15 years later, investigation continues into murders of Heidi Childs and David Metzler

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Va. (WDBJ) - August 27, 2024 marked 15 years since a young couple was found murdered in a Montgomery County recreation area within Jefferson National Forest. No one has been arrested.

Virginia State Police say Virginia Tech students Heidi Childs and David Metzler were shot to death the previous evening. They were found in Caldwell Fields, near the Craig County line on Route 621/Upper Craig’s Creek Road.

The investigation continues with federal, state and local law enforcement to determine who is responsible.

State police say they want to “reassure the families and friends of Heidi and David, as well as the affected communities, that even after fifteen 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.”

Mitchell continued, “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,” he said, continuing, “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.”

There is a $100,000 reward for any tips that lead to an arrest. If you have any information you believe would help the investigation, you’re asked to call Virginia State Police at 540-375-9589.