Jodi Huisentruit
Encyclopedia
Jodi Sue Huisentruit was a television
news anchor for KIMT
, based in Mason City, Iowa
in the United States
. She disappeared in the early morning hours of June 27, 1995 and is believed to have been abducted
. She was 27 years old at the time.
. In high school
, she was considered to be very good at golf
. Her team won the state Class A tournament in 1985 and 1986. After high school, she went on to St. Cloud State University
, where she studied TV Broadcasting and Speech Communication and graduated with a Bachelor's degree
in 1990. Her first job after graduation was with Northwest Airlines
. She entered broadcasting by getting a job at KGAN
in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
as the station's Iowa City bureau chief, then returned to Minnesota
for a job at KSAX in Alexandria
before returning to Iowa
for her KIMT position.
At about 4:00 AM on June 27, 1995, KIMT producer
Amy Kuns noted that Huisentruit had failed to report to work as scheduled, so she called Huisentruit's apartment. Huisentruit answered the telephone, explained that she had overslept, and said she was preparing to leave for the station. By 6:00 AM, however, she had still not arrived, and Kuns filled-in for her on the morning show "Daybreak." At about 7:00 AM, KIMT staff called the Mason City police
.
When police arrived at Huisentruit's apartment they found her red Mazda
Miata in the parking lot, as well as evidence suggesting there had been a struggle near that car. Among other evidence, Huisentruit's personal items, including her keys, were found strewn about the area and police reported recovering an unidentified palm print from her car.
In September 1995, the Huisentruit family hired private investigator
s from McCarthy & Associates, Investigative Services, Inc. (MAIS) in Minneapolis, MN who in turn enlisted the assistance of Omaha, NE private investigator Doug Jasa. McCarthy and Jasa appeared on several national television shows, including; "America's Most Wanted
" and "Unsolved Mysteries
." In November 1997 they and members of Jodi’s family traveled to Los Angeles
to meet with three prominent psychics. This meeting was televised and served as the pilot for the "Psychic Detectives
" television show. Although each show generated a large volume of leads, none resulted in concrete evidence or the identification of a suspect.
In May 1996, about 100 volunteers searched an area of Cerro Gordo County and left flags to mark anything that appeared suspicious. Each of these sites was then re-examined by law enforcement, but no promising evidence was located.
Since Huisentruit's disappearance in 1995, police and private investigators have conducted more than 1000 interviews relating to her disappearance. None has resulted in conclusive evidence pointing towards a suspect. Huisentruit was declared legally dead in May 2001.
There have been periodic resurgences in the story. When new cases arise that appear to bear similarities to Huisentruit's or remains are found in the area, speculation quickly leads to a connection with the missing reporter. So far, however, no suspect has been tied to Huisentruit's disappearance and all remains have proven to be from other sources. In 2005, many media outlets, including 20/20, again focused on the story as the 10th anniversary of the disappearance approached.
In early June 2008, photocopies of the 84 pages of Huisentruit's personal journal were anonymously mailed to a local newspaper. The Mason City Globe Gazette received the material in a large envelope with no return address and a June 4 postmark from Waterloo, IA. The original journal has been in the possession of law enforcement since the investigation of Huisentruit's disappearance began.
Within days, Mason City Police reported that the sender had come forward and then identified her as the wife of the former Mason City Police Chief. Although noting that the former chief had inadvertently taken a copy of the journal home when he left office, the police gave no motive for his wife sending the copy to the newspaper.
The FBI, the Mason City Police Department, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and MAIS's investigators are all still actively working on Huisentruit’s disappearance, and the television show "Nancy Grace: America's Missing" spotlighted her case on February 23, 2011.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
news anchor for KIMT
KIMT
KIMT is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Driftless Area of North Central Iowa and Southeastern Minnesota. Licensed to Mason City, Iowa, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 42 from a transmitter near Meyer, Iowa south of the Minnesota state line...
, based in Mason City, Iowa
Mason City, Iowa
Mason City is the county seat of Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, United States. The population was 28,079 in the 2010 census, a decline from 29,172 in the 2000 census. The Mason City Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Cerro Gordo and Worth counties....
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. She disappeared in the early morning hours of June 27, 1995 and is believed to have been abducted
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
. She was 27 years old at the time.
Early life
Huisentruit grew up in Long Prairie, MinnesotaLong Prairie, Minnesota
At the 2000 census, there were 3,040 people, 1,229 households and 769 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,285.2 per square mile . There were 1,334 housing units at an average density of 564.0 per square mile...
. In high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, she was considered to be very good at golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
. Her team won the state Class A tournament in 1985 and 1986. After high school, she went on to St. Cloud State University
St. Cloud State University
St. Cloud State University is a four-year public university founded in 1869 on the banks of the Mississippi River in St. Cloud, Minnesota, United States. The university is the largest member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system which is the largest single provider of higher...
, where she studied TV Broadcasting and Speech Communication and graduated with a Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in 1990. Her first job after graduation was with Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines, Inc. was a major United States airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines by a merger approved on October 29, 2008, making Delta the largest airline in the world...
. She entered broadcasting by getting a job at KGAN
KGAN
KGAN is the CBS-affiliated television station for Eastern Iowa licensed to Cedar Rapids. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 51 from a transmitter in Rowley near the junction of Buchanan, Benton and Linn Counties. The station can also be seen on Mediacom channel 2 and in...
in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...
as the station's Iowa City bureau chief, then returned to Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
for a job at KSAX in Alexandria
Alexandria, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 8,820 people, however the most recent count suggests a population upwards of 10,000, which is displayed on Alexandria's city limits signs. The census lists 4,047 households, and 2,011 families residing in the city. The population density was 992.5 people per...
before returning to Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
for her KIMT position.
Disappearance
On the day before she disappeared, Huisentruit participated in a golf tournament and then visited the home of Mason City resident John Vansice. According to Vansice, she came to his home to view a video tape of the birthday party that he had arranged for her earlier in the month.At about 4:00 AM on June 27, 1995, KIMT producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
Amy Kuns noted that Huisentruit had failed to report to work as scheduled, so she called Huisentruit's apartment. Huisentruit answered the telephone, explained that she had overslept, and said she was preparing to leave for the station. By 6:00 AM, however, she had still not arrived, and Kuns filled-in for her on the morning show "Daybreak." At about 7:00 AM, KIMT staff called the Mason City police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
.
When police arrived at Huisentruit's apartment they found her red Mazda
Mazda
is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...
Miata in the parking lot, as well as evidence suggesting there had been a struggle near that car. Among other evidence, Huisentruit's personal items, including her keys, were found strewn about the area and police reported recovering an unidentified palm print from her car.
Investigation
The ensuing investigation revealed at least three neighbors in her apartment complex who said they heard screams at about the time Huisentruit would have likely been leaving for work. In addition, a neighbor who lived nearby reported seeing a white Ford van with its running lights on parked in Huisentruit’s parking lot at about the same time. This van was never positively identified.In September 1995, the Huisentruit family hired private investigator
Private investigator
A private investigator , private detective or inquiry agent, is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private detectives/investigators often work for attorneys in civil cases. Many work for insurance companies to investigate suspicious claims...
s from McCarthy & Associates, Investigative Services, Inc. (MAIS) in Minneapolis, MN who in turn enlisted the assistance of Omaha, NE private investigator Doug Jasa. McCarthy and Jasa appeared on several national television shows, including; "America's Most Wanted
America's Most Wanted
America's Most Wanted is an American television program produced by 20th Television, and was the longest-running program of any kind in the history of the Fox Television Network until it was announced on May 16, 2011 that the series was canceled after twenty-three years, with the final episode...
" and "Unsolved Mysteries
Unsolved Mysteries
Unsolved Mysteries is an American television program, hosted by Robert Stack, from 1987 until 2002, and later by Dennis Farina, starting in 2008...
." In November 1997 they and members of Jodi’s family traveled to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to meet with three prominent psychics. This meeting was televised and served as the pilot for the "Psychic Detectives
Psychic Detectives
Psychic Detectives or Psychic Investigators is a television program produced by StoryHouse Productions for Court TV, as of 2006 in its 5th season. The program documents real-life cases of situations in which police departments have enlisted the aid of psychics in solving difficult cases...
" television show. Although each show generated a large volume of leads, none resulted in concrete evidence or the identification of a suspect.
In May 1996, about 100 volunteers searched an area of Cerro Gordo County and left flags to mark anything that appeared suspicious. Each of these sites was then re-examined by law enforcement, but no promising evidence was located.
Since Huisentruit's disappearance in 1995, police and private investigators have conducted more than 1000 interviews relating to her disappearance. None has resulted in conclusive evidence pointing towards a suspect. Huisentruit was declared legally dead in May 2001.
There have been periodic resurgences in the story. When new cases arise that appear to bear similarities to Huisentruit's or remains are found in the area, speculation quickly leads to a connection with the missing reporter. So far, however, no suspect has been tied to Huisentruit's disappearance and all remains have proven to be from other sources. In 2005, many media outlets, including 20/20, again focused on the story as the 10th anniversary of the disappearance approached.
In early June 2008, photocopies of the 84 pages of Huisentruit's personal journal were anonymously mailed to a local newspaper. The Mason City Globe Gazette received the material in a large envelope with no return address and a June 4 postmark from Waterloo, IA. The original journal has been in the possession of law enforcement since the investigation of Huisentruit's disappearance began.
Within days, Mason City Police reported that the sender had come forward and then identified her as the wife of the former Mason City Police Chief. Although noting that the former chief had inadvertently taken a copy of the journal home when he left office, the police gave no motive for his wife sending the copy to the newspaper.
The FBI, the Mason City Police Department, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and MAIS's investigators are all still actively working on Huisentruit’s disappearance, and the television show "Nancy Grace: America's Missing" spotlighted her case on February 23, 2011.
External links
- findjodi.com - newly focused search for Jodi Huisentruit conducted by journalists and investigators
- Jodi Huisentruit - another search page for Jodi
- MAIS - MAIS investigators can be contacted at JodiTip@maisinc.com
- Jodi Huisentruit at The Doe Network