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Family of Nicole Lovell petitioning Gov. Northam to increase sentence for David Eisenhauer

Eisenhauer sentenced to 50 years in prison for murdering Nicole in 2016

BLACKSBURG, Va. – There's a new petition to get more jail time for a newly convicted killer.

David Eisenhauer was sentenced for the 2016 murder of 13-year-old Nicole Lovell on June 26 and will spend 50 years in prison, but her family wants him away for life.

Summer nights are different for Nicole Lovell's mom these days.

Tammy Weeks-Dowdy finds peace with her dog and her family to keep her going.

"It's hard at times, my mornings are the worst, because that's when I usually would get her up and get her medicine and then going to see her at the grave, it's hard," said Weeks-Dowdy.

The dog, with a fitting name of Panda, one of Nicole's favorite things, helps them through the pain.

There's been a lot of it after learning her daughter's killer, David Eisenhauer, will spend 50 years in jail.

"He will have a life at 60-years-old, my daughter doesn't get that. She doesn't get any of that. And they get to go see him in jail, see him through a glass, I don't get that," said Weeks-Dowdy.

Her family began a petition appealing to Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam for a harsher sentence.

They say they want it to go to the top.

Since it started during, the weekend, it has received more 2,000 signatures.

"It's awesome to know that everybody supports how I felt. It wasn't fair," said Weeks-Dowdy.

Nicole's family hopeful something will actually come of this and it won't be ignored.

They say anything short of life is an injustice to Nicole.

"This is not revenge, it's not enough time, if it was your daughter or your child would you think it's enough time?" said Weeks-Dowdy.

It's unclear if Northam has any power to change the sentence.