Thirty years have passed since the disappearance of 18-year-old Heidi Marie Allen in New Haven, which occurred on April 3, 1994. Allen vanished while working alone as a cashier at the D&W Convenience Store on the corner of State Route 104 and 104B. She opened the store around 5:45 a.m., with the store reported as empty just over two hours later at 7:55 a.m. She conducted her final transaction at 7:42 a.m. before disappearing. Allen was described as 5-foot-11, 145 pounds, with long curly light brown hair, blue eyes, and was last seen wearing a gray sweatshirt with a plaid “SU” logo, white sneakers, glasses or contact lenses, and pierced ears.
Gary Thibodeau was convicted of kidnapping Allen in 1995 but consistently maintained his innocence until he passed away in prison in August 2018. His brother Richard Thibodeau was also accused of the crime but was acquitted in a separate trial before his death on January 2. On the 25th anniversary of Allen’s disappearance in 2019, her sister Lisa Buske expressed her belief that Heidi was kidnapped and murdered.
CNY Central aired a special called the “Heidi Allen Files” in 2019, which unveiled a hidden document related to the case. The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information regarding Allen’s disappearance is urged to contact the Oswego County Sheriff’s Office at (315) 349-3411.