Marty Gordon
Just a week after extra media coverage to the anniversary of the tragic murder of two Virginia Tech students, law enforcement officials have released a statement on the ongoing case.
A federal, state and local task force says they continue to pursue leads on the Aug. 27, 2009, murder of Heidi Childs and David Metzler.
The two were found murdered at Caldwell Fields, a Jefferson National Forest rural recreation area located within Montgomery County, for which there is concurrent state and federal jurisdiction. Caldwell Fields is located within Montgomery County near the Craig County line on Route 621 – Upper Craig’s Creek Road.
The criminal investigation determined the couple was killed in the evening hours the previous day, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2009, and that both victims were shot to death.
In a statement, law enforcement said they are working diligently toward a resolution in this case want to reassure the families and friends of Childs and Metzler, as well as the affected communities, that even after 15 years a robust team is pursuing investigative steps on a weekly, if not daily basis.
That team also is constantly evaluating new and emerging technologies to leverage scientific advances.
“We intend to resolve this case,” said Special Agent Scott Mitchell of the Virginia State Police. “That means that we intend to identify and prosecute the person responsible for these brutal murders.”
“The investigative team believes there are people with relevant knowledge about what happened the night David and Heidi were murdered who have not yet come forward.
“There are relatives or associates of the offender who have learned concerning things in the intervening years or have held onto secrets all this time.”
Mitchell feels the odds are very high that the offender has put his family and friends – through no fault of their own – in the awful position of knowing things about that night.
“We don’t want those individuals to be reluctant to come forward,” he said.
There is a $100,000 reward for any tips that lead to an arrest. If you have any information you would like to share you can call Virginia State Police at 540-375-9589.
