Retired policeman speaks in Farmville on occult

FARMVILLE—Juggalos, Wiccans, Satanists and vampires are all subcultures of the occult that are on the periphery of the mainstream.

But the recent quadruple homicide in Farmville at the home of a Longwood University professor has thrust these lifestyles into the headlines.

Don Rimer, a retired member of the Virginia Beach Police Department who studies ritual crime and the occult, spoke yesterday about these cultures and ritual crime to about 100 people at Farmville United Methodist Church.

“This is all about education. This is awareness and recognition about all of these behaviors, and the crimes associated with them,“ Rimer said, although he was quick to point out that not all people associated with Satanism and the occult are violent criminals.

His four-hour talk drew a diverse crowd to Farmville, where Longwood 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 Richard Samuel Alden McCroskey III of Castro Valley, Calif., the man charged with six counts of capital murder in the killings, online through a mutual interest in horrorcore rap music. Emma Niederbrock and Kelley attended the church where yesterday’s workshop was held.

While the instructional talk was aimed at educating community members about different religions, it had other purposes, too. “It’s about healing and understanding,“ said Nancy Haga, a church member.

Wanda Whitus said the September slayings served as a wake-up call to the community. “This is really happening in our society,“ she said.

Several members of the Farmville Town Council attended Rimer’s presentation. Councilman David Whitus said he was unfamiliar with some of these subcultures before the September killings, and he attended to learn more.

Rimer didn’t specifically address the Farmville killings, but he discussed the growing group called the Juggalos, followers of the horrorcore rap group Insane Clown Posse. Two Juggalos were charged in last month’s slaying of a New Hampshire woman who was killed with a machete and knife.

On one of McCroskey’s MySpace pages, he referred to himself as “a juggalo,“ and a video posted on his YouTube page that was filmed inside his California bedroom shows at least one large Insane Clown Posse poster on the wall. In his own music, posted on a MySpace page under the stage name “Syko Sam,“ McCroskey rapped about murder and mutilation.

These subcultures “survive and prosper because their ceremonies are filled with secrets, sins and sex,“ Rimer said. “Their rules are mysterious and elaborate.“

Rimer has immersed himself in these cultures, observing their rituals and conducting interviews. He said teenagers may spiral from dabbling in these cultures to acting out violently..

“By educating people and coming together as a community, we can help prevent tragic endings for any of our young people,“ said the Rev. Sylvia S. Meadows, pastor of Farmville United Methodist Church. “Be aware of when they are in need, [we] can intervene and offer them the support networks they need to have healthy lifestyles.“