On Easter Sunday, April 3, 1994, 18-year-old Heidi Marie Allen was working alone as a cashier at the D&W Convenience Store, located at the intersection of State Routes 104 and 104B in the Oswego County Town of New Haven, New York State. She opened the store at about 5:45 a.m. and managed the store routinely for approximately 2 hours, with nothing out of the ordinary occurring.

Her jacket, purse and car keys were left behind in the store when she vanished, her maroon station wagon was undisturbed in the parking lot, and money was found in the cash register and on the counter.