10 Years Later, Parents Still Hope 'Merciless Murderer' of Virginia Tech Couple Will Be Caught

Heidi Childs and David Metzler were found shot to death on Aug. 26, 2009. Their murders are still unsolved.

It was a heartbreaking anniversary for Heidi Lynn Childs and David Lee Metzler, the sweethearts from Virginia Tech who were slain 10 years ago.

Heidi’s mom, Laura Childs, choked up as she and her husband spoke at a local news conference about their daughter.

“She never got to finish college or fulfill her dreams of becoming a physician’s assistant,” she said. “She missed her sisters’ and her brother’s high school and college graduation.”

Heidi’s sisters stood by, trying to contain their emotion.

David’s mom and dad also spoke about how they missed their only son.

“We have lived these past 10 years with lost dreams without our son, without Heidi. We experience aching hearts at every family gathering where David is absent knowing that our family will never be whole,” his mom, Susan, said. “We will never know what it’s like to see a son take a bride and we will never gain a daughter-in-law."

Heidi and David, who were 18 and 19 at the time of their murder, were sophomores at Virginia Tech. They knew each other from high school and started to date in college. They both came from close-knit families.

On Aug. 26, 2009, they drove up to an isolated spot in the Jefferson National Forest popular among Virginia Tech students.

The couple had been chatting in David’s Toyota Camry when he was shot through the driver’s window. Heidi was gunned down as she fled. Their killer was never caught.

However, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Department and the FBI insisted at the joint press conference that they are continuing to investigate the case.

“This is not a cold case nor has it ever been,” Montgomery County Sheriff Hank Partin said. “This investigative task force will continue to put in even more hours in relentless pursuit to bring this double homicide to a close once and for all."

Lt. Col. Lyon added, "We have DNA and we're working to take advantage of 10 years' worth of technological and scientific advancements in DNA testing as well as criminal data bases. We have new leads coming in that we're pursuing, but we still need the public's help to put the parts and the pieces together."

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