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Thirty years later, the haunting case of Jodi Huisentruit is still open and unsolved.
On Tuesday, June 27, 1995, the television news anchor called her workplace, KIMT-TV, to say she was running late for her morning shift. But, strangely, she never showed up. Police found the 27-year-old’s car in the parking lot outside her Mason City, Iowa apartment. There was no trace of the popular newscaster.
Despite a massive investigation and national media attention, no arrests have been made, and Huisentruit, whose body was never found, was declared legally dead in 2001, as detailed in the Oxygen series Up and Vanished. Over the years, various leads and persons of interest, but none have led to a resolution.
Here’s what you need to know to get up to speed on the case.
Who was Jodi Huisentruit?
Born on June 5, 1968, in Long Prairie, Minnesota, Huisentruit grew up in a close-knit family and developed an early passion for journalism.
After earning a mass communications degree from St. Cloud State University in 1990, she launched her career at small-market stations in Cedar Rapids and Alexandria, Minnesota, according to a look back at the case by the Des Moines Register.
Huisentruit eventually landed the coveted morning anchor position at KIMT-TV. Known for her charisma, warmth, and professionalism, Jodi quickly became a beloved local figure.
What happened to Jodi Huisentruit?
On the morning of Tuesday, June 27, 1995, she called KIMT to say she had overslept but was on her way in — her final known contact. When Huisentruit failed to arrive, coworkers alerted the police, and a welfare check was made.
Officers found her red Mazda Miata in the parking lot of the Key Apartments complex, with clear signs of a struggle: her bent car key was still in the door, her high red heels and hairdryer were scattered nearby, and drag marks led away from the vehicle.
Eyewitnesses reported hearing noises that were believed to have been animals around the time that Huisentruit was likely abducted, according to the Associated Press. Neighbors recalled hearing screams around 4:30 a.m. and seeing a suspicious white van, CBS News reported. No solid leads emerged from these statements.
Despite exhaustive searches, no arrests have been made. The boldness of the crime that was committed in a quiet residential area just before dawn continues to send shockwaves through the community and beyond.
Theories around Jodi Huisentruit’s disappearance
Over the decades, numerous conjectures have emerged about Huisentruit’s disappearance. The prevailing belief is that she was abducted by someone who knew her routine.
The abduction likely occurred within a narrow five-minute window and was carried out with chilling precision. Theories have ranged from personal motives to crimes of opportunity.
One person of interest was John Vansice, a close friend and older man who reportedly had a strong, possibly romantic interest in the newswoman. Some believe unreciprocated feelings may have led to a confrontation.
Vansice submitted to a polygraph, which he passed, and was never named a suspect by police, according to the Sioux City Journal. In early 2017, the Mason City Police Department executed a search warrant for GPS data on two of his cars, per the Globe Gazette. Vansice denied involvement until his death in 2024.
Another theory involves Tony Dejuan Jackson, a convicted serial rapist who lived two blocks from Huisentruit’s work, according to the CBS News report. A jailhouse informant claimed Jackson had made cryptic remarks about Huisentruit’s case, reported 48 Hours. No physical evidence ever linked Jackson to the crime, and police ultimately ruled Jackson out as a suspect.
Authorities have also investigated the possible connection of Christopher Revak to Jodi Huisentruit’s case, reported KCCI.com. Revak, a Wisconsin Rapids native, killed himself in a jail cell in 2009 while facing a homicide charge in the death of a woman.
Investigators believe that Revak was responsible for the death of another woman back in 2006, per KCCI.
Other possibilities include a jealous ex, a stalker, or a random predator who targeted Huisentruit after observing her daily routine. In the weeks before her disappearance, Huisentruit told friends she felt she was being followed, according to Oxygen.
While no leads have produced charges, investigators and Iowa residents remain convinced that someone close to the case holds the key – and continue to search for answers.
On what would have been Huisentruit’s 50th birthday, members of the nonprofit FindJodi.com unveiled four billboards around Mason City bearing Huisentruit’s face with the message, “Someone knows something… is it YOU?,” confirmed with the Mason City Police Department.
In April 2025, a judge ordered part of the 2017 Vansice-related search warrant to be unsealed, a step long advocated by private investigators and the nonprofit group FindJodi.
The search warrant reveals that police tracked Vansice’s car and truck from Iowa to his new home in Arizona in March 2017. Little else was revealed in the unsealed portion of the warrant, NewsNation reported. Mason City Police say the warrant didn’t give them any new information, according to WSAW.com.
Three decades after Huisentruit vanished and 24 years after the rising-star newscaster was formally declared dead, her 1995 disappearance remains unsolved, with no body or suspects charged.
If you have any information about the case, contact the Mason City Police Department at 641-421-3636.
