Written by Lisa Buske, Heidi Allens Sister

In Response to Judge Kings Ruling

For the past few months, our family waited for Judge Kings ruling. He said it would
be released soon. If we have learned one thing over these almost twenty-two years,
the courts definition of soon is different than the soon the families anticipate,
and pray for. After months of testimony, reviewing statements and proposed
evidence, and additional staff to assist the Judge, the wait concluded yesterday. We
appreciate Judge Kings time and dedication to Heidis kidnapping case, decades
later.
Years transitioned into decades and Heidis memory was kept alive on the
anniversary of her abduction and her birthday until July 2014. One summer
afternoon, my parents and I, and Heidis family, friends, and community were thrust
back into the same intensity endured decades prior. We went from a hopeful waiting
to a hope-filled waiting and the call. The call never came and the roller coaster of
emotions and impact of Heidis kidnapping wore on us with a rawness we thought
we were numb to, but we werent. In the matter of a moment, the raw and heart
breaking pain returned.
July 2014 to March 2016...one thing remained the same...Heidi was, and is, still
missing.
We are thankful for this time of waiting is over. We arent nave and understand
court hearings and motions never stop, but neither do our hopes, prayers, and
dedication to keep Heidis memory in the forefront until she is found. We appreciate
the judge taking time to be diligent and meticulous in his response, showing both
his character and desire to uphold the law.
The journey in having a missing loved one never ends. The hope and prayers for
their return are just as constant. My greatest sorrow in this recent announcement,
while it confirms the right man is in jail, my Mom wasnt able to hear the news and
have this peace when she took her last breath. Mom wanted to know where her
youngest daughter was but a broken heart and cancer took her before she could
thank the sheriffs and DAs office personally, or to know where her Heidi is.
The Oswego County Sheriffs Department and District Attorneys offices kept my
parents and I informed. They tried to stay ahead of the media but in todays
technological age, and their desire to read and review things in their entirety before
calling us, sometimes I saw it on Twitter or heard it on the radio before we, and the
rest of our family could be notified.

There have been positives in this aspect of the journey too. Heidis kidnapping case
is thought of more often and people new to our community and surrounding areas
learned about the missing eighteen year-old from New Haven, New York that may
have never known such a tragic case occurred in our small town. The newer
investigators and deputies gained valuable experience in handling and investigating
a missing persons case. People are talking about Heidi and her disappearance
again. While this is difficult at times, one of these conversations might be the one
reveals the missing puzzle piece to finding Heidi.
On the flip side, this recent journey wore my Mom out. Some may not know she
passed away on Heidis birthday this past September, after a short battle with Stage
4 Metastasized Cancer. While we would have preferred this month to be spent with
only family, the investigators and DA still needed to keep in contact due to
additional statements made during this time. I am grateful for law enforcements
compassion and concern expressed each time they called, apologizing for bothering
me, yet dedicated to Heidis case. They too hoped to answer my parents question,
Wheres Heidi?

We understand some dont trust or have faith in the Oswego County Sheriffs
Department or the District Attorneys Office yet for us, weve see the countless
hours first hand spent to find Heidi and to uphold justice. We recognize and
appreciate the time sacrificed away from their families in order to interview, search,
investigate, and do the necessary paperwork in such an intense and detailed
investigation. I personally am amazed at their strength as they fielded negative
attacks to their character, their department and office. They modeled such restraint
and professionalism by not responding as they focused on the case and finding
Heidi.
The past months have been a challenge for so many people. Heidis family, friends,
and community miss her.
We hope and pray she is found and if there are others, that all involved are brought
to justice based on facts and evidence. Our family and so many others felt, and feel
the turmoil, stress, and intensity of the recent investigation and hearings. Yet none
of this brought Heidi home or answered the questions so many ask. I continue to
pray that every sleepless night, nightmare, and tear is worth it in the long run and
at the end of this leg of the journey, my Dads last thought and question isnt the
same as my MomsWheres Heidi?