Jodi Huisentruit was an American television news correspondent for the KIMT news network. Jodi disappeared in 1995, and the case remains unresolved. As she vanished without a trace, her absence attracted the interest of many. This case has never been resolved, and the investigation continues. Numerous agencies, including the Mason City Police, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the FBI, investigated the case, but none were able to locate Jodi. The case has been featured on various talk shows, including ‘America’s Most Wanted,’ ‘Unsolved Mysteries,’ ’20/20,’ ‘Nancy Grace,’ and others. No one has ever been charged with her kidnapping. Jodi was certified officially deceased in May 2001. However, neither her body nor any indication of her death has ever been recovered.
Childhood and Instruction
On June 5, 1968, Jodi Sue Huisentruit was born to Imogene L. Jane and Maurice Nicholas Huisentruit. She was raised in Long Prairie, Minnesota, alongside her sisters Joann Nathe and Jill Lettauin.
Throughout her education in Minnesota, Jodi was a member of the State Champion Golf Team. She subsequently graduated from St. Cloud State University with a concentration in mass communication and journalism.
After working for Northwest Airlines, she relocated to Iowa where she served as Bureau Chief for KGAN, a local news station. She moved on to work for the Minnesota news station KSAX. After a few years, she returned to Iowa and worked from 3 a.m. until 4 a.m. as a producer. She also served as the host of the morning and midday newscasts.
The Unsolved Enigma
On June 27, 1995, while Jodi was getting ready for work, Amy Kuns, her colleague, and co-producer, called her. Amy had called her to check on her because she was running late for her 6 a.m. program. Jodi responded that she had overslept and would be reporting to work shortly. That was the last time someone heard her. At 4:00 a.m., Jodi left her apartment and was never seen again.
When Jodi did not arrive at the station by 6 a.m., her coworker contacted the Iowa police officers and asked them to check on her. When the police squad arrived at Jodi’s residence, they discovered her red Mazda Miata parked in the basement.
Some of Jodi’s things, including her shoe heels, hairspray, blow dryer, and earrings, were strewn around the car, indicating that she had been taken. In addition, an unexplained palm print was observed on the vehicle. Amy claims that she did not notice anything out of the ordinary when she called Jodi, who appeared to be preparing for another day of work.
A couple of neighbors reported hearing a loud scream shortly after Jodi exited her flat. Some even reported seeing a white Ford van with its headlights on in the area, although it is unknown if the van has anything to do with her abduction.
Based on her bent car key, which was discovered on the ground near her vehicle, the police believe the young woman was abducted when she was unlocking her vehicle.
John Vansice was the last person to see Jodi, as she visited him to view the film of her birthday party, which John had organized. She had a golf competition that day as well.
When the police department was unable to solve the mystery, the case was transferred to numerous other departments, including the FBI. Unfortunately, no useful clues were discovered, and the investigation eventually reached a dead end. According to reports, she had no adversaries, therefore there was no reason to believe that she was in danger.
As the inquiry ground to a halt, the police theorized that an obsessed admirer may have stalked, abducted, and murdered the victim. Nonetheless, no evidence was discovered to support this theory.
The case was initially presented on television on February 18, 1996, on the programs Disappeared’ and ‘America’s Most Wanted.
Jodi was declared dead in May 2001, but authorities were unable to find her body or catch her murderer. In 2015, the case was revived after a witness linked convicted serial rapist Tony Jackson to Jodi’s case. Jackson was 21 years old and resided nearby at the time of Jodi’s abduction. He is currently receiving a life sentence for the 1997 rape of three women.
Fox 9 investigators deemed the fact that Jackson resided just two streets away from the news station where she worked as a significant lead.
According to a friend of Jackson, Jodi and Jackson met in a bar before her disappearance. Due to a lack of solid evidence, he was never convicted of the abduction of Jodi.
Jeff Brinkley, the then-police chief, took over the investigation and indicated that there may still be someone from the Kentucky apartment who has not divulged all pertinent case information.
On December 9, 2014, Jodi’s mother passed away at the age of 91 at Central Care Health Systems in Long Prairie.
2015 commemorated the twentieth year of Jodi’s disappearance. On this basis, a group of journalists and retired police officers who have long followed the case founded the website FindJodi.com, which rekindled hopes that the case would be solved.
Josh Benson, a former news anchor for KAAL-TV in Austin, is one of the website’s creators. Caroline Lowe, a former newscaster, and Jay Alberland, a retired Woodbury police commander, are members of the Find Jodi team.
Jodi’s Empty air
Beth Bednar, an anchor and former colleague of Jodi’s, released a book titled ‘Dead Air: The Disappearance of Jodi Huisentruit about Jodi’s disappearance. The book was published at the conclusion of April 2011.
Beth held a friendly and professional relationship with Jodi, whom she regarded with great affection. She believes that her family and the entire television industry are still haunted by the case.
Estimated Net Worth
Jodi Huisentruit is one of the wealthiest and most well-known news anchors. According to our investigation, Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider, Jodi Huisentruit has an estimated net worth of $1.5 million.