Authorities form task force to investigate Virginia Tech students’ deaths

Special Report


Heidi Childs and David Metzler

Get more coverage, including past stories, the teens’ obituaries and a link to an online prayer group in their memory.

A multi-agency task force has formed to investigate the deaths of two Virginia Tech students from the Lynchburg area.

Heidi Childs, 18, and David Metzler, 19, were found dead at an off-campus camping area Aug. 27. Authorities have called their deaths a “random act” of homicide.

Authorities have said leads have been elusive, and Virginia Tech is offering $10,000 for information leading to the arrest of the teens’ killer or killers.

The task force consists of:

the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office;

the Town of Blacksburg and Christiansburg police departments;

the Virginia Tech Police Department;

the Virginia State Police;

the Federal Bureau of Investigation;

the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms;

the United States Marshal’s Office; and

the United States Forest Service.

“Bringing the various agencies who have already contributed to the investigation of this crime into one centralized location and group just makes good sense,“ Montgomery County Sheriff Tommy Whitt said in a news release.