Most complete description of what occurred in the house to be release by the media so far.
Some good quotes by Bowen and very impressed that Ennis has just been super low key and not grandstanding what Sam did. True professionals.
"Kelley and Mark Niederbrock took Emma, McCroskey and Wells to a horrorcore music festival several days before McCroskey killed them. Ennis said McCroskey was angered by some text messages Emma sent while they were in Michigan.
They returned to Virginia, and McCroskey became increasingly distraught about the relationship, Ennis said. He had an expectation that he and Emma were seeing each other exclusively and was unhappy with how things were going, Ennis said.
Late in the evening of Sept. 14, 2009, or early the next morning, McCroskey drank beer, smoked marijuana and might have taken painkillers before he attacked the three female victims in the house as they were sleeping, Ennis said. He killed each within a short period of time around 3 a.m. on Sept. 15.
Ennis said that McCroskey first killed Wells, who was on a sofa in a first-floor den, then Kelley in an upstairs room, and finally Emma in her downstairs bedroom. He struck each victim multiple times with the maul.
"No one awoke," Ennis said, adding that the victims had no defensive wounds.
Mark Niederbrock arrived at the home Sept. 17 about 5 p.m., and McCroskey attacked him with the maul in a living room, Ennis said. McCroskey later moved Mark Niederbrock's and Wells' bodies into Emma's room, and he attempted to clean up the bloody den, Ennis said.
At some point, McCroskey used a digital camera to record a video of himself, Ennis said. In the video, he indicated that he knew he had to pay for what he had done and contemplated suicide, Ennis said."
Pretty complete news coverage from today. Footage of Sam leaving the court + brief interviews with attorneys on both sides and more discussion of details of the murders.
The only thing I don't agree with is that a jury trial would have been a risk...I don't think that is why the families were for the plea deal. I think it's more likely they did not want a sensational trial with pictures of the crime scene being released to the media and stories about the condition of "bodies" who were once cherished family members or their loved ones' undesireable traits. I think it would have forced them to live a nightmare they are struggling to wake up from.
But I'm glad the DA took their thoughts into consideration.
Sam's life is about to change drastically. He is in for hell on earth. One act of rage = a lifetime of abuse and hell.
Interesting...wasn't it the consensus that Sam didn't do drugs, yet he drank, smoked pot and took some pills prior to the first murders?
ziggy wrote: The only thing I don't agree with is that a jury trial would have been a risk...I don't think that is why the families were for the plea deal. I think it's more likely they did not want a sensational trial with pictures of the crime scene being released to the media and stories about the condition of "bodies" who were once cherished family members or their loved ones' undesireable traits. I think it would have forced them to live a nightmare they are struggling to wake up from.
Agreed. Jury trial was a minimal risk. He certainly would not have gotten less. He may have gotten more. I think protecting the memory of the victims was the greatest reason to accept a plea.
WOW.... i still have alot of questions, and either more info will be released,,,or will never know.
well, i wonder if he took that mixture of alcohol, pain pills, and marijuana so he could have killed them all? if so, pre-meditated? or, was he truly scorned by emma to induce a wild rage in him to get everyone without that mixture? and why get all of them? especially the dad some couple of days later? why didn't he just run out the next day? does not make sense. why did he call the police saying he heard a noise?
why did he get melanie wells first? especially since he got them in their sleep. he could have split right after emma, and be gone.
i wonder if someone will delve into his upbringing, clues to this major unbalanced sick mind Sam has.
if he was so remorseful,,,why didn't he break down in court? to me, i think he is quite detached,,,but i could be wrong,,,. i wonder what the psychological report came up with.
I wonder how Sam's family is dealing with this. I wonder bout his socalled horror-core friends feel about this.
Also how many pain pills? Couldn't have been too many as downers and booze combined would normally temper such rage. I remember once, a long long time ago, flipping out over a breakup, and using a copious dose of prescription downers to calm down. Once they kicked it my anger and pain was significantly reduced to a dull throb . . . at least until the drugs wore off.
I should qualify that, fortunately, I certainly didn't want to kill anyone at the time.
Ha, I told you guys he was going to plead guilty, my info suggesting such was solid afterall. Well I am looking forward to some good discussion the next few days, I plan to be around.
Also I find it interesting that as I had predicted all along he killed Mel and mom before Emma, suggesting, as I suspected, that he may have made Emma watch it all as punishment for whatever he felt she did. Not sure if this is the case as I havent read all the articles yet so I will chime in once I have.
good to see you pipe in Percy!
maunsapt wrote: WOW.... i still have alot of questions, and either more info will be released,,,or will never know.
When he pleaded guilty today he likely had to make a full statement about what happened, how it all went down etc, I see some of this has been reported in the various articles posted but what we need to find is the actual full statement he made to the court and that will answer a lot more of the question you and the rest of us have. This will be a public record so it can be found pretty easily, I will look tomorrow if nobody finds it before then.
"Ennis said the crime was motivated by McCroskey's frustration with Emma, with whom he wanted an exclusive relationship. McCroskey told authorities that he killed Kelley, Mark Niederbrock and Wells because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, Ennis said."
Hey Mary and Percy and Eric and Peace - welcome back.
Percy - hope you can find what you're looking for.
Mary - hope all is well and that this was no surprise for you.
Eric - what up? Nice new pic.
Peace - how's your health? Bet the town is glad not to have a giant media circus therein.
Mauns: I know what you mean about the unanswered questions - I am still curious as to why he called the police that night. Was he hoping to get caught? Now I'm wondering what he said in the videotape he made of himself after the murders. I wonder if it will be sealed.
How sad for the three who had nothing to do with hurting Sam lost their lives. I just can't imagine how hard it is for the families.
Mary - do you know if any of Sam's family was there? Have they even been to see him at all?
Oh yeah it was actually a big surprise for me. He told me he would be getting transferred at the end of this month but wasn't supposed to talk about it. I assumed it would be for the change of venue or something, definitely not that he would be getting transferred to prison so soon! I had no idea he was going to plead guilty today or that a plea agreement had been reached so it was a HUGE shock when I found that out!
And I read in some article that his family wasn't at the hearing. I can't remember which site it was at but if I find it I'll post a link to it.
Here is the article you were looking for Mary. Nice to see you around.
Kelley and Mark Niederbrock took Emma, McCroskey and Wells to a horrorcore music festival several days before McCroskey killed them. Ennis said McCroskey was angered by some text messages Emma sent while they were in Michigan.
At some point, McCroskey used a digital camera to record a video of himself, Ennis said. In the video, he indicated that he knew he had to pay for what he had done and contemplated suicide, Ennis said.
Percy wrote: Also I find it interesting that as I had predicted all along he killed Mel and mom before Emma, suggesting, as I suspected, that he may have made Emma watch it all as punishment for whatever he felt she did. Not sure if this is the case as I havent read all the articles yet so I will chime in once I have.
Emma did not watch. She was sleeping in another room. Mel's body was moved to the same room as Emma after the murder. None of the girls saw it comming.
I also heard a report that said Mark was hit from behind and killed instantly. That goes against reports that he put up a fight. If he was killed instantly - why was he apparently bludgeoned beyond recognition? Overkill? Sam was still in a rage three days later? Some things are not adding up.
I'm relieved in a way, that none of them saw it coming. I was really bothered last night for some reason with the vision of Sam creeping up the stairs in the dark with that maul in his hand. Shivers.
It costs a couple million to execute someone vs. approx $800,000 to incarcerate them for life. Please don't take my word for it look it up anywhere.
Not only did the prosecution save the tax payers in the state [of which I am one] considerable money he guaranteed that McCroskey dies in prison.
Hey I don't disagree that if the death penalty is the law in any state, by all means carry it out when the crime is heinous like this one.
However - beleive it or not (I still can't sometimes) I agree with Scott. While my morbid curiosity would have been satisfied - the cost of a trial and the mandatory appeal etc. would definitely cost WAY more. Remember Sam would be afforded many high paid experts at trial both forensic and psychological.
I actually feel that this is more severe punishment (did I just say that?) LOL.
The death penalty is provided for in the law in VA HOWEVER so is life in prison. This was also a just punishment under the law. Let us not forget this. Calls to "enforce the law" are not appropriate as the law was enforced in this case. Sam was arrested, charged, plead guilty, and sentenced to life without parole. All legal. You may or may not agree with the outcome, but the law was enforced.
NOT enforcing the law would have been had the commonwealth elected not to charge him with a crime. That is not what happened.