MONTGOMERY COUNTY – The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office is asking hunters or hikers in the Craigs Creek Road for help in its investigation of the murders of Virginia Tech students Heidi Lynn Childs and David Lee Metzler.
October marks the beginning of bow hunting season, and police are asking any hunters or other visitors to report any suspicious items they might find in the area. Police said to call 911 as soon as possible if an item is found. Police cautioned anyone who discovers a suspicious item not to touch it, as it might need to be processed as evidence.
Childs, 18, and Metzler, 19, were found shot to death in the Caldwell Fields area of Jefferson National Forest on Aug. 27. Their murder remains unsolved.
Reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a suspect in the killings is more than $50,000. According to information released by the Virginia State Police on Oct. 2, “donations from the community continue to accumulate and the money in conjunction with $10,000 dollars offered by Virginia Tech has helped the reward reach its current level.”
“Task force investigators hope the reward will encourage anyone with valuable information regarding this investigation to come forward and provide assistance to solve the case,” the release continues.
“Monetary donations provided by the community have been sent to the state police and the account has been managed by the Christiansburg Police Department, Citizens Support Group, Inc. Anyone who provides information which will ultimately lead to an arrest and conviction in this case will be eligible to receive a share or all of the reward amount. Any information provided will be confidential and shared with law enforcement only.”
The task force continues to receive tips from the public and follows-up on any leads the tips provide. The investigation remains on-going.
The task force was created several weeks ago to aid with the murder investigation. The multi-jurisdictional task force is comprised of members from the following agencies: the Blacksburg Police Department, the Christiansburg Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Forestry Service, the Virginia Tech Police Department and the Virginia State Police. Anyone who believes they could have information that can assist investigators with this case are asked to call the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office at (540) 382-6900 or the public can call the Virginia State Police toll free number at 1-800-542-5959.
