The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

(CNN) -- Elizabeth McCutchen and a friend were walking to book club two weeks ago in quaint Farmville, Virginia, when they strolled by a home on First Avenue. "Something smells dead," her friend said.
Richard Samuel McCroskey has been arrested in connection with the killings of four people in Virginia.

Richard Samuel McCroskey has been arrested in connection with the killings of four people in Virginia.


They were thinking animal. A dog, a cat, something like that. They never imagined they were smelling the remains of massacred humans. It was Thursday, September 17. But another 24 hours would pass before police made the gruesome discovery.

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. The crime scene was so horrifying police would not even describe it, saying only that the victims died of blunt force trauma.

The victims were Mark Niederbrock, 50, the beloved pastor at Walker's Presbyterian Church; his 16-year-old daughter, Emma Niederbrock; Melanie Wells, Emma's 18-year-old friend from West Virginia; and Niederbrock's estranged wife, Debra Kelley, 53, a professor at Longwood University.

McCroskey has been charged only in the killing of Mark Niederbrock. Police and the prosecutor's office did not return repeated phone calls from CNN. But in late September, authorities said more charges are pending.

Emma was described as a fan of Horrorcore and had met McCroskey through their mutual affection for the little-known music genre. Police said she invited McCroskey to fly from his northern California home, stay with her in Virginia and then attend the Strictly for the Wicked Festival, a Horrorcore fest in Michigan featuring bands with names like Dismembered Fetus and Phrozen Body Boy.

Nobody saw what would come next.
Anderson Cooper 360
The latest on the investigation into the Virginia murders on AC360.
Wednesday, 10pm ET
see full schedule »

The slayings have been the talk of Farmville, a town of 7,000 that is home to Longwood University and nearby Hampden-Sydney College. Senseless is the word you hear most.

It's not just the macabre nature of the killings that has people talking. It's the grotesque lyrics of the Horrorcore singer; it's that it happened under their noses.

McCroskey is a young man with no criminal record who took delight in the blend of horror hip-hop that celebrated macabre killings. He went by the name Syko Sam. In one YouTube video, he holds a hatchet and sings about killing people and putting their remains in black bags: "Last night I was the murderous rage. Now, I gotta get rid of the bodies before the corpses start to get to rotting."
Don't Miss

* WWBT: Mother, daughter laid to rest in Farmville
* WWBT: 'Horrorcore' rapper tipped Farmville police

'Stinkiest rascal I've ever smelled'

Authorities have not specified when the Virginia killings occurred, but at 4 a.m. on Friday, September 18, tow-truck driver Elton Napier was called out to Poor House Road to help McCroskey, whose car was stuck.

Napier said McCroskey was wearing a black-hooded sweatshirt and "was really smelling bad, like real bad. I can't describe it."

McCroskey was driving Mark Niederbrock's Honda. Napier said two sheriff's deputies were at the scene and McCroskey was ticketed for driving without a license. At the time, authorities didn't know the pastor had been slain.

When McCroskey hopped into Napier's flatbed, the tow-truck driver said he started gagging from the odor and immediately rolled down the windows.

"I just held my head out the window so the wind would hit me in the face," he said. "That was the stinkiest rascal I've ever smelled."

Napier drove McCroskey about four miles to a convenience store. McCroskey told Napier he was visiting his girlfriend and her father lent him the car. McCroskey fetched a black bag from the Honda before they parted. Napier went inside to get a cup of coffee.

According to police, McCroskey eventually caught a cab to Richmond International Airport. By mid-afternoon that same day, police found the bodies at the home on First Avenue. McCroskey was arrested the next day at the airport, where he had spent the night.

When he was being led to jail, McCroskey told reporters, "Jesus told me to do it."

Suspect's family, community grieve

Sarah McCroskey of California told CNN-affiliate WWBT that her brother had been looking forward to his visit to Virginia for weeks. She mourned his arrest and struggled with the accusations against him. "I want to hear his voice. I am so concerned, so worried -- not just for him [but] other people, other families involved dealing with this loss," she said. Read WWBT's special coverage

Defense attorney Cary Bowen told CNN, "I don't want to say he's in shock. That's a medical term, but it's a big experience for him. ... I'm not sure he gets the severity of everything right now."

The community is still devastated by the events as it struggles to move forward. Memorial services were held over the weekend for Emma Niederbrock and her mother, Debra Kelley.

The Rev. Sylvia Meadows of Farmville United Methodist Church baptized Emma at age 5 and her father when he was an adult. The pastor said the church has invited an occult specialist to speak with members of the community to help them come to grips with the dark side of humanity.

"We have looked evil in the face and cannot deny that it exists," Meadows said. "God is stronger than evil. God is bigger."

Luther Glenn, a member of Walker's Presbyterian Church where Niederbrock was pastor, took issue with McCroskey's comment about Jesus telling him to act. "I think it's deeply rooted in Satan, if you want to know the truth."

Elizabeth McCutchen, who passed the First Avenue home some time after the slayings, said the killings have affected every fabric of the community: the churches, the colleges, and their youth.

"This is the kind of town that goes to the rescue of survivors, but there's nobody [left] -- we can't do anything about it," she said.

"It's been really, really upsetting."


CNN's Gary Tuchman and Susan Chun contributed to this report.
----------Now, for my questions:
The article mentions an occultist specialist, is horrorcore occult related? Is such an occurrence " predictable when a preachers child rebels? What other factors ( besides the music genre) set this in motion?

Please avoid posting how horrorcore is "misunderstood", my limited exposure, makes it clear it is sardonic material. But what causes (in your educated opinion) a group to cross the line, could the fathers occupation be a factor? The daughters relation to her father?

Yes, from what I have seen in life ..preachers children are rebels. And as for Emma..well...did her father allow the boy to stay with them? Odd for a preacher man, don't you think?

It has alot to do with rebellion and teenage angst.

But when it comes to these types of murders, the entertainer's persona can take on a life of it's own, the entertainer becomes their persona.

They believe everything they're alter-ego has done and will do.

I'm guessing he let his alter-ego take over, when he was confronted about something, or just got pissy.

Usually when someone's persona takes over, they give it a voice to coax them into mental sedation. So what they're about to do is not as overwhelming or not overwhelming at all.

As for the occultist. Many christians believe that subcultures have a pagan foundation, and all members of that subculture have dark and demonic views. That they literally worship evil.

Indeed ,shamefuly pagans will experience fall out from someone with gratitous motives, that appears to have alternative practices, or beliefs. As the case developes the media will hype that morsel.

Fundamentalist thrive off implied occult murders. They lump wicca, paganism, satanism, and the occult together. When not all wicca, pagens, and satanist are occultist. Those who adopt sensational gratuitous persona ( as bm states) often perpetuate skewed anti pagan campaign material, along with hollywood. Peer pressure, and perhaps peer mocking goad the mentally compromised young adult to act in concert with others.

I feel a person has to have it in them to want to do something so horrible to begin with and everything else just fuels their desire or motive of curiousity as to carry the act out. People like that *murders, rapest etc..* should get the death penalty in my opinion why take a chance of a repeat performance.

Morbid T, I share your opinion. A predisposition is need to exercise such violent acts, even if he was a follower of others. Those who are shocked, seek a go to cause ( the occult, and the music genre) a "cause" that their god will "defeat".

Very well put dabbler and thank you .

I see it more like another political assult and another mindless attack on the entire Goth community at whole, just like those "Vampire Killers" from Florida a few years back.

They hardly ever scutinize the vicious murders that do evil in the 'Name of God" like that woman who drowned all five of her kids in a tub, (believe) it was in Texas. Claiming "God" told her to do it! Give me a break!
No they just claim them as being mentally sick and in need of help. Never do they state it was due to certain written verses they may have misinterpetted reading or while listening to something. Or perhaps even someones preachings being misconstruded.

I am sorry, but it really burns me when media and political officials use this stuff to try and destroy the Goth world and deem us as being all evil individuals.
Just like they did in trying to ban lyrics from music on a political avenue insisting they encourage these horrible tragedies.

Seriously, murder occurred since the dawn of time and will even continue if there was no Goth of any kind!

Roma you hit a note, what of the murders done by the fundamentalist group the army of god? The competative behaviour to appear " holier then thou" thru actions, is parraled by " more evil then thou" both wrapped in sensational idealism, that a god, devil, or occult icon favored their action. Those that seek to generalize a subculture feast on such events.

I believe that people can misinterpret sermons or scriptures.

That people don't have to be mentally ill, to commit a crime.

But not all devoted christians, blame music, and alt religions. They believe that person 'chose' to do what they did.

But alot of christians are guilty of 'grouping' and 'catergorizing' people, and their different beliefs.

But, I'm sticking by what I first post, as to why he did it.

BM the occult is just as open for interpretation as is christian text. It comes down to base belief, and practices engaged by those beliefs. A persons belief in super natural healing is one thing, while the practice of letting a child die instead of going to a hospital is an inhuman practice, that believes insist is covered under " freedom of religion" along with bigotry, polygamy, incest, and assasination.

"I think it's deeply rooted in Satan, if you want to know the truth."

Poor bastard, always the scapegoat!

Is there any forensic proof that the singer is infact guilty?

*Roma* reading through the original post, I don't see anywhere that it says anything negative about the goth community. I believe the reference to what he was and what genre of music he played was supposed to represent the irony of the whole thing...in relation to the act itself.

1st I errored in saying more arrest are pending, more charges are pending. SS they say they have hundreds of pieces of evidence. A suggested article to google; SFgate horrorcore killing suspect quite, picked on. Turns out he dropped out.. part 1
of the same high school that I did, likely for the same reason. I admit I personally developed an alter ego growing up in that part of the Bay Area. Add to his esteem issues, from being bullied. His parents seperating, an arguement between he and Emma at an "awesome" event. Put in pressure cooker.. mayham, and frenzy serves four. A part of me wants to deny that one person could do this alone, thus part 2
my edit of "more arrest pending" for 'more charges pending' ( which implies the severity of the investigation). Something snapped. BM makes a pertainate comment on this. Tabloids will hype, and fundamentalist will crusade, not only against horrorcore, but subculture assumed proxy to the genre. Including horror films. People that want to point outside of human behaviour at its pushed, degraded form, to convenant labels like evil..

well here is a direct quote from the article:

It's not just the macabre nature of the killings that has people talking. It's the grotesque lyrics of the Horrorcore singer; it's that it happened under their noses.

McCroskey is a young man with no criminal record who took delight in the blend of horror hip-hop that celebrated macabre killings. He went by the name Syko Sam.
In one YouTube video, he holds a hatchet and sings about killing people and putting their remains in black bags: "Last night I was the murderous rage. Now, I gotta get rid of the bodies before the corpses start to get to rotting."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In my opinion they are basing alot of it from this very quote/ statement on the actions and veiws that the boy possessed, which makes him a very likly suspect. Just how the laws of our society works guilty more than not guilty till all facts and evidence has been gone through.

The lyrics of his song, backs up what I'm saying.

Example, when a wrestler is in public, even if they are not in costume, they must remain in character if a fan talks to them. To make their televised persona more realistic or to keep it looking realistic, and not affect the character or storyline.

If this guy were to get mad enough to snap, he would let his persona/alter ego come into play, and do something that his character does. He gets to the point where he actually thinks he's his persona.

And loses the ability to differintiate all together or until he snaps out of it.

A bit far for a publicity stunt.

Excellent article. The term evil is a complex subject. If you talk to any Satanist, they will tell you that the conclusion of Satan being involved in such of crime, is only created by the mind of followers of Organized religion. The Fellow (innocent until proven guilty) did what he did just to bring his passion for horrorcore into a different level. I feel sorry for the people killed. This guy is what I called a psycho-Schizophrenic individual. I don't believe that evil got nothing to do with the act of some human. The word evil come into the light as a defense to avoid the death penalty.

The word "drugs" will eventually be invoked. Either the ones he took or the ones he failed to take.

wow do people had society pegged LOL as to the Judicial system.

Sad to say that it is true that there is either proof he did or did not do or take something. ..

Horrorcore is when you love horror so much that it becomes part of your life. It can be an occurance with it bein related to a preachers child but it can also be ANYONES child.
The factors could be that said people found things they were interested in and knew family wouldn't approve therefore rebelled. Rebelling is part of teenage life. There could be many other factors involved that we may not know about. We can only speculate what the true factors were but that is just it. We can only SPECULATE. We cannot know what was going on at the time this occured unless we were there or read his mind.

Ah yes, Dab. The typical blame game that society will cause from the zealots end and the fundamentalist point of view. It would seem as though the blame would go to the directors of said genre; movies, bands etc. For the scapegoat tactic to take effect appropriately.

Yes, cruel but usual irony.

I find this thread bares good input. Markus thank you very well stated, blood mother, i am awaiting such discovery as well. Ss, irony in prime form. Then some horrorcore group is inspired to write, an "ode to syko sam".

Right on the money there dabbler.
goddesscirce, I think your misinterperting Roma's words, what she is saying is everytime one evnt like this happens then it is blown way out of proportion by the media and fundamentalist that will once again rally to stop any and all Goth mainline streams.
Even intisting it into a court room that if they take away and ban by law the right to have such freedoms, then their will be less violence, which we all no there will not be.
Really, how do we not know this kid wasn't framed?
But the media will have this kid condemned due to his music interest before a trial ever even gets started.
If he did do it, he deserves what he gets, as he not only victimized those people he actually made victims in a sense out of all Goth Lovers.

what Roma is saying is how many percentage wide murders actually happen related to "Goth" sterotypes as per those not related? 1-100? 1-1000? I bet its higher! Like one in 10,000.
Yet they paint it horrible like Helter Skelter recap.

Now, since this thread has brought on a debate just as ~Dabbler~ has pretty much suspected from the beginning...

I am in agreeance with ~Circe~ on this one as I have already posted, that this case has nothing to do with the "goth" sub-culture (what ever the term is anywho).

Would we automatically assume that the court system is so currupt into having the first amendment revoked (freedom of speech and "expression") only considering that they want to incriminate the defendant through his musical choice?

Or would we give the court system the benefit of the doubt and see if they look at the forensic evidence placed their way by the pathologists in order to make the case as valid as possible?

It can be argued and debated that the defendant's choice of music "made" him do the unthinkable, but this is speculation. So many individuals whom act as fundamentalists play this excuse over and over again.

Why not think outside the box for once? Think of any kind of motive (to bad we don't know the defendant on a personal level) for the crime to happen, as well as if any associates were there during the crime. Did he have help?

I am thinking about seeing this through so as to keep tabs on how the case unfolds.

It is sad , yet they do not always go by all the facts especially when they want a guilty verdict for someone that they want to Blame his own society for inducing the thought of a criminal actions. I mean If I listen to satanic or gothic or any thing that is not *approved* appropriate by our *Higher* society and or judicial system. Am I also gonna be deemed tarnished or Horrorcore to the point of commiting a crime.

Hell I can kill just cause I was pissed off and some MFer picked the wrong day to F*** with me..

I know for a fact that there are corruption in the system as do we all.

I also will befollowing this story as it unfolds to see what they do bring forth for Procescution and Defense in/on this case.

Lets hope they do a indepth discovery on this person/crime.

How many parents that once payed no mind to what music their kids listen to are inquiring now. What reaction is likely if the response is, I listen to Horrorcore music."? Will the parent ask, " how does the music relate to you?" or rush the kid to a shrink? On a positive note this opens dialogue, same as a junior high od brings the topic of drugs to the family forum. Perhaps the parent will even listen to the genre with the child, and reminisce Alice Cooper.

*Chuckles* Uh oh, sounds like we may be reminiscent of the Dee Snider vs Senate/US Congress, on parental advisory requirements for music.

If I remember correctly, several musicians along with Snider argued that it was about censorship.

The hearing was requested by a group called the Parents Music Resource Center, a group called the "Washington Wives" by media. They were led by Tipper Gore, wife of Senator Al Gore and Susan Baker, wife of Treasury Secretary James Baker.

Aww, moms of the government for the sake of "influencing" impressionable mothers/families in the "private sector" also known as the general public, how nice...

But look at the names themselves... All belong to agents of the government, Gore, Baker? I believe this was some sort of conspiracy act that lead to the RIAA into using the Parental Advisory sticker/logo on music these days.

I remember getting a laugh out of Sniders segment, his speech just blew the jurors away. Yeah, thats right. Someone like us can actually make intellectual sense out of any sort of charade the government thinks they can play.

*Killbill4U*... Misinterpreting *Romas* post? I merely stated the obvious, that their is no reference whatso ever to the "goth" community in the said article, therefore no attack On the "goth' community. Are you saying Horrorcore and goth are the same genre then??? I think not. This guy "allegedly" commited an unthinkable act and just like the examples Roma gave of other people who've commited murders, he maybe clinically nutzo, who knows until an eveluation is done. Cases such as his get more attention because of the gruesome nature of the act not because of any subculture. Yes, I think that incidents where a mother murders her child is just as horrible as what this guy did, or terrorists who kill in the name of "god." But really, to say that this is an attack on goths is ridiculous.

There are a few articles that associate horrorcore with goth, not this one particularly. I cannot see the crossover personally to be honest. Though those set on crusading against goth could easily blur the line between genre'.

your statement is very true Dabbler, they *blur* the line and it is in my opinion by choice.. That they do so. I mean so many parents get so upset when the child start dressing different and listening to music They think is wron, even without listening to it themselves or actually asking the child *WHY?* I mean really is it that hard to ask your children why they are into whatever they are into? They just may remember their own youth LOL....

All I have to say is that this doesn't surprise me, and I don't doubt that it won't happen again...

But there is a thing that is kinda like what?
LOL

Farmville is a small town, my step father grew up there as a child. I've been up there, and I really didn't know that they could even get Internet Signal *LMAO*

It's just a little shocking that a murder like this has happened in such a little town. But that's what happens when little neive teenagers meet strangers over the internet *LMAO*

There is a story with photos on this, in this week's People magazine, in case anyone is interested.

That's a little messed up that they put pictures lmao..

You say it is messed up yet, laugh. They always put out there pictures and everything else they can onmany murder cases and this being a small sleepy town, it means more publisity and attention for the quaint small town as well as all the victims and even the suspect. We as a society crave this stuff. morbid or not we always stop to buy or read about murders, stop and jam up traffic cause we hope to see the victims of an accident or not. Sad yet we all have morbid tendencies and morbid thoughts as to death to some degree.

Why else would all the Scary /death and blood movies make so much money off of us.

I hope they do find out the true reason behind his actions yet, they willonly know what they prove or is said.

We are a blood thirsty race to some point and degree..

This thread reminds me of the quality of threads when i first came to VR :). An analogy, what or who lit the fuse? How long did the fuse burn? Who or what packed the powder keg? Super freak, and bm10 are in the ball park, speculate please, if perhaps this small town girl intended to spite her pastor father? What charade would she have to present to Sam? What about when he served his purpose? Computer forensic would shed light on that. The order and method of events will as well. Ss, you mention censorship, a pet topic of fundies. Yet how the ignore the old testies gore pages, the same pages that inspire clinic bombings, sniper attacks, gay bar bombing Army of God.

I wonder if there will be record burnings... err.. I mean CD burnings... err... I mean MP3 burnings... Oh never mind!


This story reminded me of the 80's when controversial, and often "satanic" (generally only imagery only) artists often had their records burned en masse. It reminded me then of the book burnings conducted by the Nazi's in WWII Germany... I apologize if I am getting a little off topic, but I wanted to share that.

I am sure some of you remember Varg Vikernes?

Thanks for the interesting post.

It's just going to draw more and more attention to this kind of behavior, which is going to cause more situations like this.

I watch Nancy Grace every night on CNN, I'm surprised she hasn't covered this story as murder seems to be her main forum debate topic.
Any updates on this case yet?

This thread demonstrates the difference between, identity adaptation, identity crisis, and identity complex. When I see goth I know goth, goth is not one drab outfit worn every day for a week. Strip the goth i know naked and they will still hint goth ( i say hint, do you know why?)
One thing this has clarified is that goth is not restricted to black.

Attention Dominars..due to limited access with an ipod, I posted this in wrong thread. Please delete. Thank you.

Damn - that was gruesome!

And I have to agree - many preachers/clerics have some bad-assed rebellious kids. I grew up across the street from a family in which all but one of the six kids turned out 'okay'. The others ended up drug addicts and in prison - one died in prison from a gang fight...

all i have to say is i'm truly glad that i don't live in that part of Virginia

In my perspective, to be perfectly honest.. It just feels like history repeating itself.

Oppression against people who want to think outside the box vs the fundamentalists and old school religion "god praise thee" families.

First it was oppression against the entire African/American slave population after Abraham Lincoln's imancipation proclaimation came to light.

Then civil liberties, then women voters, black voters, though I am not sure if it skipped a generation, but I think they are concentrating on the gereral Goth population and insubordinates, over all.

Not that any of this has to do with the murder mind you, but activists almost always twist things around in such a way to start the almighty "blame game" like I keep on saying.