Chapter 4

                                                                               Chapter Four


                   John Swenskowski was a quality inspector at Nine Mile Point and was heading to the D&W store early Easter morning. John had left a friends house around 7:30 a.m.. He was driving a little red sports car, a 1993 Mazda RX-7. As John made his way to the D&W he noticed a van about two to three hundred yards in front of him on Eggleston Road. He had gotten close enough to the van that he could view the license plate. The license plate had "PU followed by 55." John described the van as beat up and had rust on it. John could not recall the color of the van. He goes on to claim the van was a light color. Never mentioning anything else about the description of the vehicle. The van was traveling to slow for John, he passed the vehicle as soon as he was able to. Making it to the store at 7:38 a.m., he did not recall any other vehicles in the parking lot.
                   John purchased two Sunday papers and a pack of Marlboro cigarette's. John said," I was in the store for about a minute," admitting it only took him one minute to enter and exit the store, that time included him making his purchase. As he exited the store, John noticed the same van he had just passed parked in front of his car. John says he noticed a man standing near his van door. The man and John passed one another as the driver entered the store.
                   John said," He was a white male, shorter than I am." John went on to describe the driver. He was wearing jeans, a ball cap pulled over his eyes. Weighing about one hundred and forty five pounds and had a mustache. John thought the man was wearing glasses. John passed the running van and he proceeded to his vehicle and did not notice anyone else inside of the van. John later claimed though that he did not look in the van.
                    Richard had sat and smoked the last cigarette, Easter morning, that he and his girlfriend Teresa had in their possession. Teresa still asleep. Richard proceeded to get dressed and asked his step son John if he would like to ride to the store with him. Little John told him, "No." so Richard rode alone in his beat up black and white Chevy van.
                    Richard was a tiny man in his late forties, a kind souled person, he was only five foot four inches tall and weighed around one hundred and forty pounds. Even in his late forties his hair was albino white. Richard Thibodeau is now a seventy one year old man. He had only been arrested one time in his entire life and that was for a DWI, in his mid thirties. He had never been a burden to society.
                    In his younger year's, his father had left the family before his brother Gary was born. Richard and two of his siblings were sent to an orphanage. St. Joseph's School in Lowell Massachusetts's for eight year's. During that time, Richards parents reconciled. But only to have his father leave again. After Gary had grown to be a toddler, the brother's mother married again to a man named Henry. They reclaimed her other children and raised two more. As adults the children were not in close touch, until January of 1976. Their mother got sick and passed away. They were led on different paths in life. Gary and Richard had lost contact for some time as Gary had moved to Canada with a girl he had liked. Richard had married and settled down in Massachusetts's. At one point the boy's lives changed. Richard had gotten a divorce and Gary had moved back to Massachusetts's. Richard then moved to Upstate New York, near his sister in Oswego County. Gary Thibodeau had moved up one year prior to Heidi vanishing, to be near his sibling's. The family had some what seemed to be united for three hundred and sixty five day's. It seemed that thing's were getting to normal platform for the Thibodeau family. What would come would once again separate them.
                   "The only reason he ever went to the store that morning was because I am miserable in the morning with out my cigarettes."
                   When Richard arrived at the store Richard noticed a red car in the parking lot. He parked his beat up old white and black van near the red sports car that just flew past him. He jumped out of the van and as he entered the store, John held the door for him. Richard, "Thanking," John for the kind gesture. Richard cashed out one minute after John at 7:42 a.m., buying two packs of generic cigarettes. Richard had been in and out. Just as quick as John. John claims he never saw Richard exit the store.
                    Richard exited the store, hopped back in to his van . Attempting to leave just as fast as he came. Richard watched John as he stood by his car. Richard was waiting for the man to move his vehicle, so he could leave. He was carrying a newspaper. The man threw his newspaper on to the car seat. John then climbed in to his car, and to Richard's amazement, the man started to pack his smokes. By patting the bottom of the pack in the palm of his hand. The man then opened them, pulling out one and lite a cigarette before he even thought of driving off. Finally, he put his seat belt on and John, proceeded to leave. Richard was relieved as he followed the man out of the D&W parking lot.
                   John said, "As I drove past the van began to move."
                   Richard thought nothing of his quick jot to the corner store. He got home and the kids and Teresa, had gotten dressed and ready for their holiday, at Teresa's grand mother's. They arrived at Teresa's Grand Mother's by 8:30 that morning. They enjoyed their Easter all day with the family, having dinner and never left until later that evening. It was a normal Easter to them, accept one thing was unfolding. As they passed the D&W store they had seen officer's on the scene, at the store.
                    "I wonder what happened?" Richard said to Teresa, as he had just left the store and everything was fine.
                   Watching television the morning of Easter Sunday at Teresa's grandmothers a news flash came across the news. Richard had seen the news story with the family present that morning. He proceeded to tell Teresa's gram that he had been at the store that morning and when he left the cashier was okay. Teresa's grand mother thought it would be best if Richard called the Sheriff's that day. Letting them know that he was one of the customer's that morning. Richard agreed and called the Oswego County Sheriff's. In time an officer came to the grandmother's residence. His name unfortunately, was - Officer Vanpatten. The same officer whom exposed one of his own CI's, not once but twice. He met with Richard, taking a quick statement and Richard continued his Easter with his family. Richard tried to call his brother Gary but Gary's girlfriend, Sharon answered and Gary was still in bed. Well, after ten o'clock that morning. Richard got ahold of Gary as he was just rolling out of bed. All of this fuss was going on as Gary was home asleep. Richard told Gary about the missing store clerk and that he needed to speak to the Sheriff's. Gary asked him, " Why? "
                   "Because I went and bought cigarette's." Gary did not think anything of it and carried on his conversation with his brother. He had informed Richard that he and Sharon were going to have Easter at home. After, Richard met with Vanpatten that Easter Day, he had not heard anything for day's.
                   Sheriff's Investigators had initially focused their attention not on Brett Law or anyone close to her. But to Richard Thibodeau, the last man who had cashed out that day. Sheriff's assumed his brother Gary was possibly with him that morning. From the first day Heidi vanished onward the Sheriff's had been in contact with the Massachusetts's police department. Officer Scruton running Gary's date of birth, name and information through the system. Gary had a history of trouble in Massachusetts's back in the 1970's, here is was the 90's those thing's seemed to be used against him and a reason they felt they could be suspicious of him. His charges ranged from assault and battery on a police officer, to breaking and entering, along with grand larceny. Even though Gary had bettered his life, to the Sheriff's this did not matter.
                    People that knew Gary, described him as a outgoing, friendly man, whom got belligerent when drinking. It seems the two brother's were also opposites of one another. Gary drank, Richard didn't. Gary did not work, but Richard did. When Gary's mom got sick in January of 1976, Gary had returned from military leave to tend to his sick mother. Gary had grown and "He was out of the house and in the Marine's." His younger half brother John said, Gary had joined the Marines to get out of Finchburg, Massachusetts's. He had looked up to Gary. "He was a big strong guy back then."
                   In the marines Gary was a private and worked as a radio operator. Gary had gotten in trouble in the Marine's. "Gary did not receive a punitive discharge." Chief Warrant Officer Robert Jenks of the Marines said. He had gone home on leave to find his mother sick and dying. He stayed by her side to take care of her, never returning off his leave. He was discharged in February 7, 1976.
                    Gary liked to travel around and often return to Finchburg, staying on and off with an ex girl friend. By whom he had two children with. Gary held down a job as a Steel Worker and in 1986, he had been welding and he had fallen off a thirty foot steel structure, landed on his feet. He broke both heels, both ankles and had the toe joints removed from one foot. Gary could barely walk up a set of stair's or stand on his feet to long. Since then he had been completely disabled and unable to walk normal.
                   Gary eventually left his on and off girlfriend. Gary later met Sharon Raposa in Finchburg and after this he began to straighten up his life. For two and a half years the couple stayed with friends and saved money. Sharon had no children and had been divorced.
                    "We had become nearly inseparable from the beginning." Sharon said, "He use to bug me all of the time and I just fell for him. I liked his ways, he is fun to be with and I love being with him."
                   Gary knowing his settlement was imminent, he and Sharon started to look for a home of their own. "Oswego," it was Sharon and Gary later moved up to Oswego county, New York and bought an old house on Kenyon Road in Mexico, New York. Prior to Easter Gary and Sharon had a furnace fire at their new home. The insurance company paid for Gary and Sharon to stay at a local motel that had a bar attached, called "Becks." There they stayed until all repairs were completed.
                    One of the bartenders at the Texicana, in Little Texas, just outside of New Haven, New York said, "I have seen Gary throw a drink in another man's face over a dart board game. He is a very bad sport." She goes on to add," I seen Sharon go over the bar after the bartender trying to intervene. These are two people that should not drink." Gary and Sharon drank and spent time in the local bar's. But Sharon claims," Gary did not do drugs and had stopped doing them year's prior and that he had never dealt drugs."
                   Sharon knew Gary was innocent. With the Sheriff's focusing attention on Richard and Gary Thibodeau, Sharon spoke out, "I woke up next to next the man in the morning, " tears streamed down her face," I'm a light sleeper, if he would have left the house that morning, I would have known."
                    "He was just a regular guy who liked to joke and kid around. He wasn't dealing drug's, he lived off $500.00 a month from his accident." David Maynes a painter who had said he had know Gary for only a few year's. He had trusted the couple so much that they would babysit for Maynes and his wife. He enjoyed Gary's company. Neighbor's also agreed that Gary and his wife were quiet and did not have any traffic or company coming in and out of their home. A drug dealer has ton's of traffic, it is obvious by the neighbor's observations that is not something Gary seemed to be. "Gary was always quiet and descent to me." His neighbor told reporters.
                   Friend's claimed that years of not working and bar hoping that Gary would stay out late and sleep all day. The night before Heidi vanished Gary and Sharon had visited a friend had a few drinks and played cards, until midnight and went to bed that night at one a.m.. The following morning they were awaken to the phone ringing. Sharon looked at the clock it read 9:30 but it was actually 10:30 and the clocks had not been reset. It was Richard, calling to wish Sharon and Gary a Happy Easter and to find out what we were doing." Raposa added that, "He had told us about the girl being abducted and that he had called the Sheriff's because he had been at the store that morning to buy cigarette's."
                   The Sheriff's claim that John had cashed out at 7:41, and Richard at 7:42 a.m., mean while at 7:41 Stitson's watch time he arrives at 7:41 and the store time has his arrival at 7:38/7:39. But no one seemed to see Stitson and Stitson arrived to an empty store.
                    The Sheriff's timeline has Heidi, Stitson, John and Richard all at the store around the apparent time of kidnapping. Neither John or Stitson witnessed the kidnapping. The news says that thirteen minutes pass from the time that Richard cashed out to the time of the on scene report with the first officer to arrive on the scene. This is true, thirteen minutes passed all while Mr. Stitson was on the scene and looking to find the store clerk. In the time difference two people set their clock's he had arrived and seen NOTHING!
                   A women twenty years later on May 20, 2016 Kristine McCarthy, claims she had no confidence in the Sheriff's investigation. She claimed that morning her and her husband were on their way to church Easter morning and were run off the road on Rte. 104 west by a little red sports car. When she contacted the Sheriff's office they immediately shut her down.
                   "They have got to pin this on some body but there is an awful lot of doubt." David Maynes said. "I have known Gary long enough to know he would not do this."