Heidi Allen, 18, was stolen on Easter Day 1994 at D & W Convenience Store in New Haven, New York while working a part-time shift. Gary and Richard Thibodeau, the last individuals to see her alive, were arrested as a result of her research. While Richard was cleared of all charges, the former was found guilty and condemned to death in jail.
The case, which officials and the FBI think is still unresolved, became more strange over time. Shocking facts continued to emerge, suggesting that there was more to the case than seemed on the surface. Allen’s case remains one of the most perplexing mysteries, as the hunt for her continues. This article will go over some of the key questions and facts behind Heidi Allen’s decades-long missing case ahead of the forthcoming Dateline: Secrets Uncovered episode, which will run on Oxygen on Wednesday, November 16, 2022, at 7:00 p.m. ET.
Five essential facts concerning Heidi Allen’s long-running lawsuit
1) Heidi Allen’s boyfriend was with her the morning she vanished.
Allen allegedly opened the convenience store where she worked as a part-time employee at 5:45 a.m. Her boyfriend was with her at the time, but he departed as soon as others arrived.
2) Authorities suspected foul play in Allen’s case right away.
The cash register at the convenience shop last recorded activity at 7:42 a.m. A passerby stopped the sheriff’s patrol car outside the business at about 8:15 a.m., claiming that the store was open but unattended. After a protracted investigation, officials concluded that Heidi Allen had inexplicably departed from her shift.
Allen’s maroon station vehicle was left intact in the parking lot, as were her jacket, pocketbook, and car keys. Furthermore, nothing was stolen from the cash register or the counter, suggesting no attempted robbery, prompting officials to believe Allen was abducted from the company.
3) Richard and Gary Thibodeau were the final customers to visit the business before it vanished.
Richard Thibodeau, accompanied by his brother Gary, was said to have arrived to the business at 7:30 a.m. He claimed to have purchased two packs of smokes and then departed. Both individuals were eventually arrested and prosecuted in connection with the crime. They were the only ones who had seen Allen alive before she mysteriously vanished. They were also observed driving a vehicle outside the establishment during the incident.
4) Gary Thibodeau was convicted one year after Heidi Allen went missing.
In June 1995, Gary Thibodeau was convicted guilty of first-degree abduction in Allen’s case and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. Richard, on the other hand, was exonerated in September of the same year. Gary subsequently attempted to appeal his sentence but was denied by the courts in 1999. He, on the other hand, maintained his innocence throughout the years. Gary passed away in 2018.
5) At the time of her abduction, Allen was working as a juvenile narcotics informant.
Prior to her abduction, Heidi Allen was working as an adolescent drug informant with a deputy who mistakenly dropped an identity card with Allen’s name and picture, identifying her as an informant, on the ground at her employment. Authorities think this may have contributed to her disappearance. This data was also utilized to submit an appeal against Gary’s unsuccessful retrial.