VA VA - David Metzler, 19, & Heidi Childs, 18, fatally shot, Montgomery Co, 26 Aug 2009

[imstilla.grandma]

For nearly a decade, a task force led by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office has searched for the person or persons who shot the two Virginia Tech sophomores to death in the parking lot of the Caldwell Fields recreation area in the Jefferson National Forest. Investigators announced in 2012 that they had found DNA evidence. But no culprit has been located.

Now a revamped task force led by the Virginia State Police and including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Marshal’s Service, and U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with an array of other agencies including the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, will re-launch the investigation, officers said at a Friday news conference at the sheriff’s office headquarters in Christiansburg.

State police said investigators will start at the beginning, re-examining all the evidence collected so far and hoping that new perspectives and new technology will bring arrests.
Montgomery Co. sheriff: Childs-Metzler killings not a cold case

 

[JnRyan]

For quite some time now this case has really needed some exposure. For maybe that one tip. Look on here. 10 years and we haven't gone through the first thread yet and it is classed as a Cold Case. And it really is ice cold. Publicity, exposure is not this killer's friend. For now we have some exposure. Lisa Lucas Gardner has been struggling to keep the case alive through her FB page, Caldwell Fields Murders and every year has a candle light vigil at the crime scene. This Sunday she will have one at the same place on Sunday. Few show up and from what I understand Virginia Tech doesn't give the vigil much publicity. Tomorrow morning might be different as she will interviewed live on VT's radio station - online at www.wuvt.vt.edu.

 

[VTchick]

Did anyone else notice that they said “Never made it out of the car before they were brutally attacked.”? IIRC initial reports were that he was inside the car and she was found a short distance away.

 

[dotr]

Montgomery Co. sheriff: Childs-Metzler killings not a cold case
"Highlights of Friday's news conference included:
• Montgomery County Sheriff Hank Partin says this is not a cold case “nor has it ever been.”

• Lt. Col. Timothy Lyon, who heads Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation, gave an investigative summary. Lyon says, “We have specific individuals we are interested in pursuing” and that there are people in Montgomery County who know what happened.

• Lyon says new website will feature info on case and will be place to receive online tips: www.vspunsolved.com. State police also have a tipline at 540-375-9589."

"Keith Metzler said that “still sometimes it’s hard to believe” that his son and Heidi Childs were shot “with a high-powered rifle at point-blank range.” It’s hard to believe “a cold-hearted, merciless murderer is walking around, maybe quite close to here,” he said.

• FBI is adding $28,000 to the reward for info leading to arrest to bring total reward to $100,000".

 

[JnRyan]

Lisa Lucas Gardner shared these take away's from the press conference (which she attended) on the FB page, "The Caldwell Fields Murders":

The reward was raised to $100,000. [already mentioned in dotr's post above]

A new task force was created with new minds to go over the evidence again.

They do have suspect(s).

They do have DNA.

They have a vehicle that is somehow related to the crime.

They have created a new website for tips & info
www.vspunsolved.com
[it should be noted that several on the FB page tried to access but it was not available in spite of the fact that VSP stating it was up. Overloaded?]

They believe the suspect (s) is from our community and someone knows something. Do the right thing & collect that $100,000 before they find him!

It is an ACTIVE investigation and they have followed up on over a thousand leads.

 

[JnRyan]

Did anyone else notice that they said “Never made it out of the car before they were brutally attacked.”? IIRC initial reports were that he was inside the car and she was found a short distance away.

I saw that, too. I believe what they are referring to is that they were killed just after they arrived at the site and were still in the car when the attack started. Heidi was found outside the car. It is believed that Heidi left the car at the beginning of the attack and was killed trying to flee the scene. It has never been revealed where Heidi was in relationship to the car.

This apparently - if true - answers the question: Were they killed shortly after arriving at the site OR had they finished up in preparation of leaving?

If they were killed almost right after arriving, LE has an approximate time they left VA Tech and know the travel time to the site. So this closes in on the TOD. Also one scenario some of have had is whether this was road rage and the killer followed them in the parking lot and this now seems more plausible.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

10 Years Later, Parents Still Hope 'Merciless Murderer' of Virginia Tech Couple Will Be Caught

 

[Simply Southern]

Reward upped, new website rolled out in search for students' killer

Local, state and federal investigators say they hope a new website and $100,000 reward will generate renewed interest and more information about the 2009 murders of two Virginia Tech students.

 

[Simply Southern]

This just ticks me off they've had DNA the whole time. Why is the world didn't they hire a company to trace thru GEDmatch!!!!

I've been to this trail many times. Never went back after this incident.

 

[Simply Southern]

Lisa Lucas Gardner shared these take away's from the press conference (which she attended) on the FB page, "The Caldwell Fields Murders":

The reward was raised to $100,000. [already mentioned in dotr's post above]

A new task force was created with new minds to go over the evidence again.

They do have suspect(s).

They do have DNA.

They have a vehicle that is somehow related to the crime.

They have created a new website for tips & info
www.vspunsolved.com
[it should be noted that several on the FB page tried to access but it was not available in spite of the fact that VSP stating it was up. Overloaded?]

They believe the suspect (s) is from our community and someone knows something. Do the right thing & collect that $100,000 before they find him!

It is an ACTIVE investigation and they have followed up on over a thousand leads.

The unsolved is up. I had to type in for some reason the links don't work.

 

[hokeechic]

I wonder if they ever ruled out Israel Keyes as a suspect?

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Heidi Childs and David Metzler were only teenagers when a gunman stole their lives. Now multiple law enforcement agencies are trying rekindle interest in the decade-old Virginia killing by reminding people that all their leads—including DNA evidence from the crime scene—may not be enough, NBC Newsreports. "We still need the public's help to fit these pieces together," says Lt. Colonel Tim Lyon of the Virginia State Police. "We know there are people in Montgomery County and across the New River Valley who know exactly what happened that evening of August 26, 2009 in that parking lot at Caldwell Fields at the edge of the Jefferson National Forest." Part of reviving interest in the case is telling people of the sweet and devout romance shared by Heidi, 18, and David, 19.


Heidi Childs and David Metzler. (YouTube/Inside Edition)

$100K Reward Offered in Double Murder

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Heidi and David at the Prom.
Virginia police asking for public’s help in decade-old double murder

 

[jaejae]

Heidi Childs and David Metzler were only teenagers when a gunman stole their lives. Now multiple law enforcement agencies are trying rekindle interest in the decade-old Virginia killing by reminding people that all their leads—including DNA evidence from the crime scene—may not be enough, NBC Newsreports. "We still need the public's help to fit these pieces together," says Lt. Colonel Tim Lyon of the Virginia State Police. "We know there are people in Montgomery County and across the New River Valley who know exactly what happened that evening of August 26, 2009 in that parking lot at Caldwell Fields at the edge of the Jefferson National Forest." Part of reviving interest in the case is telling people of the sweet and devout romance shared by Heidi, 18, and David, 19.
View attachment 199931

Heidi Childs and David Metzler. (YouTube/Inside Edition)

$100K Reward Offered in Double Murder

Of course it is very unfortunate that young peoples lives end up for discussion on a thread here because of wickedness. But when you see them together despite their young age you believe they would have been together for ever and in this respect you would count them much luckier than many other decent people who might have more chaotic lives. Of course now they are together for eternity.

 

[jaejae]

Heidi Childs and David Metzler were only teenagers when a gunman stole their lives. Now multiple law enforcement agencies are trying rekindle interest in the decade-old Virginia killing by reminding people that all their leads—including DNA evidence from the crime scene—may not be enough, NBC Newsreports. "We still need the public's help to fit these pieces together," says Lt. Colonel Tim Lyon of the Virginia State Police. "We know there are people in Montgomery County and across the New River Valley who know exactly what happened that evening of August 26, 2009 in that parking lot at Caldwell Fields at the edge of the Jefferson National Forest." Part of reviving interest in the case is telling people of the sweet and devout romance shared by Heidi, 18, and David, 19.
View attachment 199931

Heidi Childs and David Metzler. (YouTube/Inside Edition)

$100K Reward Offered in Double Murder

The You Tube video in the above link has of now has fifty dislikes an I always find that a strange thing to do. Dislike the crime but relatives making an appeal I do not understand it.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

The You Tube video in the above link has of now has fifty dislikes an I always find that a strange thing to do. Dislike the crime but relatives making an appeal I do not understand it.

Me either. Why in the world could someone dislike?

 

[JnRyan]

The You Tube video in the above link has of now has fifty dislikes an I always find that a strange thing to do. Dislike the crime but relatives making an appeal I do not understand it.

That bothered me too. Until I sat back and thought about it. We've got ~2400 likes and 52 dislikes. Those dislikes roughly 2.1% of the responses. If our ~2452 responses are a representative sample of the 95727 views we got roughly 93700 likes on the views. I like that and some of those may be sharing this on a case that is in bad need of some exposure.

 

[jaejae]

That bothered me too. Until I sat back and thought about it. We've got ~2400 likes and 52 dislikes. Those dislikes roughly 2.1% of the responses. If our ~2452 responses are a representative sample of the 95727 views we got roughly 93700 likes on the views. I like that and some of those may be sharing this on a case that is in bad need of some exposure.

Of course solving the case is the main thing not the likes o You Tube but it is interesting why I said about it. When I studied the Golden State Killer case there were a horrible group of individuals that abused the victim Janelle Cruz and it was unbelievable. They also deliberately disrupted the search for answers. With these dislikes I think the odd person might click dislike because they dislike the murder and do not follow the logic of the buttons correctly. There are some funny people in this world and this horrific murder is an extreme example of that.

 

[pumpfe]

I'm not totally convinced they have DNA. Of course if they actually have it and it's solid information they could easily get DNA from a suspect, even if that suspect was unwilling to give a sample (there are ways to get it from an uncooperative suspect).On the flip side, they could have some DNA and know who it belongs to, but can't come up with any additional information that would link him to the crime (he could always say I was walking in that area that morning and dropped a cigarette butt...or whatever the DNA is from). At any rate, the fact this individual has been able to walk a free man for 10 years really burns me up...even if they catch him soon he had 10 years of freedom where there were absolutely no consequences for his actions.

Virginia State Police | Unsolved – Childs-Metzler Investigation

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

View attachment 199930Heidi and David at the Prom.
Virginia police asking for public’s help in decade-old double murder

They look so happy to be together, I’m glad they found each other. Wish they could have lived long lives together and had the opportunity to follow their dreams.