VA VA - David Metzler, 19, & Heidi Childs, 18, fatally shot, Montgomery Co, 26 Aug 2009

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Hey everyone, I'm gonna give this a shot and add some information that would hopefully make sense.

I took interest in this case because the area bordering WV/VA is my go-to camping and hiking place. I've seen some strange things and people in the outdoors so I am always keeping my eyes peeled for suspicious activity when out and about.

Motive has to remain grounded in reality. I've seen hypothesized scenarios that are plausible, but highly unlikely. First being the witness to a drug deal or random crime. If the victims pulled into the lot, they would not have surprised any criminals caught in the act. Their headlights would've given them away hundreds of yards before entering the parking area. Any criminals in the process of a drug deal or other crime, would've packed up and hidden their contraband in case the headlights were a LEO. It is also a really dumb area to meet for a drug deal or something. No escape routes, open air for surveillance, etc etc. This is also just an educated opinion but I'm just trying to use experience and insider knowledge to assist. The weapon being uncommon for most criminals also leads a reasonable person to look elsewhere.

Another unlikely motive would be that they were ambushed by a jealous lover or acquaintance. Regardless of how innocent they appeared on the surface, nobody ever truly knows what went on in their lives. However, that would be the first place detectives would start following this crime. They start with the victims and work outward. Every single one of their friends would've been intereviewed and re-interviewed. Cell phone records, emails, house searches, vehicle searches, criminal records, potential polygraph statements, teacher interviews, job interviews etc etc etc. Every single aspect to develop a suspect would've been covered. And if a person of interest was identified then the DNA sample could've been used to corroborate. So it is highly unlikely that the victims knew the killer. That doesn't mean that the killer didnt know the victims, but they could've known of them without ever meeting them. I would assume its safe to say after so many years that any friends, family, or acquaintance leads have been pursued ad nauseum.

The most likely situations would be either a serial/thrill kill type murder with or without sexual motivations since that info has never been released to the public. Or a drunken rage filled homicide that stemmed from something random like road rage, a look in the wrong direction, or just a drunken fool. The problem being that the location is remote and it wouldn't be a good place to stalk for victims. There is a possibility that the killer followed them there, or stumbled upon them while out hunting for a victim. Maybe they stopped at store and someone saw them, maybe they pulled up next to someone in traffic and the killer thought they looked like good victims. This is also the same way they couldve interacted with a drunken road rage type killer. The police wouldve obviously looked at all angles of this as well. Checking passive traffic cameras at redlights. Retracing the steps of the victims and pulling surveillance from any store they went to. Etc. Which also means its highly unlikely they developed any suspects or POI based upon those methods. Any POI info wouldve been released to the public for help in identifying. Which means that it is likely that the killer was in the mountains or rural areas already and outside the view of the general public. Local LE wouldve interviewed any transients or people with possible MO crimes in the area. All LE already knows who the problem people are in their neighborhood. Whos the town drunk, which kid shot holes in a street sign, who beats his wife etc. So anyone remotely capable of this crime wouldve been intereviewed or at least crossed of a list of potential suspects. Also meaning that maybe the killer isn't from this area at all to begin with. Which is why LE has been having an issue. Also any potential serial cases wouldve been checked and rechecked. James Matthew, CPK, Charles Severance etc etc.

Important information that would help but hasn't been released is what would keep us all from hypothesizing and letting our imagination run wild. Crime scene photos and detailed information is what would present LE with a direction to go in. For instance; were they ambushed or stalked? Had they set up camp yet or shot immediately upon arriving? How close were the shell casings?

Think about it. If the killer was waiting in concealment and took sniper shots at the victims, he would need perfect conditions. He would have to be in a concealment location and know ahead of time how David was going to park the car. To shoot through the window and hit David would mean he was on the drivers side or the front of the vehicle. If Heidi got out of the car and took of running, the killer would need a clean line of sight to his target. If he was at a distance, hitting a moving target at about 8 fps or 5mph is pretty difficult even for a trained individual. Add the fact that the headlights from the vehicle would be blinding the shooter if he was shooting from the front. And if he was shooting from the side, he wouldn't have a clear line of sight for Heidi as she ran or was out of the car doing whatever.

So that would lead a reasonable person to surmise that the killer shot the victims from a personal distance. Probably walked up on the vehicle and shot through the glass, then was close enough to shoot Heidi as she was out of the car. Regardless of lighting conditions thats pretty easy for someone with a rifle.

Leaving us with the question as to whether the shooter was hiding and approached the vehicle or if he pulled up in a vehicle and got close to the targets that way. Using his headlights to blind the victims and assist with his target acquisition.

Lots more questions than answers and I'm not trying to point the investigation in one direction or another. Just offering some first hand knowledge that might show why LE is stumped and where we can start looking for similarities.
 
Breach_and_Clear said:
Hey everyone, I'm gonna give this a shot and add some information that would hopefully make sense.

I took interest in this case because the area bordering WV/VA is my go-to camping and hiking place. I've seen some strange things and people in the outdoors so I am always keeping my eyes peeled for suspicious activity when out and about.

Motive has to remain grounded in reality. I've seen hypothesized scenarios that are plausible, but highly unlikely. First being the witness to a drug deal or random crime. If the victims pulled into the lot, they would not have surprised any criminals caught in the act. Their headlights would've given them away hundreds of yards before entering the parking area. Any criminals in the process of a drug deal or other crime, would've packed up and hidden their contraband in case the headlights were a LEO. It is also a really dumb area to meet for a drug deal or something. No escape routes, open air for surveillance, etc etc. This is also just an educated opinion but I'm just trying to use experience and insider knowledge to assist. The weapon being uncommon for most criminals also leads a reasonable person to look elsewhere.

Another unlikely motive would be that they were ambushed by a jealous lover or acquaintance. Regardless of how innocent they appeared on the surface, nobody ever truly knows what went on in their lives. However, that would be the first place detectives would start following this crime. They start with the victims and work outward. Every single one of their friends would've been intereviewed and re-interviewed. Cell phone records, emails, house searches, vehicle searches, criminal records, potential polygraph statements, teacher interviews, job interviews etc etc etc. Every single aspect to develop a suspect would've been covered. And if a person of interest was identified then the DNA sample could've been used to corroborate. So it is highly unlikely that the victims knew the killer. That doesn't mean that the killer didnt know the victims, but they could've known of them without ever meeting them. I would assume its safe to say after so many years that any friends, family, or acquaintance leads have been pursued ad nauseum.

The most likely situations would be either a serial/thrill kill type murder with or without sexual motivations since that info has never been released to the public. Or a drunken rage filled homicide that stemmed from something random like road rage, a look in the wrong direction, or just a drunken fool. The problem being that the location is remote and it wouldn't be a good place to stalk for victims. There is a possibility that the killer followed them there, or stumbled upon them while out hunting for a victim. Maybe they stopped at store and someone saw them, maybe they pulled up next to someone in traffic and the killer thought they looked like good victims. This is also the same way they couldve interacted with a drunken road rage type killer. The police wouldve obviously looked at all angles of this as well. Checking passive traffic cameras at redlights. Retracing the steps of the victims and pulling surveillance from any store they went to. Etc. Which also means its highly unlikely they developed any suspects or POI based upon those methods. Any POI info wouldve been released to the public for help in identifying. Which means that it is likely that the killer was in the mountains or rural areas already and outside the view of the general public. Local LE wouldve interviewed any transients or people with possible MO crimes in the area. All LE already knows who the problem people are in their neighborhood. Whos the town drunk, which kid shot holes in a street sign, who beats his wife etc. So anyone remotely capable of this crime wouldve been intereviewed or at least crossed of a list of potential suspects. Also meaning that maybe the killer isn't from this area at all to begin with. Which is why LE has been having an issue. Also any potential serial cases wouldve been checked and rechecked. James Matthew, CPK, Charles Severance etc etc.

Important information that would help but hasn't been released is what would keep us all from hypothesizing and letting our imagination run wild. Crime scene photos and detailed information is what would present LE with a direction to go in. For instance; were they ambushed or stalked? Had they set up camp yet or shot immediately upon arriving? How close were the shell casings?

Think about it. If the killer was waiting in concealment and took sniper shots at the victims, he would need perfect conditions. He would have to be in a concealment location and know ahead of time how David was going to park the car. To shoot through the window and hit David would mean he was on the drivers side or the front of the vehicle. If Heidi got out of the car and took of running, the killer would need a clean line of sight to his target. If he was at a distance, hitting a moving target at about 8 fps or 5mph is pretty difficult even for a trained individual. Add the fact that the headlights from the vehicle would be blinding the shooter if he was shooting from the front. And if he was shooting from the side, he wouldn't have a clear line of sight for Heidi as she ran or was out of the car doing whatever.

So that would lead a reasonable person to surmise that the killer shot the victims from a personal distance. Probably walked up on the vehicle and shot through the glass, then was close enough to shoot Heidi as she was out of the car. Regardless of lighting conditions thats pretty easy for someone with a rifle.

Leaving us with the question as to whether the shooter was hiding and approached the vehicle or if he pulled up in a vehicle and got close to the targets that way. Using his headlights to blind the victims and assist with his target acquisition.

Lots more questions than answers and I'm not trying to point the investigation in one direction or another. Just offering some first hand knowledge that might show why LE is stumped and where we can start looking for similarities.
Click to expand...

I've never been to Caldwell Fields, but I've been all around it many times. You're thinking is about in line with mine. I haven't seen the road rage theory much and I just starting thinking in that direction recently. It appears to be a rage killing or a thrill killing to me. I can't see the killer taking the time there to commit a sexual assault. I believe they were both shot and killed inside of a minute, two at the most. Pulling up behind them with the lights on is something I've envisioned. LE probably has a fairly good idea based on where David was shot and shell casings if the killer didn't pick them up.

I'm not ruling out a serial killer, but I believe LE would have made a connection to another killing by now if that were the case.

If this were a road rage, I'm betting he carried that rifle quite a bit and some locals might know about it. I also wonder if a road rage killing would cause some serious behavior changes when the killer cools off. A thrill kill is entirely different. I also wonder if this is someone not from the area. If they're local, that rifle has probably been hidden away for some time now. The killer could have thrown it out, but there's a good chance that 30-30 is a hand-me-down and might have some sentimental value to the killer.
 
I can't be sure but it seems unlikely someone with road rage or an otherwise angered person would kill and then go on to steal her property. The purse and its contents are missing. I don't remember hearing anything about Davids belongings, dare we assume his was left at the scene? Years have gone by with no hit on the dna and no similar murders so a thrill/serial type is also looking less likely.

I'm wondering if it could've been a simple strong armed robbery that escalated to a double murder. Someone passing through the area living out of their vehicle, maybe camped up nearby in need of gas in the tank and food in the belly. Something placed the killer in that out of the way place. The question is was he there to kill or to steal or both? The taking of the purse needs to fit in any reasonable hypothesis.
 
Well LR1, in regards to missing property, there have been a few suggestions. One being that it was intentionally taken to make the scene look like a robbery.

However, in my experience, I have seen crimes of passion or rage turn into property crimes after the victim is rendered incapable of defense. A prime example is the drunken bar fight or street assault. I have seen suspects hit someone based over an argument, and as the victim is lying unconscious, they then go through their pockets searching for valuables. The intent of the offense wasn't to rob the victim, but when presented with the opportunity, offenders sometimes will steal whatever they can quickly.

Not saying that this is the case, per se. However, if robbery was the motive, two teenagers in the middle of nowhere present a suitable target BUT not in regards to reward. Any seasoned robber would know who would carry cash or expensive items. In that area, at that time of night, a robber would be better off knocking over a convenience store.

But once again. We are left with more questions than answers. :thinking:
 
@B&C

I noticed you didn't touch on the missing items in your excellent lengthy post which is what prompted my post so thanks for chiming back in and doing that. It's entirely possible the killer decided to take the property only after they were killed. My doubt was in the context of it being road rage or someone they angered along the way. If the motive was getting even or settling a slight I wouldn't expect him after just killing two people and with at least two loud reports to take the time to pilfer around in the dark for property to take and possibly get caught with, but to put distance between him and the scene quickly. That said, we cant always apply logical assumptions to some of these psychotic acts so yeah I couldn't completely rule it out.
 
Of all the cold cases in this country this one and the Colonial Parkway Murders are the ones I'd like to see solved. On this one I keep hoping that one tip comes in.
 
To me this has always been a thrill kill. Someone was already there when they arrived. This person knew they could kill these two and get away with it at the time, because he already knew no one else was around in that area at the time to witness it. Anything taken from the crime scene by the killer was taken as a tool to relive the experience later on. Especially when the killings were reported on the news. Someone local whom visited the shooting ranges in the area if I remember their being ranges from past discussions. A young person in their late teens early 20s I speculated just to see what it would be like to shot and kill someone...This is just an assumption on my part, from what I have read over the years here.
 
A lever action rifle would seem a poor choice of a weapon for someone whose motive is simple armed robbery. If it was a murder for the sake of just killing, the subject may have taken the purse/contents as a trophy. Rarely do these cases fit into a nice neat little box. Excellent synopsis, Breach_and_Clear. I recently medically retired after 18 years, twelve as a detective.
 
I can not put my finger on it, but I have a gut feeling the murder of David and Heidi is the work of the Colonial Parkway murderer, who has yet to be captured. Same with the Shenandoah park double homicide. And in that same line of thought, the fact that there is a gun range nearby begs the question of if it could have been a member of the LE community. As many know, in the Colonial Parkway killings there was some thought that it could have been a ranger or police officer who was responsible. Are these Va. double homicides all linked??
 
Mountain Mama said:
I can not put my finger on it, but I have a gut feeling the murder of David and Heidi is the work of the Colonial Parkway murderer, who has yet to be captured. Same with the Shenandoah park double homicide. And in that same line of thought, the fact that there is a gun range nearby begs the question of if it could have been a member of the LE community. As many know, in the Colonial Parkway killings there was some thought that it could have been a ranger or police officer who was responsible. Are these Va. double homicides all linked??
Click to expand...

The perpetrator of the Shenandoah Park homicide is pretty much agreed to be Darrell David Rice, a known sexual predator and anti-woman bigot who was established to have been in the park that weekend. He probably had nothing to do with the Parkway Killings but while on the surface it appears that Metzler and Childs could be related, there are enough differences to distinguish them from the earlier series.
 
Pettibon Junction said:
The perpetrator of the Shenandoah Park homicide is pretty much agreed to be Darrell David Rice, a known sexual predator and anti-woman bigot who was established to have been in the park that weekend. He probably had nothing to do with the Parkway Killings but while on the surface it appears that Metzler and Childs could be related, there are enough differences to distinguish them from the earlier series.
Click to expand...

The DNA of Rice was not present at the crime scene, though someone else's DNA was found.
 
Are there any bodies of water nearby? I have been reading more and more about missing people, when a car is not recovered, are sometimes found in a river, lake, etc. If they had a couple drinks, that would not be too far fetched.
 
LucyOso said:
Are there any bodies of water nearby? I have been reading more and more about missing people, when a car is not recovered, are sometimes found in a river, lake, etc. If they had a couple drinks, that would not be too far fetched.
Click to expand...

Wrong thread? These people are not missing.
 
Pettibon Junction said:
You're right.

I know I've said it before, but you have to wonder where Gary Hilton was that day.
Click to expand...

Good point, Pettibon Junction! Apparently Gary Hilton liked dogs and spared the life of at least one of his victim's dogs.

Meredith Emerson, one of Hilton's known victims, had a dog whose life was spared at the hands of Hilton. According to this link, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Meredith_Emerson

"Hilton stated he could not bring himself to kill her dog...'"

Likewise in the case of Williams and Winans' , their golden retriever,Taj was found wandering in the White Oak canyon region of the Shenandoah park.

http://www.readthehook.com/85806/cover-murder-park-rice-release-revives-memories

Is it possible that Gary Hilton is linked to David Metzler and Heidi Childs? I need to check the dates.
 
I just looked at the dates, and it would not have been possible for Gary to have killed David and Heidi. He was in prison in 2009 when the couple were murdered.

Even though he couldn't have been responsible in the Metzler/Childs double homicide, Gary was responsible for killing at least one other couple. Making him look like a good POI for the park murders along Colonial Parkway and at Shenandoah.

"On January 30, 2008, Gary Hilton pleaded guilty to the murder of Emerson. He was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility for parole in 30 years. Hilton was later linked to and then charged with three additional murders: the October 2007 murders of elderly couple John and Irene Bryant in North Carolina, and the December 2007 murder of 46-year-old nurse Cheryl Dunlap in Florida..."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Meredith_Emerson
 
Tomorrow is 8 years since the murders. I was hoping something would be in the papers or other media. Maybe there will be something this weekend. LE has fingerprints, DNA and know what the murder weapon was in this case, and if there is a POI or suspect they haven't mentioned it. As recently as April of this year LE stated they still have a task force on this case.
 
Mountain Mama said:
I can not put my finger on it, but I have a gut feeling the murder of David and Heidi is the work of the Colonial Parkway murderer, who has yet to be captured. Same with the Shenandoah park double homicide. And in that same line of thought, the fact that there is a gun range nearby begs the question of if it could have been a member of the LE community. As many know, in the Colonial Parkway killings there was some thought that it could have been a ranger or police officer who was responsible. Are these Va. double homicides all linked??
Click to expand...


As we have discussed before, Mama, I have often wondered the same thing.

The Colonial Parkway Murders seem to linked by Williamsburg, Virginia area, couples, no rape, no robbery, wallets and purses out, limited sign of struggle, isolated locations, lover's lanes, cars moved after the murders, cars seem staged, 3 of 4 double homicides in the fall, 2 of 4 committed on long weekends. Knives were used in 2 cases, gun in one case, bodies missing in one.

Thanks.



Bill Thomas,
Brother of Cathy Thomas,
Colonial Parkway Murders
 
One of these days their killer is going to slip up and LE is going to get his DNA. That can't come too soon!
 
Mountain Mama said:
I can not put my finger on it, but I have a gut feeling the murder of David and Heidi is the work of the Colonial Parkway murderer, who has yet to be captured. Same with the Shenandoah park double homicide. And in that same line of thought, the fact that there is a gun range nearby begs the question of if it could have been a member of the LE community. As many know, in the Colonial Parkway killings there was some thought that it could have been a ranger or police officer who was responsible. Are these Va. double homicides all linked??
Click to expand...

I’m pretty local and there are private ranges for LEOs here. Also several very nice private ranges. It would be quite unusual for a LEO to frequent that particular range. We use the Craig Creek range only very occasionally, it isn’t attended except by a couple of old guy “volunteers” who hang out to pick up brass to reload. Often it is packed to the point that there is a wait to get a lane and if it’s packed with students they tend to have little respect for range safety rules.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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