Mourners gather at church for teens’ funerals in Lynchburg

Related:

Scene of students’ slaying peaceful

Church, college remember slain teens

Funerals to be held Monday for Tech students

 

UPDATE: A steady stream of mourners filed into Heritage Baptist Church in Lynchburg just after noon today in preparation for the funeral services this afternoon for the two Lynchburg-area teens slain in Montgomery County last week.

The expected large turnout for the funerals of David Metzler, 19, of Campbell County, and Heidi Childs, 18, of Forest, prompted law enforcement to remind motorists to avoid the procession area along U.S. 221 later this afternoon between Lynchburg and Forest.

Virginia State Police Sgt. Les Tyler said Lynchburg police officers and state troopers will be coordinating traffic flow. He said several students from Virginia Tech are expected for the funerals, as well as many members of the Lynchburg-area community.

It is a somber day for the state police, too, he said, noting that officers also will be present “in a support role for one of our fellow brothers, who has had a great loss.“ Heidi Childs is the daughter of Sgt. Donald Childs, an aviation sergeant with the state police.

The funeral services for David Metzler, 19, of Campbell County, and Heidi Childs, 18, of Forest, are scheduled for 1 to 4:30 p.m. at Heritage Baptist Church. A joint procession to Virginia Memorial Park, located on Forest Road 2 ½ miles east of Goode, is set to follow.

“The traffic congestion is expected to begin as early as 4:30 p.m. and may last as long as 6:30 p.m.,” Lynchburg police Capt. Brandon Zuidema stated in a news release. “Citizens are strongly encouraged to avoid this area … and to seek alternate routes or times of travel on Monday.”

Tyler said that the advisory was made in part because of heavy turnout Sunday evening at simultaneous visitations at Tharp Funeral Home and the church, which are located on Breezewood Drive near the intersection of 221 and the U.S. 501 expressway.

Tharp Funeral Home director Buddy Maxley said people were still in line at 9:30 p.m. for visitations scheduled to close at 6.

“Based on that, we believe there is going to be a lot of congestion and traffic right around rush hour,” Tyler said. “We didn’t want people to get hung up when they had somewhere else to be.”

Tyler also noted that while news cameras are not allowed inside the church, the church plans to broadcast the services live on its Web site at http://www.hbclynchburg.com.

According to friends, Metzler and Childs were active in the church and in Christian communities at Virginia Tech, where they were sophomores.

A passerby found their bodies Thursday morning near Caldwell Fields campground in the Jefferson National Forest in Montgomery County.

Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office investigators have said the two were found dead of gunshot wounds and are investigating the deaths as homicides. Metzler was found inside his car, they said. Childs was found nearby.

Lt. Brian Wright of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office called the slayings a “random act” Friday. The sheriff’s office did not release information about the investigation Sunday.

Investigators are asking anyone with information about the incident to call (540) 382-2951.