APPOMATOX COUNTY—
Farmville Police have tentatively identified one of the four victims found in a home of a Longwood University professor. Mark Niederbrock was the pastor at Walker's Presbyterian Church in the Hixburg area of Appomatox County. Church members say he was estranged from his wife, Debra Kelley who taught at Longwood.Luther Glenn, a member of the church says everyone in their tiny congregation is completely distraught. He said they're taking the news very hard.
Marvin Glover, an elder in the church says he got a call early Saturday morning from a member asking if he knew that State police were looking for Pastor Niederbrock. Later he says he called the pastor's assistant who lives near the crime scene. "He told me, I do know what happened since I'm just a few blocks away. They told me Mark was involved," said Glover.
Glover and Glenn say it took a lot of strength for church members to fill the pews Sunday morning. "I talked to one man and he told me he didn't even want to go to church today," Glenn told CBS 6 as he choked up, tears streaming down his face.
Church members describe their pastor as a great leader who helped anyone who needed it. They tell CBS 6 he even helped them chop wood for needy families and participated with members in the American Cancer Society's Relay for Lifeevent.
"He even got us interested in Habitat for Humanity. People thought we'd have about five volunteers to help build a house, but when the day came our church had twenty five volunteers show up," said Glover.
As for the 20-year-old charged in this crime, Richard McCroskey, III, Glover says, "I would like to see him pay for the horror he caused our community. Forgiving him, at some point, I know I will have to do. But today? No."
Glover says Niederbrock's mother who lives in Illinois was notified by police there that her son was killed. He says Monday a church member who owns a jet will fly out with some church members to pick her up and bring her back to Appomatox County.
"My wife and I extended an invitation for her to stay with us if she wants. It's up to her. We know now that Mark's gone, she doesn't have anyone else," Glover tells us.
He says once Niederbrock's mother gets town they will learn more about funeral arrangements.
