Ex-Va. police official educates Farmville about occult

FARMVILLE -- More than 100 people attended a speech today about Juggalos, Wiccans, Satanism and vampires in the wake of September's quadruple homicide in Farmville.

Don Rimer, who studies ritual crime and the occult, spoke at Farmville United Methodist Church on these cultures and ritual crime.

"This is all about education. This is awareness and recognition about all of these behaviors, and the crimes associated with them," said Rimer, a retired veteran of the Virginia Beach Police Department.

But, he was quick to point out, that not all people associated with these beliefs are violent criminals.

The four-hour talk drew a diverse crowd to Farmville, which recently was thrust into the occult spotlight. Four people -- Longwood University professor Debra S. Kelley, 53; her estranged husband, Mark Niederbrock, 50; their daughter, Emma Niederbrock, 16; and Melanie Wells, 18, Emma's friend from Inwood, W.Va. -- were found bludgeoned to death Sept. 18 in Kelley's home.

Emma Niederbrock met the man charged in the killings online through a mutual interest in horrorcore rap music. Niederbrock and Kelley attended the church where today's workshop was held.

For details from the session, see tomorrow's Richmond Times-Dispatch.