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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.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Yahoo
Search for Jodi Huisentruit: Investigators fight for search warrant release
The Brief Investigators asked a judge on Monday to release a 2017 search warrant connected to the disappearance of news anchor Jodi Huisentruit nearly 30 years ago. A private investigator working on the case has said he hopes the search warrant will lift a "cloud of suspicion" over a friend of Huisentruit. The warrant sought GPS data from two vehicles that were manufactured years after Huisentruit's disappearance. MASON CITY, Iowa (FOX 9) - Attorneys argued in court on Monday for authorities to release search warrants related to the disappearance of Iowa news anchor Jodi Huisentruit, who went missing nearly 30 years ago. The backstory Huisentruit went missing on the morning of June 27, 1995, in Mason City, Iowa. Huisentruit, a Long Prairie, Minn. native, worked as a morning show anchor at local affiliate KIMT. On the morning of June 27, 1995, Huisentruit was running late for work. She called a coworker to let them know she was on her way but never made it to work. Her disappearance was quickly ruled an abduction after police found her belongings lying on the ground near her car and a witness reported seeing a suspicious white van and hearing a scream. Despite the efforts of the police, private investigators, and volunteers, Huisentruit has not been found and no one has been charged in her disappearance. What's new? In court on Monday, attorneys argued for the release of a 2017 search warrant linked to the investigation. The warrant was to obtain GPS data from two vehicles connected to a friend of Huisentruit, John Vansice, who has reportedly since passed. It's worth noting the GPS data would be from long past Huisentruit's 1995 disappearance, as the two vehicles involved were a 1999 Honda Civic and a 2013 GMC. Authorities argued for the search warrant to remain sealed, saying its release could potentially impact the integrity of the investigation. The backstory Investigator Steve Ridge, a media consultant who has worked for years to solve Huisentruit's disappearance, pushed for the release of the search warrant. Speaking with KTTC last month, he said he hopes to "lift the cloud of suspicion" over Vansice. Vansice was one of the last people to see Huisentruit alive, as she visited him the night before her disappearance. Speaking with Ridge in an interview shared on Vansice said he has cooperated with local, state, and federal investigations, willingly submitting to polygraph and DNA testing, finger and palm printing, and a hypnosis session. Vansice said he's faced unfair suspicion from law enforcement, amateur investigators, and media over Huisentruit's disappearance. What's next In court, a judge took the matter under advisement, saying a ruling would be made in the next 30 days. Dig deeper Last year, authorities searched property in Winsted, Minn., about 40 miles west of the Twin Cities, linked to Huisentruit's disappearance. Winsted police said no human remains were discovered during the search. It's unclear what led police to that property, but officers said "information gleaned from this effort will be used in the ongoing investigation." Last year, the reward for information leading to the recovery of Huisentruit's remains was raised to $100,000.
