Latest news with #KIMT-TV
CBS News
06-05-2025
- CBS News
Woman caught in "n-word" tirade in Rochester raises $600K via GoFundMe, sparking community backlash
A video recorded at a Rochester, Minnesota, playground of a woman repeatedly shouting a racial slur has garnered strong responses from activist groups. The video captures Sharmake Omar confronting a woman about calling his child the n-word at Roy Sutherland Playground, according to CBS affiliate KIMT-TV. The woman appears to call Omar the n-word in the video, which was taken late last month, and admits to calling the boy the racial slur. The woman accused the boy of stealing from her child's diaper bag, according to the description of an online fundraiser created by her. Omar, who spoke over the phone with KIMT-TV, doesn't believe the accusation. The woman says she started the fundraiser to help protect her family in response to the video going viral. The GoFundMe fundraiser, which is no longer active, raised $600,000, according to People Magazine. The Rochester branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) also created a GoFundMe, which it says was meant to support the boy and his family. That fundraiser, which is also closed, raised $341,594. "Public parks should be safe, inclusive spaces for children and families—not sites of hate and trauma," the NAACP said in a written release on Thursday. Omar told KIMT-TV he's been getting death threats since the video went viral, and he is concerned for his safety. Minnesota's Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN) is calling on the Federal Bureau of Investigation and local law enforcement to protect the family and bystanders who are reportedly being targeted online. "It is truly sad that this alleged racist harasser is finding support nationwide for her reported use of the n-word against an innocent child," Jaylani Hussein, executive director of CAIR-MN, said on Monday. The Rochester Police Department has completed an investigation into the video, according to KIMT-TV, and findings have been submitted to the city's attorney's office for review.
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Yahoo
Hunt for missing Midwest news anchor focuses on fight over unsealing evidence
Jodi Huisentruit, a 27-year-old Iowa news anchor, vanished nearly 30 years ago. As authorities continue searching for her remains, a private investigator is pushing to unseal case records. Huisentruit, a native of Long Prairie, Minn., was on her way to work as a morning anchor at KIMT-TV in Mason City, Iowa, when she disappeared in the early morning of June 27, 1995. Over the years, private investigator Steve Ridge has pushed for the courts to unseal records relating to the case. On March 27, Senior Judge James M. Drew in Cerro Gordo County ruled to partially unseal a 2017 search warrant connected to Huisentruit's disappearance, while keeping the supporting affidavit under seal to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation. News Anchor's Mysterious Disappearance Was Crime Of 'Jealousy': Private Investigator Ridge's attorneys, Nellie O'Mara and Jesse Marzen, sought to unseal records related to GPS tracking devices placed on two vehicles tied to John Vansice. Vansice has long been considered a person of interest in the investigation, but he has never been charged in the case. Read On The Fox News App The vehicles, a 1999 Honda Civic and a 2013 GMC 1500, were reportedly registered at the Arizona address where Vansice was living in early 2017. The vehicles did not exist at the time Huisentruit's disappeared in 1995. Judge Drew denied the motion to reopen the court record to support unsealing the search warrant. The court ordered that the affidavit must remain sealed, since the investigation remains active. GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE True Crime Hub The court noted that the affidavit might reveal information only the perpetrator would know, such as specific times, items found or scene details. It added that an unsealed affidavit could help potential suspects "know what to hide." Search For Missing News Anchor Expands After Authorities Get New Tip The judge stressed that, even after 30 years, public curiosity alone does not justify jeopardizing an active investigation. READ The Order: Huisentruit's family released a statement on the Jodi's Hope Facebook page, saying they do not support unsealing the documents. "As a family, we've received a number of inquiries about the legal battle currently playing out in the courts with Jodi's case," the family said in a statement. "Without getting too deep into the weeds, we all agree that if the release of the information would hinder the investigation in any way, then the search warrant should remain sealed. "We are not onboard with the information being released to the public, especially while the investigation is open and ongoing. We do recognize there are a number of differing opinions on this – we respect that and ask that you respect ours as well. At this time, this is our only public comment to make on this matter." SIGN UP TO GET True Crime Newsletter Follow The Fox True Crime Team On X Huisentruit was 27 when she disappeared in June 1995. The news anchor vanished in the early morning hours of June 27, 1995, in Mason City, Iowa. After Huisentruit didn't make it to work by 7 a.m., Mason City Police were notified. Her vehicle was found at her apartment, along with a bent car key, her high heels and signs of a struggle. To date, she is believed to have been abducted, but extensive investigations have failed to uncover any concrete evidence as to what happened or where her remains could article source: Hunt for missing Midwest news anchor focuses on fight over unsealing evidence
Fox News
06-04-2025
- Fox News
Hunt for missing Midwest news anchor focuses on fight over unsealing evidence
Jodi Huisentruit, a 27-year-old Iowa news anchor, vanished nearly 30 years ago. As authorities continue searching for her remains, a private investigator is pushing to unseal case records. Huisentruit, a native of Long Prairie, Minn., was on her way to work as a morning anchor at KIMT-TV in Mason City, Iowa, when she disappeared in the early morning of June 27, 1995. Over the years, private investigator Steve Ridge has pushed for the courts to unseal records relating to the case. On March 27, Senior Judge James M. Drew in Cerro Gordo County ruled to partially unseal a 2017 search warrant connected to Huisentruit's disappearance, while keeping the supporting affidavit under seal to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation. Ridge's attorneys, Nellie O'Mara and Jesse Marzen, sought to unseal records related to GPS tracking devices placed on two vehicles tied to John Vansice. Vansice has long been considered a person of interest in the investigation, but he has never been charged in the case. The vehicles, a 1999 Honda Civic and a 2013 GMC 1500, were reportedly registered at the Arizona address where Vansice was living in early 2017. The vehicles did not exist at the time Huisentruit's disappeared in 1995. Judge Drew denied the motion to reopen the court record to support unsealing the search warrant. The court ordered that the affidavit must remain sealed, since the investigation remains active. GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB The court noted that the affidavit might reveal information only the perpetrator would know, such as specific times, items found or scene details. It added that an unsealed affidavit could help potential suspects "know what to hide." The judge stressed that, even after 30 years, public curiosity alone does not justify jeopardizing an active investigation. READ THE ORDER: Huisentruit's family released a statement on the Jodi's Hope Facebook page, saying they do not support unsealing the documents. "As a family, we've received a number of inquiries about the legal battle currently playing out in the courts with Jodi's case," the family said in a statement. "Without getting too deep into the weeds, we all agree that if the release of the information would hinder the investigation in any way, then the search warrant should remain sealed. "We are not onboard with the information being released to the public, especially while the investigation is open and ongoing. We do recognize there are a number of differing opinions on this – we respect that and ask that you respect ours as well. At this time, this is our only public comment to make on this matter." SIGN UP TO GET TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER Huisentruit was 27 when she disappeared in June 1995. The news anchor vanished in the early morning hours of June 27, 1995, in Mason City, Iowa. After Huisentruit didn't make it to work by 7 a.m., Mason City Police were notified. Her vehicle was found at her apartment, along with a bent car key, her high heels and signs of a struggle. To date, she is believed to have been abducted, but extensive investigations have failed to uncover any concrete evidence as to what happened or where her remains could be.
