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After the wife of a wealthy executive is abducted, a note asks that ransom be paid to 12 different people.
CASE DETAILS Robert Hearin was one of the wealthiest men in the state of Mississippi. His wife, Annie Laurie Hearin, a devoted wife and mother, was kidnapped on July 26th, 1988. Twelve days later, Robert Hearin called a press conference at his home in an attempt to make a personal plea to the kidnapper. He said:
Robert’s son, Robert Hearin Jr.:
 The kidnapper left a note The kidnapping of Annie Hearin was unusual. The ransom note demanded payment not to one person, but to twelve, all of whom had some connection to one of Robert Hearin’s companies. It was a strange twist to an already troubling case. After checking with friends and family on the day of Annie’s abduction, Robert called the police. Then he made a disturbing discovery: a note, apparently left by a kidnapper, lay by his front door. Jackson Chief of Police J.L. Black:
 Annie wrote another note It was clear from the contents of the note that Annie’s abduction was in some way connected to Robert’s businesses. FBI Special Agent Wayne R. Taylor noticed the correlation:
Robert Hearin had been president of a company called School Pictures. The company sold franchises to photographers throughout the United States to produce photo portraits of school children. Between 1981 and 1983, in an effort to collect money owed to them, School Pictures filed lawsuits against twelve franchise owners in eight states, including Florida.  Annie is still missing On the day Annie was kidnapped, witnesses reported seeing a white cargo van with Florida plates in the neighborhood. Police soon discovered that the twelve names on the kidnapper’s ransom note were the same twelve people who had been sued by School Pictures. J.L. Black doesn’t believe that this necessarily implicates all twelve people:
As a result, letters were then sent out to the 12 individuals. Robert Hearin Jr.:
Eight days after his press conference, on August 15th, Robert received a letter. He recognized the handwriting immediately: it was from his wife, Annie. For Robert Jr. and the family, this came as quite a relief:
Robert sent out checks totaling nearly one million dollars to the 12 people on the list. Half of the checks were returned. The letter in Annie’s handwriting would be the last word that her family or police would ever receive from the kidnapper. For Robert Jr. and the Hearin family, the search and the struggle continue:
Update: Newton Alfred Winn, a 65-year old lawyer, was arrested by the FBI in Florida on charges related to the kidnapping of Annie Laurie Hearin. Winn was one of the 12 men named in the ransom note left at the Hearin mansion. Also, less than one month before the kidnapping, he had purchased a van that matched the description of the vehicle seen in the Hearin neighborhood. Newton Alfred Winn was convicted of conspiracy to kidnap, extortion, and perjury. He was sentenced to 19 years and seven months in prison. Winn has since been released and still maintains that he is innocent of the kidnapping. Annie Laurie Hearin has never been found. Her husband, Robert, is now deceased, but Annie’s family is still looking for her. Watch this case now on Amazon Prime in season one with Robert Stack and season eight with Dennis Farina. Also available on YouTube with Dennis Farina. Various seasons available now on Hulu. SUBMIT A TIP |
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Kevin D. Wigley
I called the FBI a couple of weeks after this terrible tragedy and they already had a plan and never called me back. I have my own theory based on what I saw on July 26 1988 at 10:45 pm on hwy 278 east in Rockmart Ga. If anyone is interested call me.
Brittany
I’m interested!
John H
Just watched an old episode on CourtTV – FBI Files S4 Episode 5 about this. Other media stories have said the Hearin Family is still looking. Please contact them and tell them what you witnessed. Wynn did send the girlfriend to Atlanta to mail the second letter!
John H
Other media stories have said the Hearin Family is still looking. Please contact them and tell them what you witnessed. Wynn did send the girlfriend to Atlanta to mail the second letter!
Alfred Winn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkrsArd-c4s
Guys I just came back from the dead!
Annie Hearin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k973V79WJQg Guys I FOUND HIM
Jan
That poor lady must have been terrified, crying out for her lovely husband.
I hope that evil murderer is haunted and dragged to hell for what he did.
Sarah
Heart breaking
Kit
Heartbreaking story! It’s obvious that Wynn was the kidnapper. I would think there may have been some of the kidnapper’s DNA left at the Hearin home or Mrs. Hearin’s DNA left in the white van. If so, and if it was preserved, it could possibly provide the kidnapper’s identity considering the technological advances in DNA.
Johnathan
Wynn knows exactly what happen to Annie hearin but didn’t wanted to speak about it. I bridge that he was responsible for her death and should’ve gotten a higher sentence. He was released early due to the lack of evidence when it comes to murder. I believe that Annie hearin was trapped in the basement for a long time and probably died from starvation. Her remains should be around in the house or outside the house. Sad, Mayb if they can in contact with Wynn family can help the case.
Sara
How the eff was he not convinced of murder?
Susan
Honestly I thought the same thing I mean I was a kid when I watched this the first time so I really didn’t know what to think about it back then but at the same time yeah that guy should have not gotten out of prison cuz even if he didn’t specifically murder that lady the fact that she was never found she probably did die in that basement from old age and everything. Very sad
Brenda Shields
By using the word cellar in the note, she may have been put into one of those outside cellars, with the door above the ground that you open and walk down into. If that’s the case, she most likely would not call that a basement.
Aaron B
You could get a writing specialist and get hand writing samples from suspects and find a match
John
I didn’t see anything the kidnapper sent that was hand written except the one victim wrote. Kidnapper used a type writer.
GR
The basement story sounds bull. No killer gives clues about where and what he/she has done
Ned
Wow Ned, you are so smart.
Dom
My guess? She signed those letters shortly after being kidnapped and was killed shortly after signing those letters.
They were probably structured to string her family along if they didn’t want to pay up. There were probably a lot more than two letters also.
Sounds like either revenge or a thrill kill
Robert Boyd III
Im not saying this is right in any way, however this husband seems like a real scumbag who screwed over a lot of employees. In other words, he probably deserved what happened.
The entire family seems like rich, entitled douchebags. I can only imagine how the wife was. Probably worse than all of them. But that certainly doesn’t mean that this was right in any way whatsoever. No one deserves to die like that.
Kiss
I hope police is reading your comment because you have just become the prime suspect.
Anonymous
They weren’t the 12 ppl employer, these ppl franchised business from School pictures and didn’t pay that’s why he sued them and won. Business is Business. I’m sure u wouldn’t want to do business with someone who doesn’t pay.
Big Jodie
What a ridiculous thing to say. He made claims against franchisees who owed him money. How does that make him a scum bag?
Susan
I spent what makes you think that he’s a douchebag what makes you think just naughty people who are entitled and think they’re better than everybody I mean she was kidnapped and probably died or was murdered and certainly doesn’t seem like he did anything wrong this is kind of horrible to say I mean if it was the case then karma would have gotten him but this is not detective karma anybody deserves. So that makes you just as much as a horrible person even more so for saying something like this
Emily
JO, yes Florida is quite flat, (the *highest* elevation is 334 feet) but basements and cellars are extremely rare, due to the fact that in most areas if you dig down more than 5-6 feet, you’ll either hit water or unstable limestone. I’ve only ever seen one house with what might be termed as a basement here, and obviously it was just because earth had been mounded up high enough to put the main house on top of that. So it’s more like the “basement” is really a first floor that happens to have dirt all around it.
Tracy
I just saw this story and it is July 2018 my only question is how did the man convicted of crime serve time and get out of jail with no answer to where Ms Hearins remains we’re? I am just so amazed at the world we live in! I’m outraged pissed u name it. What are officials so afraid of? Why would he be let out to live and die later without having to admit and lead them to her remains cause obviously she was killed and not still alive! She reminds me of my mom. Idk how someone could hurt any elderly person I’m not judging and God forgives all sins but he also wants people to accept responsibility for wrong doings and make them right. Our officials in charge let this woman down. I’m sure she is in heaven but it is so sad no one seemed to do anything about it and now he is dead man who probably was responsible for her death. So sad paperwork in this world n red tape to everything takes so long that people get away with murder and all sorts of things because people in general suck ! Thank God my mom taught us Christian values and if we did wrong we felt guilty and had to admit it and make things right otherwise nothing in our life would go right. All goes back to DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE DONE TO YOU!
Adriana Garcia
I believe all very sad, but behind every tragedy there is a reason or lesson to the. Involved. Not many wealthy people made their fortune been kind or charitable.
Norman J
Your a well spoken and amazing woman God bless and keep you
John
You are right and look at the crimes today and the perpetrators are let go on a regular basis.
Karen
I wonder if there was any DNA evidence found inside the van linking to the kidnapping or if cadaver dogs were used in their search. Although he maintains his innocence to kidnapping, I think Mr. Winn died knowing where and what happened to Mrs. Hearin. This is a very heartbreaking case. My hope and prayer is that she will be found so that the family can have closure and that this mystery can be solved.
Susan
I was honestly wondering the same thing too I mean why don’t they bother to go and look for her body why didn’t they try to see if they could find her even if she was dead at some point it’s kind of like they didn’t even bother to try to look for her so I’m just totally thrown off by that!
JO
I thought Florida was pretty flat, is there a lot of houses with basements or root cellars? If it was a regular basement I would think she would have been found by now. But a root cellar, some could be sealed and never opened. What kind of structures do people have in Florida or any property this man owned? Did anyone do checks on this? Especially if he did property management for clients.
Ruth
I grew up in Jackson and remember this story. I saw Mrs. Hearin mentioned again on WLBT this week. I’m just so sad for her, for her loved ones. Bless her soul, Mr. Hearin’s soul and their children’s hearts.
Anon
If she’s alive today she’d be 102 however the more likely scenario is she’s Deceased MR Hearin died without knowing his wife’s Ultimate fate not knowing gotta be the worst thing. if she’s no longer with us I just hope she didn’t suffer and is reunited with her husband hope springs eternal
unknown
The paralegal knows where Annie is
Marsha
Do you have specific information regarding this allegation?
Anonymous
What a rotten thing to do, if anyone is spinning in their grave I hope it’s this guy.
DebiDel
Is Winn dead yet?
Lord of a Manor
Winn died in 2012; his obituary is online.
Bowen
I would like to know what the 2nd letter said. If there were more demands. Also the original letter sounded like a person who may have lacked higher education. I wonder if the man they arrested spoke in the manner the letter was written. Also, I wonder why wasn’t the family or the police banging on the door of every name on that list as soon as they got it instead of sending letters to ask what they thought they were owed. Seemed obvious it was one of them.n2re
Mulder
Link to an LA Times Article regarding Mr. Hearin’s passing
http://articles.latimes.com/1990-12-09/news/mn-8472_1_actual-kidnaping
I believe the man convicted has passed as well according to my research. Not much on Alfred Winn other than whats posted here online regarding this case. But my information shows he has since died as well.
Confused
What did the kidnapper say he did with her ?
Mulder
From what I have heard and read. He never admitted to abducting her. Hence he never has stated what happened or where the remains were placed. I have a feeling he prob burned the remains. What got him convicted was his renting of the van. The timeframe. And eyewitness reports stating the same type of van was in the area at the time of the abduction. He maintained his innocence.
am
If she is ever found she’ll be dead by now or 100 years old I don’t think she’s still alive unfortunately
BJ
They need to have the note checked for fingerprints. If Newton Alfred Winn had anything to do with it, his fingerprints should be on either one of the notes, including the one handwritten by Mrs. Hearin. His fingerprints would be on file since he was arrested and jailed for conspiracy. At least someone’s fingerprints will be on the note and that would be a great way to find out who is involved.
Ned
As if they didn’t check for fingerprints? It’s the first thing even the most backward police department in the country checks for. The criminal(s) wore gloves. Mrs. Hearin wore gloves. This was established within a week of receiving the note. Given the FBI took over the case, the note was checked with minimum of seven techniques for lifting latent prints. You don’t know much about CSI, do you?