Rick Benningfield

                                                                     Chapter Four
                                                                     Rick Benningfield






                    By April 8, 1994 the Sheriffs were no longer looking for Heidi. The Sheriff had stated that there was nothing to link Heidi's disappearance to foul play. There was not one slim jim moved, no money missing from the store and no one seemed to believe that Heidi had any issues with anyone.
                   By Thursday of that week the family of Heidi Allen had flown in Rick Benningfield from Texas. Rick was the director of missing persons and the chief of operations out or San Antonio, Texas, for the Heidi Foundation. The Heidi foundation was formed in 1990, after Heidi Seeman had disappeared a block from her home. Rick was the only paid employee and worked with over forty volunteer's. The foundation takes credit in their four years of operating for solving most cases brought to their attention. Forty two cases, they have either solved or semi solved. Sometimes bringing at least a dozen victims home alive. The objective was to bring Benningfield in as Heidi's, Aunt and Uncle the Sturtz, paid for his flights from Texas to Syracuse, N.Y. Once in New York Benningfield was to work with a handful of Sheriffs and an FBI agent and hundreds of volunteers. He was to stay for a week and help free of charge.
                    Heidi's mom felt relieved," It's a big help having someone come in to spearhead thing's so we are not over whelmed."
                   " Benningfield coming in has given a whole lot of people, hope." Brett Law, Heidi's boy friend added.
                    Benningfield had taken the reigns and had reorganized even the Heidi center no later than Friday of that week. He also reassigned everyone positions and a better understanding to that persons duty. He made sure the sheriffs had detailed information and that anyone that had volunteered to help had to sign in to a sign in log. Friday morning at eight a.m. Benningfield had a plan to have the volunteers search lesser traveled roads. Benningfield was dressed in all camo fatigues and a blue wind breaker as he made his rounds that Friday through the Heidi search center. Volunteer's were dressed in their normal clothing sporting a orange florescent survey tape around their arms. Helicopters from the state police and sheriff department flew over head as they scoured miles and miles of land in Oswego, New York. Benningfield believed they had searched so far that they had spanned in to connecting counties.
                   Officer Goodsell made it a point to inform the reporters that the Sheriffs were laying low and had stepped in to the back as Benningfield joined the team. They were meeting in another location to catch up with other state police investigators, as they worked several other leads.
                    Heidi's father Ken Allen had spent most of his time at the search center speaking to officers and floods of volunteers who were coming in through the back door. "We are getting burned out." He said. As it had been almost a week since his daughter vanished and he had only one three hour nap since Sunday.
                    By Friday the Sheriff's story had changed and LT. Goodsell informed the reporters that they were now one hundred percent certain that Heidi Allen had been abducted.
                   To locals it had seemed like a foreign land as a teen vanished, in a small town in upstate New York. As Heidi's disappearance neared one week, her family, friends and volunteers took solace Friday night at a local church for a candle light vigil. Some felt relief for it was the first time they could break down and cry. One hundred and fifty people attended the candle light ceremony that was to honor the missing teen. They sang song's, embraced and placed candles below a sign that read, "Pray for Heidi's return." Many did that night, but their prayers would not be answered any time soon.
                   Heidi's four year old cousin said." Heidi will come home, the lights will show her how to come home."