Jodi Huisentruit

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Jodi Sue Huisentruit (born June 5, 1968) was a television news anchor for KIMT, based in Mason City, Iowa in the United States. It is believed that she was abducted while on her way to work in the early morning hours of June 27, 1995. She was 27 years old at the time.

Huisentruit grew up in Long Prairie, Minnesota. 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, 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 the day she disappeared, Huisentruit talked on the phone with producer Amy Kuns at the station as she prepared to leave her apartment. However, by 6:00, she had not appeared, and Kuns filled in for her on the morning show Daybreak. By 7:00, staff at KIMT called the police.

When police arrived they found Huisentruit’s red Mazda Miata in the apartment complex’s parking lot and a scene that suggested there had been a struggle. Among other evidence, personal items including Huisentruit's keys were found strewn about the area. Police also reported recovering an unidentified palm print from her car.

The ensuing investigation revealed at least three neighbors in her apartment complex who said they heard screams at about the time she was 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 definitively identified.

In September 1995, the Huisentruit family hired Private Investigator Patrick McCarthy of McCarthy & Associates, Investigative Services, Inc. (MAIS) in Minneapolis, MN who in turn enlisted the assistance of Omaha, NE private investigator Doug Jasa.

In conjunction with their investigative efforts, the two P.I.s appeared on several national television shows, including; "America's Most Wanted" and "Unsolved Mysteries."[1] In addition, in November 1997 they and members of Jodi’s family traveled to Los Angeles, CA 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, IA 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.[2] None has resulted in conclusive evidence pointing towards a suspect. Huisentruit was declared legally dead in May 2001.[3]

There have been periodic resurgences in the story. For example, when there is new case that seems to bear similarities 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,[4] again focused on the story as the 10th anniversary of the disappearance approached.

The FBI, the Mason City Police Department, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and MAIS's investigators are all still working on Huisentruit’s disappearance and anyone with information is encouraged to report it immediately.

[edit] External links

  • The Huisentruit File, a series of investigative reports by KAAL channel 6.
  • findjodi.com, The 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.

[edit] References