"What it really means is death in prison. Understandably, Debra and Mark felt uneasy about their minor daughter spending time with a 20-year-old man she had never met in person. We werent a Leave it to Beaver-type of family, she said. They . McCroskey was arraigned in Prince Edward General District Court in Farmville Monday morning and charged with murder, robbery and grand theft. Emma Niederbrock lived with her mother, Dr. Debra Kelley, in Farmville, Virginia. Virginia State Police investigators take pictures of the Farmville home where four people were found dead yesterday. Richard Samuel Alden McCroskey III, 21, pleaded guilty to two counts of capital murder and two counts of first-degree murder in the bludgeoning deaths of his girlfriend, Emma Niederbrock, 16, her mother and former Longwood University professor of sociology, Debra S. Kelley, 53; Kelley's estranged husband, Pastor Mark Niederbrock, 50; and Emma's She also wasnt attracted to him. [1] [2] Niederbrock's body was found along with three others at the scene. "This is an insidious and despicable industry that cheapens the lives of innocent crime victims.". Mark Niederbrock was killed with the tool when he came to check on them, according to CBS affiliate WTVR. It broke our confidence and we grew up with a lot of insecurities, she said. He explained during one of the many conversations he and Wells' mother had, which often involved fictitious stories of where her daughter and the family members were at, she told him to call the police since he felt uncomfortable. ", A Charlottesville mother who worked in and supported child advocacy organizations has been arrested and indicted on federal allegations that s, The U.S. Department of Educations Office for Civil Rights has launched an investigation into claims that faculty at the University of Virgini, Police at the University of Virginia are asking for the publics assistance to find a man suspected in a reported purse-jacking near the schoo, A foundation whose inability to keep its corporate papers up to date might learn a hard lesson if the judge hearing the so-called Charlottesvi, One of the five people charged in Septembers triple shooting at Mallside Forest apartment complex what police later described as gang activ. Harriette Cole: My friend's mom didn't recognize me at my job, and she was very rude, Ask Amy: I put a security camera in my room, and what I saw was creepy, Ask Amy: My fiancee's family says I'm not invited, and she's going without me, 'Total dominance': Steph Curry breaks NBA Game 7 record, leads Warriors over Kings, The dad whose wife and child were among 5 killed by a neighbor in Texas describes how the massacre unfolded, Dear Abby: The reason her fiance hid his phone was something she never guessed, Mortgage fees to rise for buyers with high credit scores, fall for those with lower scores, Kurtenbach: Game 7 is likely not win-or-go-home for the Warriors it's win-or-break-up, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. It was our way of escaping reality and finding a way to cope and relax, said McCroskey, who also is a musician now working for a music production company. Borum is a cousin of Kelley's and Dyson a close friend of Kelley's mother. He was an amateur Horrorcore rapper who went by the name Syko Sam. His lyrics mentioned corpses, mutilation, and murder; one song is conveniently titled, I Kill People For Real.. Rev. person will not be tolerated. They . Emmas parents were particularly troubled over her choice of music. Woman who left newborn to die next to Mississippi River learns fate Joe McCutchen holds Sunday service at Walker Presbyterian Church, in Pamplin, Va, on September 20, 2009. Ennis said McCroskey was angered by some text messages Emma sent from her phone during the festival. ", Ennis said, "Hopefully it will bring some measure of closure to the family. While there, Richard attacked him from behind with a hammer and beat him to death in the living room. In Prince Edward County, he's being called a murderer. Get started now at simplybuiltdigital.com and send us a message! Fall River, MA. We each had our own space and did our own thing., In high school, McCroskey and her brother were teased and picked on at school, mainly because of their weight and ginger hair. Prosecutors said that the women were bludgeoned with a wood-splitting tool while they slept on Sept. 15, 2009. They took Emma to see a therapist but there was little to no progress and in the end, they decided to support their daughter and her interests instead. Went to Tennyson High School. As officers made their way to the front door of the Niederbrock home, they were met with the overwhelming stench of decomposition. Niederbrock was murdered with three others on Sept. 18, 2009. He described the timelines of the homicides, three of which occurred on Sept. 15 approximately 3 a.m. in the morning. You have permission to edit this article. Richard Samuel Alden McCroskey III was captured Sept. 19 after police found him asleep at Richmond International Airport. His attorney, Cary Bowen, said after the hearing that the prospect of the death penalty was a major factor. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). A friend said McCroskey, Emma and her friend were brought together by horrorcore music. Rev. Investigators went to the home, where a man matching McCroskey's description told them the girls had gone to the movies. We offer a full website redesign, website hosting, free SSL security, and 60 minutes of monthly updates. Works at Monster Energy. That's where our website package comes in. } Crime scene investigators survey the back yard of a house on First Avenue in Farmville, Virginia where police found four bodies in the house Friday. Photo taken Saturday, September 19, 2009. "I will look into these matters further as time allows. A Virginia State Police investigator prepares a camera in front of the Farmville home where four people were found dead yesterday. "For about 15 years, this is what I do. He pleaded guilty and was given four life sentences. Mark Alan Niederbrock, Jan Somers Niederbrock (right) leaves a graveside service for her son at Walker's Presbyterian Church in Hixburg, Va. on Sept. 24, 2009. Critics say theyll make bias worse. Because of Richard McCroskey, parents now have to ask themselves whether extreme entertainment--from gory rock to homemade slasher films-- could ever become reality. This picture is from his MySpace page. A website is often the first impression a customer has of your business, and if it's not up to par, it can be detrimental to your success. Debra was a criminal justice professor and her ex-husband, Rev. When the mother still didn't hear from her daughter Friday, police went to the home and found the bodies. .component--type-recirculation .item:nth-child(5) { We both fell into the wrong crowd. He was given a court-appointed attorney and a preliminary hearing was set for Jan. 11. It'srare that homicidal fans areperformers themselves. Kelley, an associate professor of sociology at Longwood University, was one of four victims discovered bludgeoned to death in her Farmville residence on Friday, Sept. 18. Its unclear what took place at the show that ultimately set Richard off, however, on September 15 at 3 am, he took an axe from their backyard and bludgeoned Debra, Emma, and Melanie to death as they slept. Ennis described McCroskey as a "closed-off individual." Farmville police Capt. 2010 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. McCroskey's family did not attend the hearing. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, Ennis said McCroskey will go to a diagnostic facility and will likely be detained at Red Onion State Penitentiary in Wise County. Instead, McCroskey surprised the court by pleading guilty to two counts of first-degree murder of Kelley Emma Niederbrock and two counts of capital murder of Melanie Wells and Mark Niederbrock. He then walked upstairs into Kelley's office, killing her, and made his way to Emma in her downstairs bedroom. Of the murderabilia phenomenon, Hodgson, who knew three of McCroskey's victims, said, "Most of us believe in the need to know and freedom of the press and freedom of information, but sometimes you wonder. Richard Samuel McCroskey Farmville, VA Murder House 505 First Avenue Farmville, VA The house in Farmville, VA where the boyfriend brutally murdered his girlfriend, her friend and her parents. One of McCroskey's lawyers, Cary B. Bowen, said he and Ennis "would be pretty disappointed if Sam started to do that.". A signed, 4-by-6 glossy color photo of McCroskey holding an inverted crucifix sold for $25. He was an amateur Horrorcore rapper who went by the name 'Syko Sam.' . Quadruple-murder suspects sister has received, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), First Republic Bank seized, sold to JPMorgan Chase, Quadruple-murder suspects sister has received death threats over Virginia slayings. Richard Alden Samuel McCroskey III is now accused of killing a Virginia pastor, with authorities saying Sunday they expect to charge him in three more slayings at the home of a college. Photos; Connections. Here, Huskey, who has been a member of the congregation for over 40 years, hugs Janice Dowdy after Sunday service on September 20, 2009. Pink hair is Emma Niederbrock, brown hair is Melanie Wells. Ennis said members of the victims' families supported the decision to reach the plea agreement instead of going to trial and seeking the death penalty. "Over the course of the last eight weeks, we've met with the various family members and went through the case with them." Richard Samuel McCroskey III a 20-year-old rapper in the underground genre of "Horrorcore" who sang of chopping people into pieces has been arrested in connection with the slayings. Prosecutors said Monday they had to investigate hundreds of pieces of forensic evidence in their case against an aspiring 20-year-old rapper from California suspected of killing a Virginia pastor and three other people. He said when McCroskey was asked why he killed the additional three instead of only his girlfriend, he replied, "Wrong place, wrong time.". 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Mark Niederbrock, was a church pastor who lived nearby. Richard Alden Samuel McCroskey III is now accused of killing a Virginia pastor, with authorities saying Sunday they expect to charge him in three more slayings at the home of a college. 30-something TBI survivor + storyteller powered by caffeine & my feline overlords https://medium.com/@fatimhemraj/membership, https://medium.com/@fatimhemraj/membership. A DuckDuckGo extension in your browser, please access Newser without it: Either by removing it, whitelisting us, or using another browser. After he pleaded guilty to two counts of capital murder and two counts of first-degree murder Richard Samuel Alden McCroskey III is transported from the Prince Edward Circuit Court in Farmville VA Mon. Mark Niederbrock on Sept. 24, 2009. . He couldnt do it.. Marshals Service, which raised more than $230,000 for Kaczynski's victims and their families. He's expected to face more charges in the future, after investigators sift through hundreds of pieces of forensic evidence. Operator in limo crash that killed 20 goes on trial in Schoharie, NY "This is not something from the Sam I know," he said. (AP Photo/via Farmville Police Department) ecct0923cvkiller01, Sarah McCroskey, of Castro Valley, is the sister of Richard Alden Samuel McCroskey and is seen here in San Lorenzo, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2009. In 2009, he brutally murdered four. I just fell to my knees. Some 'Syko Sam' videos were posted on YouTube after theSeptember 18 killings, apparently not by McCroskey himself but someonewith the screen name"SykoSam666.''. Gein said public interest in what he does far outweighs the criticism and points to the television show as evidence. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism He said "there are a number of factors relating to why" police couldn't identify the victims. McCroskey and Niederbrock got into an argument at the concert and McCroskey killed her, her mother and Wells the next morning while they slept. The episode was titled "Living With The Dead.". "In the 12-plus years I've been monitoring this industry, this is the first time I've ever run across a particular defendant requesting pictures of his victims," Kahan said. more like a boy pretending to be a psycho than an actual psycho himself. Rev. Friends and members at Walker's Presbyterian Church in Hixburg, Va. hug eachother after a graveside service for Rev. McCroskey said her brother has been placed on suicide watch. Wheneverfans of a fringe musical genre--from black metal to Marilyn Manson--commit a crime,we questionwhether the violence was influenced bythe music or whetherviolent kids, along with more harmless fans, are just more likely to seek it out. Richard Alden Samuel McCroskey is on Facebook. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Adults were horrified when Alice Cooper sang about necrophilia and staged mock hangingsback in the 1970s. Niederbrock was murdered with three others on Sept. 18, 2009. Three of his victims, Emma Niederbrock, 16; Melanie Wells, 18; Emma's mother, Debra S. Kelley, 53, a Longwood University professor; were beaten to death as they slept. So far, attempts to define it in the light of McCroskey's alleged killingshave been nebulous. Pink hair is Emma Niederbrock, brown hair is Melanie Wells (center). Kelley and Mark Niederbrock took Emma, McCroskey and Wells to the "Wicked" horrorcore music festival in Detroit, Mich. a few days before the homicides. Prince Edward County Commonwealth Attorney James Ennis during press conference in Farmville VA Tues. Sept. 22, 2009 to announce the names of the 4 victims of recent homicide. . Richard Samuel McCroskey III -- a 20-year-old rapper in the underground genre of "Horrorcore" who sang of chopping people into pieces -- has been arrested in connection with the slayings. Killing of human beings is really a bad crime. We have four people dead here. He added there were no defensive wounds on the victims. I couldnt see. McCroskey recorded horrorcore music, which sets violent lyrics to hip-hop beats, and his songs spoke of death, murder and mutilation. Prior to the slayings, McCroskey, also known as "SykoSam," was an aspiring so-called "horrorcore" rap artist fascinated with death and mutilation. Richard told friends that Emma was his online girlfriend.. [3] He said McCroskey plans to write a statement for the victims' families sometime this week. display: block; Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. All rights reserved (About Us). Trump motion to declare mistrial in E. Jean Carroll lawsuit denied, Tornado hits Virginia Beach, likely damaging hundreds of homes, Transgender Montana lawmaker Zooey Zephyr sues over censure, Debt ceiling standoff heats up over veterans' programs, Texas man who lost wife and son in shooting shares story, NYPD officer Troy Patterson dies 33 years after being shot in robbery, Supreme Court to hear case that could curb power of federal agencies, The weirdest items passengers leave behind in Ubers, Richard "Sam" McCroskey, June 22, 2010 (AP Photo/Steve Helber), Woman who left newborn to die next to Mississippi River learns fate, Operator in limo crash that killed 20 goes on trial in Schoharie, NY, Arkansas woman indicted for selling stolen body parts to Pennsylvania man, October 6, 2009 - "Syko" Sam's Alleged Victims Remembered, Suspect Was Horrorcore Rapper, September 21, 2009 - "Syko Sam" Horrorcore Rapper Killed Pastor Plus Three, Say Cops. Be Proactive. College. On September 20, 2010, McCroskey pleaded guilty to the quadruple homicide. Victim(s): Mark Niederbrock, Dr. Debra S. Kelley, Emma Niederbrock, Melanie Wells. But friends and family may operate such sites, he said. Or, if you like, you can send me lifeblood to keep me going. McCroskey's request for photos surprised Kahan, who spotted the plea.