to be present for the killing in case he needed help, but she said that was out of her comfort zone.
The commonwealth's attorney also made a reference to the fact that Keepers and Eisenhower may have had a sexual relationship at one point, but she did not elaborate on any evidence supporting that.
The judge said he will listen to all 27 hours of taped interviews between police and Keepers before he makes a decision on whether or not to allow her statements in court.
Keepers' trial is scheduled for March 27.