The Horrorcore Murders Were A Case Of Online Courtship Gone Wrong

Farmville is a sleepy little town about sixty miles west of Richmond, Virginia. It is a college town hosting Longwood University and the second oldest college in the country, Hampden-Sydney, just down the road. It's the kind of place where, as the saying goes, "nothing ever happens." Until something did. In September of 2009, the town became the site of the four brutal murders of a local college professor, a local church minister, and two teenage girls.

Local police were initially baffled and the residents of Farmville were horrified. Police eventually discovered the murderer was Richard Samuel "Syko Sam" McCroskey, a teenaged boy from California, who had been visiting his online girlfriend in Virginia. Several factors caused the young man's troubled mind to become completed unhinged, including a devastating rejection and a haunting concert by one of America's Horrorcore bands.

The Farmville murders were ferocious. Officials at the crime scene referred to the setting as that of "a slaughterhouse." The press quickly began calling it "the Horrorcore Murders," or the Juggalo Murders, since the young couple identified with the Horrorcore rap subculture ("Juggalo" is the label given to fans of Psychopathic Records hip hop groups). Some were quick to blame the music and the performers because of the history of violent Juggalo attacks. While music of all genres can serve as inspirations both good and bad, in this case, the real evil clearly lay in the heart and mind of Richard McCroskey. 

Emma and her mother picked up McCroskey from the Richmond airport. The teens were both giddy with nerves and excited at the prospect of meeting for the first time in-person. But, right away, things didn't seem to be quite right. McCroskey was open, his heart on his sleeve, his vulnerable, needy self revealed to the young woman whom he was convinced would love and protect him. It probably wouldn't have mattered what she looked like, or talked like, or said - he remained smitten.

Such was not the case with Emma. She pulled back and became mostly aloof right after the two met. She apparently confided later with her friend, Melanie, that McCroskey was not nearly as cool and tough as he'd portrayed himself online. She also did not seem to find him as attractive as she'd expected. The rejection must have been shocking to McCroskey. He'd built up such unrealistic expectations, had arrived so needy, and now he was stuck a long way from home with two girls who giggled and taunted him just out of earshot. And they still hadn't left for the Michigan concert. 

Though it remains only a rumor and a story told by some of the concert's attendees, Emma may have had sex with one of the Horrorcore performers at an after-party. What is certain is that she spent her time at the event flirting with other men and studiously avoided McCroskey, who mostly stood to the side. Looking back, it may well be that his already troubled mind began to turn murderous at the concert. 

Eighteen-year-old Melanie Wells was born and raised in Louisville, KY, but had moved with her family to West Virginia when she was in high school. The family had made the decision to allow Melanie to complete her high school diploma at home, since the move was a major adjustment for her. Described as a sweet and friendly girl who loved music, Melanie met Emma Niederbrock online and the two became good friends, sharing an interest in all things Horrorcore. When Emma knew she'd be going to the concert in Michigan, she invited Melanie to join the group. Melanie really was an innocent bystander but McCroskey took no pity on her.

Following the murders, Melanie's parents became concerned when their daughter did not return home and could not be reached online or by phone. They made calls to the Niederbrock-Kelly household, but to no avail. McCroskey left voicemail messages on Melanie's mother's phone, but this only made the Wells family more suspicious. Her father actually drove to Farmville to check on her, but no one answered the door. Finally, Melanie's parents contacted Emma's father, Mark Niederbrock, who told the worried couple he would check in at the Farmville house the next day. 

Some might argue that the murders would never have happened if Emma Niederbrock's parents had not been so tolerant of her interest in Horrorcore rap, the culture, and her online boyfriend, Richard McCroskey. Dr. Debra Kelly and Rev. Mark Neiderbrock were in a difficult position as parents. Both were open-minded, tolerant people who understood that young people such as their daughter were bound to dabble in cultures and experiences that were not to parental liking or even known to be terribly safe. Yet, they were afraid to crack down on Emma's interest out of fear of immature, teenage retaliation.

So, when Emma and her online boyfriend, Richard McCroskey, known as "Syko Sam," made plans to meet at a major Horrorcore event in Michigan that September, her parents' protective instincts went into overdrive. The couple, who were in the final stages of divorcing, decided to pull together and protect their daughter. They agreed to provide the two online lovebirds with transportation and accommodation to and from the Michigan concert.

McCroskey would just need to fly to Virginia and they would all drive together to the event. Emma even had an online friend from West Virginia who would join the group. It sounded like a great plan and a wise decision on the part of Emma's parents. They intended to keep their daughter and the other two youngsters safe from harm. 

Not that every person who enjoys or is involved with the so-called "horrorcore" rap scene (where performers rap about death, murder, and other atrocities) is a disaffected youth with low esteem, but Richard McCroskey certainly fits that profile. Described by his sister as a meek and humble boy with low self-esteem, McCroskey seemed to have become involved with the tough-looking, tough-sounding Horrorcore and Juggalo subculture as an attempt to project his own tough image. One might say he wore the persona and the gear as a type of armor, to protect him from a world that he felt misjudged and humiliated him.

He also appears to have lived in something of an online fantasy world, where he could project himself as a mean, tough rap artist. He clearly sought to present an image of a strong, confident, "in control" sort of guy. Some of his musical efforts remain online today, serving as reminders of how an online persona can prove to be fake and disastrous.

Emma Niederbrock was described as a beautiful, sweet, and smart young woman who left public schools during middle school in order to be educated at home. She dreamed of becoming a fashion designer and was fond of modeling her creations to her family. She fancied herself something of a Goth, wore black, dyed her hair bright pink, and took up the nickname "Rag Doll." She was active in the online Horrorcore websites and discussion forums, and posted regularly on her MySpace account. Some of the last messages she posted were in anticipation of McCroskey's arrival. Their shared excitement is palpable and tragic, in light of the murderous rage that followed.

It's normal for people meet online in modern society. That's exactly how Emma and McCroskey met and "fell in love." The two "dated" online for more than a year before they met. They had pet names and cutesy, private catch phrases known only to one another. He loved that she looked up to him as a tough Horrorcore rapper; he thought she was smart and beautiful. McCroskey seems to have made her into a paragon, not only of perfection, but of devotion, all for him. She, to his mind, was someone who would never let him down. Misplaced expectations would lead to heartbreak and murder.

Since the case never went to trial, any evidence of how McCroskey spent his time with the rotting corpses has not been revealed. Rumors abound that police had photos and videos in their custody of how the murderer desecrated the bodies. He may also have performed rap songs and recorded those in the presence of the dead. What is known is that his already fragile mental state deteriorated during the days and nights he spent watching and smelling the death around him. 

If taxi driver Curtis Gibson knew what he was in for, he probably would not have picked up Richard McCroskey and agreed to take him to the Richmond airport. To put it bluntly, a horrendous odor emanated from McCroskey's body. Gibson described the odor as "foul," and he had to drive the taxi with the windows down to keep from gagging. Others who encountered McCroskey during his escape attempt expressed similar sentiments, including a statement that the odor was akin to that of "rotting flesh." Apparently, the killer had neither bathed nor changed his clothes since the night of the murders several days earlier. His clothes were described by witnesses as caked in gore. 

McCroskey remained with the corpses for two days in the two-story home, which was only a few blocks from Longwood University. On the third day, he committed the fourth and final murder in his one-man killing spree. Rev. Mark Niederbrock, Emma's father and Debra's estranged husband, dropped by the house on his way to a meeting in Richmond. He'd been asked by Melanie Wells's family and others to try to find out why no one had heard from the three women.

McCroskey met him at the door. It is unclear if anything was said before the youth began his attack on the Presbyterian minister. What is known is that Mark tried to defend himself against the blows of the sledgehammer, but he was soon on the floor, where McCroskey pummeled his head and face. The attack was so ferocious that the hardwood flooring beneath Niederbrock was damaged and soaked through with blood. Shortly after the final murder, McCroskey stole the Reverend's car and attempted to make his way to the Richmond airport.

Jilted teen lover and would-be "horrorcore" rap artist Richard "Syko Sam" McCroskey found himself stuck in a house with the girl who had just rejected him, one of her friends, and her mother. It was several days before he was due to leave the small Virginia town and fly back to his home in California, which he wasn't looking forward to; he'd left home bragging of his romantic success.

Always a meek and insecure youth, McCroskey was now profoundly and unbearably hurt by all that had happened in his life in the preceding weeks of late summer. As the hours passed, his emotional pain turned into something evil. In the wee hours of September 15, 2009, he violently took a sledgehammer to the sleeping heads of his former paramour, 16-year-old Emma Niederbrock, her visiting friend, Melanie Wells, and Emma's mother, a college professor named Debra Kelly. 

When Melanie Wells's mother finally contacted the Farmville police, two officers were sent to the Niederbrock-Kelly home. McCroskey opened the door and reassured the officers that the three women were out to the movies. The police bought the story, but when Wells's mother called again, the officers returned to the home. However, by then McCroskey had murdered Mark Niederbrock and left the crime scene, stealing the Reverend's car.

Within minutes, McCroskey wrecked the 2000 Honda. Police arrived to file a report, totally unaware, at that point, of the murders. McCroskey was released and caught a ride with the tow truck driver, then called a taxi for a ride to Richmond International Airport, which was about an hour's drive from Farmville. The murderer was at last heading home to California. Or so he thought. According to the taxi driver, Curtis Gibson, McCroskey "spoke calmly and never raised [any] suspicion." Gibson said that McCroskey told him Emma became angry with him when she caught him going through her phone and accused him of invading her privacy. So, McCroskey claimed he didn't want to argue with her anymore and wanted to go home. 

McCroskey and Gibson continued on to the airport in Richmond, where the former hid in the baggage claim area until it was time to board his flight west. It would be a long wait, as the flight did not depart until late the next day. However, it was just enough time for police to locate and arrest McCroskey. He was indicted on six charges of first-degree murder, the two extra charges due to the intense brutality involved.