Two men are murdered during a robbery On a quiet Sunday in Bland County, Virginia, the lives of two young men were tragically cut short in an act of brutal violence that has haunted the community for decades. On September 4, 1983, 20-year-old Darren Reed Walker, a Caucasian male, was working at the Exxon Service Station in Bastian alongside his 25-year-old coworker, Steven Patrick Shinault.
The day took a horrifying turn when a robbery escalated to a double murder, leaving a lasting scar on the small town.
The Virginia State Police were notified of the robbery and double murder at 11:10 a.m. on September 14, 1983, and upon arrival, discovered the bodies of both Walker and Shinault in the station's utility room. Both men had been shot three times each with two different caliber firearms and were found lying face down. The cash register had been emptied, with approximately $500 missing. The senseless loss of two promising young lives over a small sum of money sent shockwaves through the close-knit community.
Investigators tirelessly pursued leads in the immediate aftermath of the killings. Witnesses reported seeing a rusty, possibly blue, four-door car with New York license plates leaving the scene and heading towards Wytheville. Composite sketches of two male suspects were created and circulated, but despite these efforts, the individuals responsible have never been identified. The case eventually went cold, leaving the families of Darren Walker and Steven Shinault without answers or justice for their loved ones. The investigation remains open, now classified as a cold case with the Virginia State Police, a somber reminder of a crime that remains unsolved.
