Hinton, WV Area Cold Cases

Name

Samuel Riser

Age

61

Cause of Death

Murder

Info

Cold case spotlight samuel riser had just paid his december rent and mailed out a letter; then he disappeared. The 61-year-old glasgow, west virginia man has not been seen or heard from since december 8, 2010. Blood was discovered in his home during a welfare check after mr. Riser didn’t show up for work. Police responded to the scene and, while remaining tight-lipped about the investigation, acknowledge that foul play is suspected in samuel riser’s disappearance. Investigators have said publicly that they have received a lot of tips, but keep hitting dead ends. They have asked that anyone with information reach out to them in this unsolved case. Mr. Riser, known by some as sam or dickie, was a hard-working, loving father. His children have kept fighting to find their dad, all along knowing the likely outcome. Mr. Riser’s information has been uploaded to namus, a database that provides an opportunity for families, law enforcement agencies and investigators to search nationwide for missing persons using a variety of powerful search features. His case was also featured on the charley project, a website that profiles approximately 9,500 “cold case” missing people, mainly from the united states. Project cold case is featuring mr. Riser’s case in conjunction with the week of the 6th anniversary of his disappearance and asking, on behalf of his family, that you share his case on social media in hopes that someone will come forward with answers. If you have any information about the disappearance of samuel riser, no matter how small you think it is, please call the kanawha county sheriff’s office at (304) 357-0156.

Agency

Kanawha County Sheriff's Office

Name

Cleo Burdette

Age

78

Cause of Death

Murder

Info

Cold case spotlight on august 13, 2004, cleo burdette was beaten to death in his on home. The victim's sister found him the next morning after he didn't answer her phone call. Investigators found broken windows, a cut phone line and a ransacked home and believe robbery may have been the motive. Mr. Burdette was a cattle farmer and had sold a number of cattle at auction the day he was killed. Several witnesses reported seeing a red or orange toyota truck near mr. Burdette's residence. There is a $10,000 reward being offered by the family in this case. If you have any information about the 2004 unsolved murder of cleo burdette you are asked to please contact the kanawha county sheriff's office at (304)357-0169.

Agency

Kanawha County Sheriff's Office

Name

Melanie Metheny

Age

21

Cause of Death

Missing

Info

On the morning of wednesday july 19, 2006, melanie metheny left her residence in campbells creek with two of her children and the child of her current boyfriend. It is believed that she dropped off the boyfriend’s child between 7:30 and 8:00 am at the home of the child’s paternal grandmother in the dry branch area of campbell’s creek and then continued to the country kids daycare located in the 3000 block of east dupont ave belle. There she dropped off her two children between 7:50am and 8:00 am. Friends, family, and daycare workers said melanie told them she was going to garnett career college in charleston that day to pick up her transcripts and deliver them to west virginia state college where she intended to start classes. Melanie never returned to pick up her children from the daycare. According to melanie’s cell phone records, she placed two calls between 9:00 am and 9:30am that morning, one of which to her voice mail, and both calls had been placed from the western kanawha and eastern putnam co. Areas. A check was done at west virginia state college and garnett and no contact was made with melanie that day. Melanie’s van, 1998 gold chevrolet venture van, was located 4 days later on july 23, 2006, parked on the street in the residential area of wyoming street and beuhring ave on the west side of charleston. One witness in the area said that the van had been parked there since around the afternoon of wednesday july 19, 2006. Melanie metheny was 21 years old when she was reported as missing. She has long strawberry blond hair, brown eyes, 5’3”, and approximately 100lbs. She didn’t have any tattoos but has a scar on her lower right leg/ankle and a plate and two screws that she received from a car accident. Melanie metheny is the mother of 3 children. Their ages at the time of her disappearance were 1, 3, and 5 years. Since the time she was reported missing the kanawha county sheriff’s office has expended numerous man hours while conducting this missing person case. We have received hundreds of tips since her disappearance and conducted follow-up investigations on each tip. We actively follow up on any leads that are brought to our attention. We know that someone in the public has information that could lead us to a closure in this case.

Agency

Kanawha County Sheriff

Name

Samuel Riser

Age

60

Cause of Death

Missing

Info

Samuel “dickie” riser went to work on wednesday, december 8, 2010, and at the end of his shift, returned to his home in glasgow, west virginia. On saturday, december 11, 2010, the family received a call that mr. Riser had not been to work in three days. His family went to his house and found mr. Riser’s vehicle was still parked at the residence. Mr. Riser’s residence was locked, the television was on, but mr. Riser was gone. Based on evidence found at mr. Riser’s residence, foul play is suspected. Mr. Riser was 60 years old at the time of his disappearance, he is 6’1” tall, 205 pounds, and goes by the nickname of “dickie”. Mr. Riser is a white male with gray hair, blue eyes, and wears metal-rimmed eyeglasses.

Agency

Kanawha County Sheriff

Name

Beverly Haygood

Age

52

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

Shortly before 10:00pm on august 16, 2022, roanoke county police were dispatched to the 600 block of tyler road in salem, virginia in reference to check the well-being of beverly rose haygood. Haygood was found in her home, suffering from at least one gunshot wound, and pronounced dead at the scene. At the time of her death, haygood was working at the antique mall in dixie caverns

Agency

Virginia State Police

Name

Carol Smith

Age

37

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Carol ann smith was last seen on june 6, 1994 watering the plants at her residence located on richards boulevard. She was reported missing by a neighbor on june 24, 1994. It is alleged that carol left her family with an unknown male on the date of her disappearance and was not reported missing by her (then) spouse, david smith. There has been no contact made by carol with any of her family, to include the two children she shared with david. No remains of carol have been located.

Agency

Virginia State Police

Name

Esther Albert

Age

70

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Albert was killed on july 3, 1993 in the city of covington, va. The case is a forcible rape/ homicide. The case is currently unsolved and under investigation. Several persons of interest have been identified and are now deceased. Vicap # 1993va00070

Agency

Virginia State Police

Name

Arturo Baxter

Age

35

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

Agency

Henrico County

Name

Gene McPherson

Age

42

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Gene mcpherson was last seen driving his silver 1978 ford pickup at 5:50 p.M. On saturday, may 23, 1987, in craig county, virginia. Days later, gene's pick-up was located at the I-81 rest area in radford, virginia. Gene's wallet was in the grass on the side of I-81 in virginia. John edward colclasure admitted to killing gene mcpherson and was convicted of murder. Colclasure died in jail in 2002 and never disclosed the location of gene's body.

Agency

Virginia State Police

Name

Heidi Childs

Age

18

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

Thursday, august 27, 2009, heidi childs and david metzler were found murdered at caldwell fields, a jefferson national forest rural recreation area located within montgomery county, virginia, over which there is concurrent state and federal jurisdiction. Caldwell fields is located within montgomery county near the craig county line on route 621 - upper craig's creek road. The criminal investigation determined that heidi and david were killed in the evening hours the previous day, wednesday, august 26, 2009 and that both victims were shot to death. The thirteen-year criminal investigation includes numerous interviews of residents of the local communities, resulting in the identification of persons of interest and suspects in montgomery, craig, and roanoke counties. Within the local region, the murders are sometimes referred to as the caldwell fields murders or the metzler-childs murders. The multi-agency criminal investigation continues to develop leads and interview witnesses.

Agency

Virginia State Police

Name

David Metzler

Age

18

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

Thursday, august 27, 2009, heidi childs and david metzler were found murdered at caldwell fields, a jefferson national forest rural recreation area located within montgomery county, virginia, over which there is concurrent state and federal jurisdiction. Caldwell fields is located within montgomery county near the craig county line on route 621 - upper craig's creek road. The criminal investigation determined that heidi and david were killed in the evening hours the previous day, wednesday, august 26, 2009 and that both victims were shot to death. The thirteen-year criminal investigation includes numerous interviews of residents of the local communities, resulting in the identification of persons of interest and suspects in montgomery, craig, and roanoke counties. Within the local region, the murders are sometimes referred to as the caldwell fields murders or the metzler-childs murders. The multi-agency criminal investigation continues to develop leads and interview witnesses.

Agency

Virginia State Police