Home Cold case | Police seek leads in 2009 murder of two Virginia Tech students
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Cold case | Police seek leads in 2009 murder of two Virginia Tech students

Crystal Graham
Heidi Child and David Metzler
Heidi Childs and David Metzler, image courtesy Virginia Cold Case database

Sixteen years ago, two sophomores at Virginia Tech were shot and killed in a local recreational area in Montgomery County.

Heidi Childs, of Bedford County, and David Metzler, of Campbell County, were murdered on Aug. 26, 2009, at the Caldwell Fields recreational area.

Today, despite an active investigation, no one has been brought to justice for their deaths.

Childs and Metzler met through their church youth group in high school but didn’t begin dating until they were both at Tech. Both were just weeks into their sophomore year when they headed to Caldwell Fields in Metzler’s navy Toyota Camry and never returned to campus.

Sometime between 8:25 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Aug. 26, the teenagers were shot and killed. Their bodies were found early the next day by a man walking his dogs.

Metlzer’s guitar, which he had brought along to play that night, was still in the car, but some of Childs’ things were missing.

There is a $100,000 reward for any tips that lead to an arrest. According to Virginia State Police, a team continues to pursue investigative steps on a weekly, if not daily basis. That team also is using new and emerging technologies to try to identify the killer.

Virginia State Police is asking the public for any information and will follow up on all relevant leads pertaining to the cold case. If you have any information that you believe would help with the investigation, call (540) 375-9589.


For related stories, search “cold case” on Augusta Free Press.

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Crystal Graham

Crystal Graham

Crystal Abbe Graham is a reporter and ad manager for Augusta Free Press. A 1999 graduate of Virginia Tech, she has worked for 25 years as a reporter and editor for several Virginia publications, written a book, and garnered more than a dozen Virginia Press Association awards for writing and graphic design. She was the co-host of "Viewpoints," a weekly TV news show, and co-host of "Virginia Tonight," a nightly TV news show, both broadcast on PBS. Her work on "Virginia Tonight" earned her a national Telly award for excellence in television. You can reach her at [email protected]