Reward in slayings of two Tech students at $50,000

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 that 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 the morning of Aug. 27 at the Caldwell Fields campground in the Jefferson National Forest in Montgomery County. The two apparently were shot to death, authorities said. Metzler's body was inside his car; Childs' was found outside the car.

The Montgomery Sheriff's Office is asking that anyone who was near Craig Creek Road in the 24 hours before the teens' bodies were found to 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.