Services held for Farmville slaying victims

FARMVILLE -- Debra S. Kelley was remembered yesterday at Farmville United Methodist Church as a dedicated Longwood University professor who was devoted to her students and acted to inspire them.

Later in the day, friends and church members gathered again at the church to celebrate the life of Kelley's 16-yearold daughter, Emma Niederbrock, describing her as a sweet and bashful girl who sang in the church's children's choir when she was little.

About 300 people attended Kelley's service, and about 100 came to Emma's. Emma's teenage friends described the angry and horrified thoughts that flashed through their minds when they heard about the bludgeoning deaths of Emma; Kelley; her estranged husband, Mark Niederbrock; and Emma's friend Melanie Wells, 18, who was visiting from West Virginia. All four bodies were found Sept. 18 in the home of Kelley and Emma in Farmville.

Richard Samuel Alden McCroskey III, 20, of Castro Valley, Calif., is charged with first-degree murder of Mark Niederbrock, and authorities say additional homicide charges are coming. He had met Emma through their mutual interest in horrorcore, a genre that combines rap music and violent lyrics focused on murder and satanism. McCroskey, who rapped about murder and voices in his head, was visiting Emma from California.

"In the face of horror and tragedy, we are claiming that God is stronger," said the Rev. Sylvia Meadows, senior minister of Farmville United Methodist, after the service for Kelley. "So there is still a celebratory air to it because we know that God is bigger than this and this is not the end. This is not the last word."

Kelley was a professor of sociology and criminal-justice studies who had resigned but still was on paid educational leave, said university spokesman Dennis Sercombe.

Longwood junior Lekiah Witcher of Chatham said before the service for Kelley that she had changed her major to criminal justice, partly with Kelley's encouragement.

"She was the best teacher I had here," Witcher said.

Another criminal-justice major, Autumn Richardson, said Kelley helped her get an internship at a state probation and parole office in Farmville.

"She was an amazing person. You could talk to her about everything," said Richardson, a 21-year-old senior from Newport News. "If there was anything troubling her, she didn't show it."

During the service, longtime family friend James F. Hodgson highlighted Kelley's accomplishments and shared praise of Kelley from e-mails sent by her students.

Niederbrock and Kelley used to attend Farmville United Methodist before Niederbrock became pastor of Walker's Presbyterian Church in Appomattox County. Emma sang in the children's choir when she was 6, said church member Hedy Thomas.

Meadows baptized Emma when she was 5. "She was not beyond the hands of God even as she challenged the system and rebelled and tried to find her own identity. . . . Ultimately, she's still a precious child of God," Meadows said.

Meadows told the teenagers attending Emma's service that the music they listen to affects them, and she urged them to listen to music that is good and pure.

Several teenagers remembered Emma as a caring person who spoke her mind and talked a lot about music.

In her middle school years, Emma was shy and quiet, said Rhonda Poulston and daughter Christina, 16. Christina and Emma were close friends, and Emma was so shy around Christina's brothers that she would cover her head with a coat, Rhonda Poulston recalled.

Emma and Christina would ride four-wheelers and go swimming together in the Appomattox River.

One week after the bodies were discovered, Christina said she was looking for pictures of Emma and came across a card Emma had given her. Christina said the card read, "I will try to pay more attention to my best friend." Emma had drawn pictures of two girls, one of whom was yelling, "Friends forever." The other was saying "Best friends."

Christina heard about the killings when a friend called her the day the bodies were found, Rhonda Poulston said. "She started crying and crying, and I said, 'What's going on,' and she said, 'It's Emma.'" They already were in the car, and they drove to the crime scene on First Avenue.

Emma's friend William Hamilton said he was so angry when he heard about the killings that he and some friends went driving around looking for McCroskey, who had been named as a suspect before police caught him Sept. 19 at Richmond International Airport. "I don't really know how to explain that feeling," Hamilton said.

"She was chill but exciting -- good person, good friend," said Hamilton, 18, of Prince Edward County.

"She loved life, basically to the fullest," he said. "Did everything her own way."

Contact Reed Williams at (804) 649-6332 or .