Episode 43: The Murders of Harvey and Valerie Looney

Claypool Hill, VA is a small town surrounded by stunning scenery in Southwest VA. The town is close knit and friendly, with every member of the community treating each other like family, even to those just passing through. The people felt safe in their small town. That feeling immediately went away on March 30, 2009 when the bodies of two esteemed members of the community were found horrifically murdered. Harvey and Valerie Looney were known for being the most heart-warming, welcoming couple in this small town - Harvey always with a smile and Valerie with her contagious laugh. This couple was found in their place of employment, deceased, as another employee was opening the restaurant for the day. The brutal scene shocked everyone, even the police who knew the couple well.  It wouldn’t be for almost 4 years until an answer to this horrible crime would be received. What evil would take the lives of two friendly, wholesome people in this small community?  

 

Sources:

“Man Violently Murders Parents For Their $240K Life Insurance Payout” by Oxygen Staff on Oxygen True Crime on December 8, 2018 (https://www.oxygen.com/criminal-confessions/crime-time/man-violently-murders-parents-life-insurance)

“Four years later, son arrested in ‘Pizza Plus murders'” by Meredith Machen on News 5 WCYB on May 24, 2016 (https://wcyb.com/features/weekend-drive/four-years-later-son-arrested-in-pizza-plus-murders)

“Tazewell County authorities arrest son in Pizza Plus murders” by Tarah Taylor on News 5 WCYB on May 24, 2016 (https://wcyb.com/features/weekend-drive/tazewell-county-authorities-arrest-son-in-pizza-plus-murders-)

“Christopher Dean Looney is sentenced in the murder of his parents at a Claypool Hill Pizza Plus” by Jim Talbert on SWVA Today on July 23, 2014 (https://swvatoday.com/richland_clinch_valley/news/article_8ebf6edc-1359-11e4-91f7-0017a43b2370.html)

“The Reid Technique and Christopher Looney” by Britt Jones on REID on July 11, 2024 (https://reid.com/resources/whats-new/2024-the-reid-technique-and-christopher-looney)

“Criminal Confessions Full Episode | Double Murder” on True Crime YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30dtwM6FPNw)

“The Last Face she Saw” on Murder Comes to Town on Hulu, Season 5, Episode 10 on August 7, 2018

https://www.greenspunlaw.com/library/virginia-s-capital-murder-charges-and-devastating-penalties.cfm

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/reid-technique

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/legacyremembers/valerie-looney-obituary?id=32745252

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/legacyremembers/harvey-looney-obituary?id=24468661