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

[Niner]

They mention it’s not related to the recent murders that you may have seen on national news but nothing of the cold case. Yes that is the same case @Niner

Thank you campbellsouup for the explanation!

 

[Claudette]

“According to records WDBJ7 found in Roanoke County courthouse, Ray has a criminal history that extends to at least 2012. He has convictions in Roanoke County for Petit Larceny, stemming from an original Grand Larceny charge of the Virginia Tech Center in Roanoke.”

This wording is confusing me, does this mean he was charged with grand larceny at the school? (Note Heidi and David were VT students)

Criminal complaint outlines arrest of man in Catawba Thursday

 

[casecat]

“According to records WDBJ7 found in Roanoke County courthouse, Ray has a criminal history that extends to at least 2012. He has convictions in Roanoke County for Petit Larceny, stemming from an original Grand Larceny charge of the Virginia Tech Center in Roanoke.”

This wording is confusing me, does this mean he was charged with grand larceny at the school? (Note Heidi and David were VT students)

Criminal complaint outlines arrest of man in Catawba Thursday

Hi Claudette - Hokie here. Virginia Tech has their main campus in Blacksburg, where Heidi and David were attending school. There are several specialized satellite campuses in the state, with facilities in Roanoke which are about 45 minutes from the main campus. It sounds like he was charged with grand larceny from that facility specifically.

 

[Claudette]

Hi Claudette - Hokie here. Virginia Tech has their main campus in Blacksburg, where Heidi and David were attending school. There are several specialized satellite campuses in the state, with facilities in Roanoke which are about 45 minutes from the main campus. It sounds like he was charged with grand larceny from that facility specifically.

Thank you that makes sense!

 

[VTHokie]

Interesting thread on Reddit about this case. I wonder if the cops have looked into Lisa Lucas Gardner as a possible suspect?

Today marks 10 Years since Heidi Childs and David Metzler were murdered in Virginia - their killer has never been found and VA police have raised the reward sum to $100k. More info in comments. : TrueCrime

 

[casecat]

Interesting thread on Reddit about this case. I wonder if the cops have looked into Lisa Lucas Gardner as a possible suspect?

Today marks 10 Years since Heidi Childs and David Metzler were murdered in Virginia - their killer has never been found and VA police have raised the reward sum to $100k. More info in comments. : TrueCrime

The internet is a small world - that’s actually my reddit post. Someone commented about LLG in the threads there but I personally think she’s just clinging to this tragedy for reasons I can’t quite understand. I’ve seen it before, in a girl from my high school after a student suicide. She’s also been so involved in the case publicly that I strongly doubt she hasn’t been checked out. I think it’s safe to say she is not responsible.

One of the commenters suggested local teens with a parental gun, which I think is a really interesting theory. The only thing I stumble on with that idea is the missing purse/cell/HokieP lanyard.

 

[jaejae]

I do not think this article about the case has been posted before:

No closure, only new kinds of pain for family of slain Tech student Heidi Childs

 

[JnRyan]

Detectives combing through leads in Metzler/Childs murder case

This is why publicity is so important. It generates tips. 50 tips. Not the 4 figure number we see with the Abigail Williams/Liberty German case, but that case is not your usual case. I hope they get some good ones out of that batch. Of course, if it is the right one, that would be the only one needed.

 

[YESorNO]

Press conference, media coverage prompts about 50 new tips in Virginia Tech student murder case

September 11, 2019

Press conference, media coverage prompts about 50 new tips in Virginia Tech student murder case

 

[JnRyan]

FINALLY! Someone did a podcast on the case...
Episode 8 - The Story of the Caldwell Fields Murders — poking the underbelly of the old dominion

 

[DropthePuck]

FINALLY! Someone did a podcast on the case...
Episode 8 - The Story of the Caldwell Fields Murders — poking the underbelly of the old dominion

Thanks for sharing this. As I'm from Virginia (don't live there anymore) I'm interested in listening to the other episodes on Vile Virginia!!

 

[YESorNO]

'This is disgusting'; Company debuts Stoneman Douglas school shooting hoodie

September 17, 2019

"NEW YORK - A clothing company is facing massive backlash after debuting "school shooting hoodies," including a version that features Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Bstroy, a company which describes itself as a neo-native menswear design house, unveiled the hoodies at a show over the weekend.

The hoodies, which include bullet holes, showcase various schools where students have died in mass shootings.

Along with Stoneman Douglas, other schools include Sandy Hook, Columbine and Virginia Tech.

According to Paper, the company released an artist statement which read, "Sometimes life can be painfully ironic,"

"Like the irony of dying violently in a place you considered to be a safe, controlled environment, like school. We are reminded all the time of life's fragility, shortness, and unpredictability yet we are also reminded of its infinite potential."

People upset with the hoodies bombarded the company's Instagram page with negative comments...."

'This is disgusting'; Company debuts Stoneman Douglas school shooting hoodie

 

[jaejae]

Do not think that all of these reports have been posted:

Heidi Childs' dad says DNA evidence is 'huge'

Coping with loss: Metzlers adjusting to life without David

Photos: Childs-Metzler presser at Montgomery Co. Sheriff's office

 

[jaejae]

I was searching for updates in this case after the recent appeal and found this video on You Tube. I will post this one because it seems to be well made and have some good information about the victims. It is terrible that peoples lives are made public in such an unfortunate way but as I have said before when you look at David and Heidi as a couple although they were very young they appeared as if they would be together for ever and of course in a the most vile way the killer has made sure they are:

Here is report much closer to the time of the crime:

Childs, Metzler murderer might alter behavior | The Southwest Times

Another report from 2009:

2 Va. Tech students found slain at campground

 

[JnRyan]

I was searching for updates in this case after the recent appeal and found this video on You Tube. I will post this one because it seems to be well made and have some good information about the victims. It is terrible that peoples lives are made public in such an unfortunate way but as I have said before when you look at David and Heidi as a couple although they were very young they appeared as if they would be together for ever and of course in a the most vile way the killer has made sure they are:

Here is report much closer to the time of the crime:

Childs, Metzler murderer might alter behavior | The Southwest Times

Another report from 2009:

2 Va. Tech students found slain at campground

I started this video 2 or 3 times before I could sit through it. It had nothing to do with the presenter or the presentation, just tough. And I've been sending emails to YouTube and podcast creators without any results, so I should have been delighted to FINALLY see a video on this case.

 

[jaejae]

I started this video 2 or 3 times before I could sit through it. It had nothing to do with the presenter or the presentation, just tough. And I've been sending emails to YouTube and podcast creators without any results, so I should have been delighted to FINALLY see a video on this case.

As you and others know there is a huge True Crime world out on the internet and TV that all of us amateurs and some former LE Professionals are part of. I know what you mean but I did not think this video was the worst and the girl is from the home state as the victims. I have to been honest and say I do not always listen to all the Podcasts and watch are the videos but I have picked up some good information from some of the youngsters on You Tube etc. When you get a case like the Maura Murray or Amy Mihaljevic case I think some of these amateurs can know as much about the case as the experts in the cases like James Renner. I know you have worked hard to get this and other Virginian cases solved so continued good luck. Thanks

 

[JnRyan]

As you and others know there is a huge True Crime world out on the internet and TV that all of us amateurs and some former LE Professionals are part of. I know what you mean but I did not think this video was the worst and the girl is from the home state as the victims. I have to been honest and say I do not always listen to all the Podcasts and watch are the videos but I have picked up some good information from some of the youngsters on You Tube etc. When you get a case like the Maura Murray or Amy Mihaljevic case I think some of these amateurs can know as much about the case as the experts in the cases like James Renner. I know you have worked hard to get this and other Virginian cases solved so continued good luck. Thanks

What I meant was this case was tough to watch - no matter who did it, be they pro or amateur. I can't think of many cases that bother me as much as this one.

 

[jaejae]

What I meant was this case was tough to watch - no matter who did it, be they pro or amateur. I can't think of many cases that bother me as much as this one.

Sorry I slightly misread your post and I know you really care about the victims in these cases by reading your posts. There was quite a bit of moving information about the two young victims in this case.

 

[rob525]

I guess there is no way to tell if Metzler and /or Childs possibly spoke with the attacker. I know the evidence states that David was hot first, through the window, but perhaps they had a verbal altercation with the attacker first and he was hot after rolling up the window.

My first thought was a hunter but deer season was still a couple months away in Virginia,if I remember correctly. So that led me to think about someone illegally poaching deer. My thought was that an altercation may have occurred with David indicating he would report the incident which led to the shooting. I am not sure what the fines / penalties are for poaching but I seem to think they are pretty hefty. And if this was a repeated offense the guy could have been looking at some very serious repercussions. I wonder if they checked into any local hunters with past arrests for illegal hunting.

 

[JnRyan]

I guess there is no way to tell if Metzler and /or Childs possibly spoke with the attacker. I know the evidence states that David was hot first, through the window, but perhaps they had a verbal altercation with the attacker first and he was hot after rolling up the window.

My first thought was a hunter but deer season was still a couple months away in Virginia,if I remember correctly. So that led me to think about someone illegally poaching deer. My thought was that an altercation may have occurred with David indicating he would report the incident which led to the shooting. I am not sure what the fines / penalties are for poaching but I seem to think they are pretty hefty. And if this was a repeated offense the guy could have been looking at some very serious repercussions. I wonder if they checked into any local hunters with past arrests for illegal hunting.

The fact that the 30-30 caliber isn't used with what one would consider a target gun means this weapon was very likely purchased with deer hunting in mind. Whether it purchased by the killer or he had access to or inherited the gun from a relative leaves more possibilities. This caliber was created in the 1890's and it would not be unusual if the gun that was used was 40-80 years old if not older.

I had not thought about poaching, so that is a possibility. The scenario could likely be that instead of driving up on Heidi and David, the killer was already parked there and they saw him come out of the woods and that had not occurred to me before now. I would hope LE would look at that possibility. I hunted for years growing up in the south and mid-west, and believe me we had suspicions of those who were either poaching out of season or shooting does or anterless bucks when the season was only on for bucks with antlers.

I also wondered about the vehicles LE said were seen parked in nearby areas. Was our killer out there shooting or target practicing at those spots? My counter argument to that is why do that when there is gun range nearby and I believe it was a public range that didn't require a membership or at least a very small fee? If a game warden or sheriff stops you and you have such a centerfire rifle or a shotgun loaded with buckshot or rifled slugs in your vehicle in such an area you could be cited by LE. That makes the poaching scenario a possibility.