Suspect arrested in four Farmville slayings
Farmville police
Police say Richard Samuel Alden McCroskey III offered no resistance when he was arrested.
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Police captured a young California man at Richmond International Airport yesterday who is the suspect in the slayings of four people at the Farmville home of a Longwood University professor.
Farmville police confirmed only the identity of Mark Niederbrock, pastor at Walker's Presbyterian Church in the Hixburg area of Appomattox County, among the victims found Friday at the home of Debra S. Kelley, a Longwood professor from whom he was separated. The other victims were females, police said.
Kelley and Niederbrock have a daughter, Emma. Another teen was believed to be visiting at the home.
The suspect, Richard Samuel Alden McCroskey III, 20, of Castro Valley, Calif., was found sleeping at a baggage area at Richmond International Airport and arrested without incident about 11:25 a.m. He had stolen a car from the home, wrecked it before leaving the Farmville area and arrived at the airport in a cab, authorities said.
McCroskey has been charged only in the death of Mark Niederbrock, officials say.
One of his MySpace pages on the Internet included apparent correspondence with Emma Niederbrock, who appeared to have left a message about two weeks ago saying she was looking forward to seeing him. Throughout yesterday, friends of Niederbrock posted condolence messages. Although she doesn't use her name on her MySpace page, friends posted messages and e-mails to one another throughout the day naming her and mourning her death.
On his other MySpace page, McCroskey listed a song called "Murderous Rage" that references getting rid of bodies "before the corpses start to get to rotting."
Wade Stimpson, acting chief of the Farmville Police Department, said McCroskey and one of the victims recently had attended a music event in Michigan.
Police said the state medical examiner's office likely won't have positive identification or cause of death for the victims until tomorrow. They declined to discuss motive or how the victims were killed. They also were trying to determine when they were killed.
At least two of the bodies were so badly decomposed that they will have to be identified by dental records, said Dennis Sercombe, a Longwood vice president.
John Goin, an elder at Walker's Presbyterian, said Niederbrock was last seen at a church event Wednesday evening.
Officers were alerted to Kelley's home at 505 First Ave., a few blocks from campus, on Thursday when the visiting teen's mother called from West Virginia to say she was worried about her daughter, who was supposed to be staying at the house.
Police checked the home that day, and McCroskey answered the door and said the daughter had gone to the movies and also that he had talked to her mother, Stimpson said. Authorities confirmed that the mother had spoken to a man by phone who told her the same thing, so police were not suspicious.
On Friday, the mother contacted police again and asked them to make a second check. An officer arrived shortly after 3 p.m. and smelled what he believed was a decomposing body. Police entered the home about 4 p.m. and found three bodies before obtaining a search warrant to re-enter and find the fourth body.
Police said McCroskey stole Niederbrock's car but wrecked it sometime Friday before 7 a.m. The car was towed.
McCroskey was seen about 7 that morning at Sheetz on South Main Street in Farmville after he was dropped off there, Stimpson said.
He told a clerk at Sheetz that he was waiting on a ride to the airport and he was seen both inside and outside the store, officials said. It was not immediately clear how long he was there or how he left, but he arrived at the airport by cab, police said.
It is unclear what McCroskey was doing between the time he was seen at the airport Friday and when airport police officer Keith Baty and Cpl. Richard Miles found him in the baggage-claim area, slumped on a bench asleep, apparently waiting for his flight.
McCroskey had a plane ticket to fly to California today and was seen at the airport Friday about 1 p.m. He tried to get an earlier flight but he did not have enough money to cover the $150 change fee.
The officers said McCroskey, tired and groggy, identified himself truthfully to the officers. The officers told the suspect he was wanted for questioning in Farmville and "he just kind of nodded his head," Miles said.
The officers kept him handcuffed in their office and brought him a sandwich and a soft drink, they said. The suspect "was sitting there real calmly, almost nonchalant," said Troy Bell, an airport spokesman.
"I don't know what I would have expected but this wasn't it -- just too calm," Bell said.
Farmville police picked up the suspect at the airport about 2 p.m. He is charged with murder, robbery and grand larceny.
Authorities said he likely will appear in Prince Edward County General District Court in person or by video teleconference on Monday.
Contact Reed Williams at (804) 649-6332 or
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Staff writers Karin Kapsidelis, Michael Martz and Luz Lazo contributed to this report.
Reader Reactions
I feel for these families but to blame it on music? you are retarded. Anyone who listen to a cd/album and decides to go kill people has nothing to do with the music, it obviously has to do with mental problems/retardation or an excuse that isn’t true. I’ve been a touring musician for 20 years, I listened to Slayer and plenty of other metal bands that could be labeled as as “Satanic”(that by the way are not) & I have never hurt/maimed/ or killed even an animal, I won’t even go hunting. I’m so tired of you suburban idiots tryin’ to blame it on music or a certain group. If your so stupid that you would hear a cd and go kill people, you need to look at the parents, cause thats were it starts, abuse at home, killing animals, things of that nature. Music is the same as movies, a fantasy, an outlet that is no different than a book. I guess we should blame “Catcher in the Rye” or the millions of other books we were forced to read in high school that involved not only murder, but serial murder & dismemberment, how bout the bible? is that the reason now? guess we should blame Jesus and the bible? have you ever read the whole bible? makes a slayer album look like a romance novel. How bout “Silence of the Lambs”, “The Godfather”, I can name thousands of movies that kid saw that could influence the same thing but no, it’s always a band. Get real, don’t raise crazy kids, & if you do, GET HELP FOR THEM!!!!! ONE WORD=PROZAC!!!!
I wanna start off by saying even though i didn’t know these people,i feel for their family and friends.And they will be greatly missed.I’ve lived in the prince edward area close to a year and never thought anything like this could would happen here.It’s such a quite town and the people here are wonderful.My prayers go out to the family..
I also want to point something out that’s kind of bothering me a little bit.I’m a Juggalette,or what you would call a female Juggalo.It has come to my attention that some people are blaming “juggalo’s” and the music because of this behavior.Yes,some of the lyrics are vulgar and offensive but nobody is telling you to go out and do these things.I’m also going to say that I believe in God and i’m not a satanist.I’ve tried to explain to others that not every “juggalo” believes in that.It’s a persons choice of religion,i don’t worship satan or anything in that nature at all.I’ve grown up in a christian home and i believe in god and it makes me made when people blame it on the music.When someone has the ability of knowing right or wrong regardless of what music they listen to.I can tell that this guy was sick in the head and obviously had major problems.He should get what ever punishment they give him because no one has the right to take a life..I just feel i have to defend myself because i listen to ICP and some people automatically think i worship satan.And that’s definetely not the case at all.I live my life normally,with my family and friends i just listen to different music than other people.Now this whole SKR music is something i would never listen to because it’s way to dark and of course talks about satan..
Neways,i will pray for their family and friends and hope they get justice because nobody deserves to go like that.But i know that they are in heaven and they are with god.Safe and sound.
They and their families will be in my prayers.
I am appalled at the comments about Longwood University, is that all anyone cares about? These people are DEAD, murdered, gone. The guy is gone, he wasn’t even from Farmville. He was from California. I knew one of the girls that was murdered, and knew of the girl she was visiting. This is awful and shocking; it feels like a bad dream, like she’s going to come back any minute and say it was a tasteless joke. These people she started hanging out with are satanists and claim to be “wicked.“ I wish she was still here and never got into it. Goodbye Melanie, I’ll miss you.
OK. So I feel like there is a lot of blaming and arguing going on here rather then a community and a university coming together. Yes Farmville and Longwood are separate but they are also connected. We share many of the same facilities and interact with one another on a daily basis. Many Farmville and Longwood students/faculty live among one another. I for one know for a fact that Longwood students live in the houses surrounding the incident. Yes, this was sadly an isolated incident that involved a family and the daughter’s “boyfriend” from California, but it is still scary for EVERYONE (Farmville and Longwood) to hear about. I do agree that Longwood and the Farmville residences should have been notified just so people could be aware and practice BETTER personal safety practices, that should be practiced on a daily basis. Incidents like this do happen in big cities and all across the country and not everyone is always informed, however, this is a much smaller community that does not have much serious crime. I know the people of Farmville and Longwood are good people and just want the best for our JOINT community. So when something like this happens it’s easy for everyone to be effected or involved. I think that the Farmville police did an excellent job, I mean really they got this guy within 24hours of finding the bodies, however, I do believe that there should have been better media coverage for everyone to be aware. After all it was a Friday evening (that the bodies were found) when people like to go out (not just Longwood students but also Farmville residents and their families). I also believe that parents should have been notified if only to let them know. I know that if a crime like this had happened near a loved on of mine, I would want to know. This is not just because Longwood students need their “hands held” or “mommy and daddy’s help”, Longwood Students are away from home and their loved ones just want to know that everything is okay. Even if my grandmother lived in Farmville, I would want to get in contact with her or have the media there to know that everyone is okay. What if there was a fire in the Farmville Wal-mart at 6pm. I’m pretty sure the people of Farmville would want to be notified in case there was LOVED ONE inside. It’s not about Longwood needing to feel superior to Farmville in needing a notification or feeling like we are better and deserve one, it’s just the fact of know everyone is okay, Farmville residents included. I really feel like Farmville and Longwood need to get past their differences with one another and come together now to mourn the lose of Farmville residents and a Longwood professor. I know everyone is looking for a lot of answers to questions and feeling different emotions about the situation, but bashing one another isn’t going to change what happened. Now is the time to comfort one another to get past this horrific tragedy.
As a former student, and sibling to a current student, it’s always hard to hear about tragedies that take place around an area I have held dear to me for a number of years. My heart goes out to the Wells family and those close with the Kelley’s.
I was always able to keep in close touch with my parents when I was a student, and often turned to them in times like these. To say Longwood should be obligated to contact parents in absurd. That would not only take man power they can’t afford to give up at a time like that, but could also possibly create mass panic among parents who either have kids who don’t always answer their phone [I’m guilty of that…I always have my ringer off]. Parents can sign up for the same emergency text/email system as their child through the university. I signed the release forms so information could be released by the university to my parents, but that in no ways makes Longwood responsible to contact them as often as they contacted me or my brother.
I also believe that the community should have known as soon if not sooner than the student body. A murder two blocks from my home a year ago was a community issue. A murder on First Ave in Farmville now is a community issue. I read the story about the crimes in the early evening by checking the news. Students aren’t and shouldn’t be above local news media. When you move to Longwood, you understand you are becoming a part of that tight knit family and community of the University and local area. It’s part of the draw, in my opinion.
I give my respect to the Farmville and Longwood PD for all the work you’re putting into this, as well as all the departments working to keep the students and community abreast of any new information. Thank you to the RTD for being on top of the story.
This man deserves nothing less than the harshest punishment possible. But, to set the record straight on the insanity plea; less than 1% of all cases even attempt the insanity plea and less than 1% of those that attempt it are ever successful. For those that are successful they are thrown into a system the is inconceivably difficult to get out of and not much different from prison. In most cases people who successfully receive an NGRI (not guilty by reason of insanity) plea spend a higher average number of years behind bars than if they would have been convicted and sentenced. Granted you cannot execute the mentally ill so therefore in cases where someone is executed these statistics don’t hold, but against prison sentences they do. Just thought I’d straighten that out since Hollywood has distorted the insanity plea beyond comprehension, as they do most things.
I have a sister at Longwood and this has truly devastated the whole community. Continue to pray for the victims and their families and pray that justice will be served.
This isn’t the first time this genre of music has been under scrutiny and raised as extremely questionable. The Modesto Bee ran an article about this whole genre being labeled as a gang. http://www.modbee.com/crime/story/770584.html
One follower/fan says he hopes they don’t get a bad “rap” for a few bad apples. But that’s just it - BAD RAP.
People engaged in this type of lifestyle thinks it’s pretend, but they glorify murder and destruction to the nth degree - and sit in disbelief when something like this ACTUALLY happens. And it’s been happening more than we here in Virginia know about it. Read the Modesto Article.
Their argument is “no sane person would take this literally”—but when you are marketing to extremely impressionable teenage boys and young men - who might I add obviously have nothing better to do than come up with the new “ritualistic homicide” rap song, it can create an atmosphere for mental illness to arise. And while they have so many arguments that the music is not to blame - they would be right. It’s the mentality behind it that is disturbing.
Wake up people! Stop being so destructive and influencing others to do the same. Stop deceiving yourselves. The arguments you make about “just because I listen to this music doesn’t mean I’m going to go kill someone” is ridiculous. If you even have to put that sentence together because it’s questionable - something is obviously not right.
Rapper, Mario Delgado aka “Mars”, apparently was one of the suspect’s favorite. He claims his violent lyrics do not condone murder. However, this is not the first time he’s been associated with a young man who has gone off the deep end. That’s great he doesn’t condone it - but where’s the condemning this flippant attitude towards life?
Let’s Get Real!
this killer says Jesus told me to do it..i don’t know what Jesus he knows but it is not the one i know.He would not tell someone to kill people.this is a cop out he is already trying to get off by insanity.may he receive the appropriate punishment.I will Pray for the family of these victims
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