The Mysterious Disappearance of Jodi Huisentruit

2023-06-09 07:45:07 Written by Alex

Jodi Sue Huisentruit worked as a television news anchor for KIMT, a CBS affiliate based in Mason City, Iowa. On June 27, 1995, during the early hours of the morning, she disappeared after informing a colleague that she had overslept and would be late for work. The presence of signs indicating a struggle outside her home led investigators to suspect that Huisentruit may have been abducted.

Despite extensive investigations, no substantial leads have surfaced regarding her location, and in 2001, she was legally declared deceased.

Early life

Jodi Sue Huisentruit was born and raised in Long Prairie, Minnesota. Her birthdate was June 5, 1968.

Throughout her time in high school, Huisentruit showcased remarkable talent in golf and actively participated in a golf tournament the day before her disappearance.

During her high school years, Huisentruit discovered her passion for becoming a news anchor. Following her aspirations, she attended St. Cloud State University, where she pursued a major in mass communications and speech communication. In 1990, she successfully obtained her bachelor's degree.

After finishing her education, Huisentruit found work at different television stations before eventually becoming a morning anchor at KIMT-TV in Mason City, Iowa. The city was located just a four-hour drive away from her hometown.

Huisentruit quickly adapted to her new job and the city, and her colleagues described her as a happy and lively person, even though she had to work early mornings. She also developed a social circle that included John Vansice, an older man.

Disappearance

In the days leading up to Huisentruit's disappearance, her activities seemed normal. She went on a water skiing trip to Iowa City with a group of friends, including Vansice.

The day before she vanished, Huisentruit took part in a golf tournament. Later, she went to Vansice's house to watch a videotape he had made for a surprise birthday party he had organized for her earlier that month. It's important to mention that Vansice and Jodi were not involved romantically.

On the evening prior to her disappearance, she briefly visited Vansice's home again to watch a recording of the surprise birthday celebration from the previous month.

At approximately 4:00 a.m. on June 27, 1995, Amy Kuns, a producer at KIMT, realized that Huisentruit was not present at work and tried to reach her at her apartment. Huisentruit answered the phone and explained that she had overslept but was preparing to leave for work.

However, when Huisentruit hadn't arrived by 6:00 a.m., Kuns took over her responsibilities on the show. Concerned, the station contacted the Mason City police around 7:00 a.m. During the search of Huisentruit's apartment, law enforcement discovered her red Mazda Miata in the parking lot, indicating signs of a struggle nearby. Her belongings, including a bent car key, were scattered in the vicinity, and an unidentified palm print was found on her vehicle.

Some neighbors reported hearing a scream around the time when Jodi went missing.

Investigation

The main person of interest in Jodi's disappearance was John Vansice, the last person known to have seen her.

John, a seed salesman from Mason City, Iowa, was an older acquaintance of Jodi, with a significant age difference of 22 years.

While they were not in a romantic relationship at the time Jodi vanished, they did spend a considerable amount of time together.

John Vansice with Jodi (left) and friend

John displayed an unusually high level of interest in Jodi and seemed overly involved in what was presumed to be their friendship.

Despite conducting over 1,000 interviews conducted by law enforcement officials and private investigators, no definitive evidence has been discovered to identify a suspect in the case. Consequently, in May 2001, Huisentruit was declared legally deceased.

In 2003, FindJodi.com was established with the objective of maintaining public awareness of Jodi's case. The website serves as a central hub for collecting tips that may potentially aid in locating Jodi.