IA JODI SUE HUISENTRUIT: Missing from Mason City, IA - 27 June 1995 - Age 27

The Doe Network:
Case File 1326DFIA

Jodi Sue Huisentruit
Missing since June 27, 1995 from Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa.
Classification: Endangered Missing

Vital Statistics

Date Of Birth: June 5, 1968
Age at Time of Disappearance: 27 years old
Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 5'3"-5'4"; 110-120 lbs.
Distinguishing Characteristics: White female. Blonde hair; brown eyes.
Dentals: Available
DNA: Available

Circumstances of Disappearance
Jodi Huisentruit, an anchor at KIMT television station in Mason City, Iowa, disappeared from outside her apartment as she left for work
at approximately 4:00 on June 27, 1995. Initially a missing person case, Huisentruit's disappearance was soon classified an abduction. When investigators arrived at her apartment complex they found her red Miata convertible in the parking lot. A pair of red women's dress shoes, a blow dryer, bottle of hair spray, car keys and earrings were scattered beside the car. The key was found bent and out of the door lock. Witnesses indicate that they heard screams at 4 o'clock that morning. Investigators are looking for a white mid 1980s Ford Econoline van. Foul play is suspected.

Huisentruit grew up in Long Prairie, Minnesota, where she was active in sports, excelling in golf. She earned her bachelors degree in 1990 from St. Cloud State University with a double major in TV Broadcasting and Speech Communication. Huisentruit worked for Northwest Airlines immediately after graduation, followed by a broadcasting position at KGAN-TV Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She then returned to Minnesota for a position at KSAX-TV in Alexandria, before joining KIMT-TV in Mason City.

The Jodi's Hope Fund has been established to help youngsters in Long Prairie, Minnesota — where Jodi Huisentruit grew up — develop their writing and speaking skills. To learn more about the fund and how to contribute, go to www.jodishopefund.com.

Investigators
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:

Mason City Police Department
641-421-3636
Iowa Missing Persons Clearinghouse
1-800-346-5507
Email

NCIC Number: M-844559811
Please refer to this number when contacting any agency with information regarding this case.

Source Information:
Iowa Missing Persons Clearinghouse
Namus
Find Jodi
Cerro Gordo County Sheriff's Office
Unsolved Mysteries

1326DFIA - Jodi Sue Huisentruit

edited by staff to add media link

JODI SUE HUISENTRUIT: Missing from Mason City, IA since 27 Jun 1995 - Age 27

Jodi Huisentruit, an anchor at KIMT television station in Mason City, Iowa, disappeared from outside her apartment as she left for work at approximately 4:00 on June 27, 1995. Initially a missing person case, Huisentruit's disappearance was soon...

www.crimewatchers.net

 

[GarAndMo39]

I can't believe this case went so cold. I recall when it happened; I was certain there would be some good leads, and it would be solved fairly quickly. I did some research and posted my findings on the old site; I'll do some exploring when I have time, and post anything of interest.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

25 years later: Team of investigators remains determined to solve case of missing news anchor

Hope may be hard to come by in the year 2020, but a team of investigators who volunteer their time and talents to solve the 1995 disappearance of an Iowa news anchor are determined to keep it alive…

www.wrbl.com

25 years later: Team of investigators remains determined to solve case of missing news anchor

Hope may be hard to come by in the year 2020, but a team of investigators who volunteer their time and talents to solve the 1995 disappearance of an Iowa news anchor are determined to keep it alive, despite 25 years of obstacles to finding the truth of what happened to Jodi Huisentruit.

“You never give up hope. That’s what keeps you going,” said Caroline Lowe, one of the team members of FindJodi.com.

Lowe is among a volunteer group that consists of journalists, retired law enforcement officers and other professionals across the country, all of whom are determined to keep working on the missing news anchor’s case through FindJodi.com.



The latest effort of FindJodi.com is the FindJodi podcast, launched earlier this month. Two episodes have already been released. The team plans a special episode for Saturday, June 27, to mark the solemn occasion of the 25th anniversary of Huisentruit’s abduction.

Lowe said we can all help with a simple gesture of keeping the Huisentruit case in the spotlight.

In honor of the 25th year, the FindJodi team is asking people across America to keep a light on for Jodi. They ask you take a picture and post it to social media with #lightsforjodi.

The FindJodi.com also updated a missing persons flyer (below) they invite everyone to share on social media.

 

[Kimster]

Here's a snippet about the reason for leaving your porch light on.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

FindJodi tracks down Huisentruit’s car

A group of journalists have located Jodi Huisentruit’s red Mazda Miata convertible two decades after it was last seen.

www.kaaltv.com

FindJodi tracks down Huisentruit’s car

A group of journalists have located Jodi Huisentruit’s red Mazda Miata convertible two decades after it was last seen.

Huisentruit, a missing Mason City news anchor, was abducted from the parking lot of her apartment complex in the early morning hours of June 27, 1995.

The vehicle was processed by police at the scene that morning before being quickly towed away. It was one of the few pieces of evidence investigators had to work with.

“It was a piece of the crime scene, a major piece of the crime scene,” said FindJodi team member Scott Fuller. “I think the investigators now probably wish they had the car in their possession.”

Over two decades later, the FindJodi team concluded that the car was not a gift to Huisentruit, but that she bought it herself three weeks before her own abduction.

“It’s probably just coincidence that Jodi bought this car three weeks before and it probably had nothing to do with her abduction three weeks after she bought it,” Fuller said.

Fuller traveled to Wisconsin to meet the cars current owner. He says the Miata has gone through three owners and is in good condition. It has only 53,000 miles.

“It was bizarre because we’ve all seen the images of her car being towed away from the scene. Obviously, it’s a crime scene from 25 years ago,” said Fuller.

However, after 25 years, Fuller says the car has no forensic value.

“I think if it were to be useful to law enforcement today at all it would be to reenact, reconstruct the crime scene because they have the best idea of what items were where. Beyond that, there isn’t going to be any DNA from the car or anything like that,” Fuller said.

The Mason City Police Department had no comment on the discovery of the Miata.

 

[Kimster]

FindJodi tracks down Huisentruit’s car

A group of journalists have located Jodi Huisentruit’s red Mazda Miata convertible two decades after it was last seen.

www.kaaltv.com

FindJodi tracks down Huisentruit’s car

A group of journalists have located Jodi Huisentruit’s red Mazda Miata convertible two decades after it was last seen.

Huisentruit, a missing Mason City news anchor, was abducted from the parking lot of her apartment complex in the early morning hours of June 27, 1995.

The vehicle was processed by police at the scene that morning before being quickly towed away. It was one of the few pieces of evidence investigators had to work with.

“It was a piece of the crime scene, a major piece of the crime scene,” said FindJodi team member Scott Fuller. “I think the investigators now probably wish they had the car in their possession.”

Over two decades later, the FindJodi team concluded that the car was not a gift to Huisentruit, but that she bought it herself three weeks before her own abduction.

“It’s probably just coincidence that Jodi bought this car three weeks before and it probably had nothing to do with her abduction three weeks after she bought it,” Fuller said.

Fuller traveled to Wisconsin to meet the cars current owner. He says the Miata has gone through three owners and is in good condition. It has only 53,000 miles.

“It was bizarre because we’ve all seen the images of her car being towed away from the scene. Obviously, it’s a crime scene from 25 years ago,” said Fuller.

However, after 25 years, Fuller says the car has no forensic value.

“I think if it were to be useful to law enforcement today at all it would be to reenact, reconstruct the crime scene because they have the best idea of what items were where. Beyond that, there isn’t going to be any DNA from the car or anything like that,” Fuller said.

The Mason City Police Department had no comment on the discovery of the Miata.

Can law enforcement keep a vehicle that long? Legally? Logistically? I mean, how would they have room to keep every single vehicle from an unsolved crime case.

 

[Guess Who]

Can law enforcement keep a vehicle that long? Legally? Logistically? I mean, how would they have room to keep every single vehicle from an unsolved crime case.

to me it would all be in LE's explanation of what happened to it. Are they saying it was missing or do they admit it was sold?

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

to me it would all be in LE's explanation of what happened to it. Are they saying it was missing or do they admit it was sold?

Sounds like they "processed it" at the scene, towed it away, and it "disappeared". Sure, maybe they wish they had held onto it a little longer, but it doesn't sound like they ever considered the vehicle to be "missing"...
Seems an odd thing for people to search for when really the vehicle was located the day she disappeared, has had several owners since then, and holds no current forensic value.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Why do I always feel like if the information was that "pivotal", they wouldn't be announcing it in the press before any significant movement in the case... Maybe I'm just jaded.

Private Investigator Has "Potentially Pivotal" Info in Jodi Huisentruit Case

25 years after she went missing, could there be a breakthrough in the case of Jodi Huisentruit?

khak.com

Private Investigator Has “Potentially Pivotal” Info in Jodi Huisentruit Case

Private investigator Steve Ridge tells KWWL a person has confessed to him that they "destroyed some evidence, or potential evidence, that could be very pivotal in the case." Ridge claims the person was questioned by the Mason City Police Department after Huisentruit went missing.

In an interview with KWWL, Ridge said,

This person found themselves in a very volatile and extremely dangerous situation. Unfortunately, the evidence that they destroyed might have led to a timely arrest and conviction. This person told me that they have lived their entire life in fear having carried this dark secret for 25 agonizing years.

Ridge says the person, who he won't name, has given him the approval to share the details with federal authorities.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Why do I always feel like if the information was that "pivotal", they wouldn't be announcing it in the press before any significant movement in the case... Maybe I'm just jaded.

Private Investigator Has "Potentially Pivotal" Info in Jodi Huisentruit Case

25 years after she went missing, could there be a breakthrough in the case of Jodi Huisentruit?

khak.com

Private Investigator Has “Potentially Pivotal” Info in Jodi Huisentruit Case

Private investigator Steve Ridge tells KWWL a person has confessed to him that they "destroyed some evidence, or potential evidence, that could be very pivotal in the case." Ridge claims the person was questioned by the Mason City Police Department after Huisentruit went missing.

In an interview with KWWL, Ridge said,


Ridge says the person, who he won't name, has given him the approval to share the details with federal authorities.

I share the cynicism often. Destroyed SOME evidence, then it's POTENTIAL evidence, then it COULD be pivotal. I hope this case sees success but this for some reason does not get me real excited. First, the person apparently lied and did not share this info, IF even true. So even if it is something that could help, I almost think they will have to find a way to independently verify it somehow, unless it leads to something...

And why 25 years?

Finally, so the PI has permission to pass it on to the feds? Why can't the person be talked to by the feds...?

I don't know, maybe it's just the way it is written and comes across that bothers...

 

[Kimster]

If the evidence is destroyed and they only have this person's word, I'm pretty sure there's nothing going to happen unless they can lead them to Jodi.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Is the killer of an Iowa teen linked to missing news anchor Jodi Huisentruit?

Michelle Martinko's killer curiously mentions Jodi Huisentruit's name in his police interview. Was it nervous banter or something more sinister?

www.cbsnews.com

IS THE KILLER OF AN IOWA TEEN LINKED TO MISSING NEWS ANCHOR JODI HUISENTRUIT?​

Michelle Martinko's killer curiously mentions Jodi Huisentruit's name in his police interview. Was it nervous banter or something more sinister?

In late June of 1995, Jodi Huisentruit, a young anchor at KIMT television in Mason City, Iowa, disappeared from the parking lot of her apartment building on the way to work, never to be seen again. The case got nationwide media attention but has remained an unsolved mystery for the past 25 years.

Now, the solving of another long-cold case—a young blonde woman murdered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, two hours away may shed new light on Huisentruit's disappearance and presumed murder.

The murder of Michelle Martinko in the parking lot of Cedar Rapids' Westdale Mall has some eerie connections to the Huisentruit case. And the crucial link is a man named Jerry Burns. "Murder at the Mall: The Michelle Martinko Case," reported by "48 Hours" contributor Jamie Yuccas, airs on Saturday, November 7 at 10/9c on CBS.



Subsequently he interviewed Jerry Burns, who denied knowing or ever meeting Michelle Martinko. But the jury found the DNA connection convincing and after a nine-day trial, Burns was convicted of first-degree murder. The case was solved, but there were lingering questions about Jerry Burns.

Police had searched his computer after arresting him, and found a history of searches pertaining to nefarious subjects including the murder of blonde women, and pornographic matter involving blonde women. This evidence was inadmissible at trial but was the subject of a public suppression hearing.

In his video interview with police right before his arrest, Burns, unsolicited, mentioned the name of Jodi Huisentruit as he was being questioned about the Martinko case. When Denlinger reminded Burns that Michelle had been killed in 1979, Burns responded, "It was a big deal. I don't exactly remember what happened, seen something about Jodi Huisentruit  recently."  

The similarities were eerie — two pretty, young women, both meeting their final fate in parking lots in Iowa, 16 years apart, in cases that went unsolved for decades.

There is no known DNA evidence tying Burns to the Huisentruit case and no evidence that he knew Jodi Huisentruit. Mason City police won't disclose whether or not they are now looking at Jerry Burns as a suspect in that case.

Could Jerry Burns have committed murders other than Michelle Martinko's? When asked that question by "48 Hours," Denlinger replied, "I don't know the answer to that. My gut tells me there's probably something else out there."

 

[GrandmaBear]

Hmm. No defining evidence so far but his bringing her up is definitely odd... Considering the murder he was being questioned on occurred 16 years earlier...

 

[Kimster]

How old was he when Jodi went missing?

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

He's 66 now. Born in 1953. So......He was 25 when he killed Michelle in 1979, and would have been 42 when Jodi went missing.

 

[kdg411]

He's 66 now. Born in 1953. So......He was 25 when he killed Michelle in 1979, and would have been 42 when Jodi went missing.

OT .. Awesome math skills

 

[Kimster]

He's 66 now. Born in 1953. So......He was 25 when he killed Michelle in 1979, and would have been 42 when Jodi went missing.

Thank you for looking that up!

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Huisentruit billboard will remain in Mason City for another year

(ABC 6 News) – FindJodi has renewed its billboard contract for another year.On Jodi Huisentruit’s 50th birthday, the team of journalists launched a billboard campaign in Mason City searching for clues in the case of the missing anchorwoman.“I think it has potential to put the right people in...

www.kaaltv.com

Huisentruit billboard will remain in Mason City for another year​

FindJodi has renewed its billboard contract for another year.

On Jodi Huisentruit's 50th birthday, the team of journalists launched a billboard campaign in Mason City searching for clues in the case of the missing anchorwoman.

"I think it has potential to put the right people in contact with us that have information that we don't have yet," said Mason City Police Chief Jeff Brinkley. "It keeps the story alive and keeps people talking about it."

 

[Guess Who]

just a local story from the past to contemplate

Today: Was Don Harman Involved in Missing Iowa Anchor Jodi Husentruit? | KC Confidential

the findjodi statement regarding it

FindJodi.com responds to Don Harman death • Find Jodi Huisentruit

FindJodi.com has learned that Don Harman, a Kansas City meteorologist at Fox 4, took his own life Tuesday night. Harman’s family and Fox 4 have released very little information surrounding his death. The FindJodi.com forum has received several postings since the news of Harman’s death...

www.findjodi.com

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Private investigator says Google may face lawsuit in connection with Huisentruit cold case

John Vansice has been called a “person of interest” in the 1995 cold case but has never been charged or tried with anything.

kwwl.com

Private investigator says Google may face lawsuit in connection with Huisentruit cold case​

A licensed private investigator says a potential suspect in the 1995 abduction and murder of Mason City television anchor Jodi Huisentruit is considering a lawsuit against Google, which currently lists him as the victim’s “killer”.

Investigator Steve Ridge says Arizona resident John Vansice and his wife are exploring how the assertion that Vansice is responsible for the murder became part of a prominent ‘Google Knowledge Graph’ as the first entry in the search engine’s results about the case.

“Vansice has never been indicted, charged or tried for any crime related to Jodi Huisentruit’s disappearance," Ridge said.