Thursday, September 17, 2009
Reward in killings increases to $50,000
The sum for information on the deaths of two Virginia Tech students continues to grow.
The investigation: Ongoing coverage
Earlier coverage
- Task force to probe students' killings
- Hundreds mourn slain Lynchburg teens
- Police still chasing leads about Va. Tech student shootings
- Virginia Tech announces $10,000 reward for information about killings
- Funerals for Tech students set for Monday afternoon
- Police still seek leads in deaths of Tech students
- Few clues, many tears in deaths of Tech students
- Caldwell Fields neighbors did not hear shots
- Dan Casey: Neighbors shaken after meadow becomes killing field
- Police seek suspects in Virginia Tech students' killings
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Heidi Childs and David Metzler, seen here in a photo from her Facebook profile, were inseparable.
Statements
Hoping to aid the investigation into the killings of two Virginia Tech students last month, a Lynchburg cardiologist has raised $40,000 in reward money since Labor Day. Adding the $10,000 put up by Virginia Tech, the total reward now stands at $50,000.
The money is to be paid for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the killer of David Metzler, 19, and Heidi Childs, 18.
Dr. Chad Hoyt, a friend of Metzler's father, also a doctor, is attempting to raise the total reward to $100,000, convinced the sum will prompt someone with information to talk.
Hoyt said he was asked by Keith Metzler on Labor Day to jump-start a drive for donations to the reward fund. Hoyt said he and Metzler went to college together, go to the same church and both did medical missionary work in Vietnam.
"I've sent out masses and masses of e-mails," Hoyt said. "I've basically put much of my life on hold right now to get this done."
The response has been great, he said, because "so many people are angry about it and want to know what they can do. We all have sons and daughters and love them very much."
The bodies of Childs, of Forest and Metzler, of Lynchburg were found on the morning of Aug. 27 at the Caldwell Fields campground in the Jefferson National Forest in Montgomery County. The two had apparently been shot to death, according to authorities. Metzler's body was inside his Toyota; Childs was found outside the car.
The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office has asked that anyone who was near Craig Creek Road in the 24 hours before the teens' bodies were found contact deputies.
Hoyt said anyone interested in contributing to the reward can make checks payable to the CPD Citizen Support Group, c/o Virginia State Police, 3775 W. Main St., Salem, VA 24153.
