Heidi Allen

On the morning of April 3, 1994—Easter Sunday—18-year-old Heidi Allen was working the early shift at the D&W Convenience Store on Route 104 in New Haven, a small town in Oswego County, New York. At approximately 7:45 a.m., a customer entered the store and found it unattended. The cash register was open, and Heidi's coat and keys were behind the counter. She had vanished.

The abduction occurred in broad daylight on a Sunday morning in a rural community, shocking the area. A witness reported seeing a van near the store around the time of the disappearance. The investigation led to brothers Gary and Richard Thibodeau, who were arrested and charged with kidnapping. Gary was convicted in 1995 and sentenced to 25 years to life; Richard was convicted in 1996 and received the same sentence.

The convictions have been highly controversial. Both were based largely on the testimony of an informant and accomplice witnesses whose credibility was questioned. No physical evidence linked the brothers to the crime, and Heidi's body was never found. Appeals and advocacy by innocence organizations have challenged the convictions, with some arguing the Thibodeaus were scapegoats for a crime they did not commit.

Richard Thibodeau was released on parole in 2018 after serving over 20 years. Gary Thibodeau died in prison in 2018 before his appeal could be heard. Heidi Allen's body has never been recovered, and questions about what really happened at the D&W convenience store that Easter morning remain unanswered.