Heidi Allen, an 18-year-old cashier, vanished under mysterious circumstances from her workplace in New Haven, New York, two decades later, according to NBC's 'Dateline: The Informant.' Who is James, and where is he today?
James "Thumper" Steen, who is he?
James H. "Thumper" Steen was a tow truck driver who used to haul junk cars to a scrap yard to be crushed before selling them for scrap. According to reports, he married Victoria "Vicki" West in 2007 and had children.
James' sly temper sat in his wife's Hastings house until she died on February 28, 2010. According to an Oswego County sheriff's report, the couple's 2-year-old son begged his father to stop from a few feet away.
Vicki survived the attack and left the children with his father, Carr Jr., who used to work for James. The rollback, a large tow truck, is described as a modern day tow truck that cars were loaded onto in August 2010.
James stabbed Carr Jr. in the face at the former's driveway in Hastings, and the latter punched him in the face. James reportedly fell before returning to his house on September 8, 2010. Vicki informed James that everything was over with James on September 12, 2010 and he shot Vicki and Carr Jr. at their Pulaski apartment from close range. He later testified his toddler was also inside the house before the shootings.
What Has Happened to James "Thumper" Steen?
James called Carr Sr. and said, "I told you it was going to be awful." According to reports, he told the hostage negotiator that he "was upset because Vicki was having their children call Carr Jr. father."
After seven hours of negotiations, the police negotiator was able to persuade James to surrender peacefully. He later testified in court that he did not intend to assass Carr Jr., and he deemed it an accident. In June 2011, he was sentenced to life without the chance of parole for two first-degree murders, but never demonstrated any remorse.
Tonya M. Priest accused James of lying to her and Vicki on her involvement in Heidi Allen's abduction and alleged murder. However, James denied the claims and claimed the parties were lying. Joe Mannino Jr., his fellow convict in the Oswego County jail, claims James had always been a "bragger."
James appeared on the stand in a trial for overturning Gary Thibodeau's conviction in Heidi's case and alleged Roger Breckenridge had told him two decades ago that he was involved in disposing of the body of 1994 kidnapping victim Heidi. Despite the prosecution and the investigators' refusal to believe the informants' testimony, the court found no evidence to link him to the abduction.
