Heidi Childs father makes new plea in daughter's killing

In the days following the slaying of Heidi Childs two months ago, her father says the family sought comfort in calling her cell phone to hear her voicemail greeting.

Canceling her cell phone and losing the chance to hear her voice was one of several difficult emotional experiences her father recalled in a statement released Monday by Virginia State Police. In that statement, Don Childs pleaded for any information that could help investigators learn who killed his daughter and her boyfriend, David Metzler.

Heidi Childs, of Forest, was a Virginia Tech freshman and Metzler, of Campbell County, was a sophomore. They were killed at Caldwell Field on Craig Creek Road in Montgomery County on Aug. 26. A hiker discovered their bodies the next morning.

Metzler was found shot inside a blue Toyota and Heidi Childs was found shot outside the vehicle.

Investigators have referred to the apparent homicide as a “random act” but have not spoken publicly about leads in the case. Last week Montgomery County Sheriff Tommy Whitt said he was “cautiously optimistic” about the status of the investigation.

The Virginia State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have joined local law enforcement in the investigation. Rewards totaling $68,000 are being been offered for information related to the slayings.

Don Childs, an aviation sergeant with the Virginia State Police, added to the monetary reward a plea from parents who “have had to do things that no parent should ever have to do.”

“The past two months have been very difficult for my family, as well as the Metzler family. My wife and I have had to take painstaking steps to attain some form of resolution to Heidi’s life,” Childs said in a news release. “… We have had to clean out her apartment, a very emotional undertaking; close her Virginia Tech accounts; as well as cancel her cell phone service, a very emotional event, losing forever the sound of her voice on the recording, which we have called just for some form of comfort.”

“In going through her computer and viewing photos she had taken of David and her friends at Virginia Tech and elsewhere, we are reminded of how special she was not only to us, but also to her church and her friends,” he said.

Childs asked for those who live in the area of the slayings to search their memories for anything they might recall about the night of Oct. 26. “Any small amount of information may be the key to locating who committed this act, which has forever changed our lives.”

He also expressed gratitude for the people who have provided support for the Childs and Metzler families. “The outpouring of love and concern has been overwhelming and we are grateful,” he said. “I also wish to thank those of you who have participated in raising monies to contribute to the reward offered in the case, as well as the memorial fund.”

Anyone with information related to the investigation is asked to contact the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office at (540) 382-6900 or the Virginia State Police at (800) 542-5959.