Share and Follow
A private investigator may have uncovered a new lead in the decades-old mystery surrounding the disappearance of an Iowa news anchor. This revelation could potentially breathe new life into a case that has puzzled authorities for nearly thirty years.
The incident traces back to the early morning of June 27, 1995, when Jodi Huisentruit, a news anchor in Mason City, Iowa, failed to arrive at her job to deliver the morning news. Her sudden disappearance triggered an exhaustive search and numerous theories over the years, yet no concrete evidence has ever surfaced to locate her or bring any charges.
Recently, private investigator Steve Ridge disclosed to FOX 10 that he received a tip-off identifying a possible suspect linked to the case. This development offers a glimmer of hope in unraveling the mystery that has long haunted the community and her family.
However, private investigator Steve Ridge told FOX 10 that he recently received a tip pointing to a potential suspect in the case.
Â
Jodi Huisentruit was a TV news anchor in Iowa before she disappeared in 1995. (Findjodi.com)
“[The tipster] was dating a suspect in the case or person of interest who eventually, in her presence, confessed, and it came at a very heated moment when the two of them were being tailed by authorities up in Minnesota,” Ridge said, according to the outlet. “He finally pulled over, and he was hitting the steering wheel and said, ‘I didn’t do it. I didn’t do it. I didn’t do it’ and he finally hit the steering wheel and said ‘I did it.’”
Ridge did not reveal the identity of the possible suspect or whether they are still alive, FOX 10 reported. He told the outlet he provided the evidence to the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation.
“I was able to conclusively determine that this female informant had a short term romantic relationship with the suspect,” Ridge said in a statement to News Media. “I secured and verified photos, handwritten letters, canceled checks and other items.”
Flyers publicizing Jodi Huisentruit’s disappearance are displayed outside KIMT-TV in Mason City, Iowa, on July 3, 1995. (Steve Kagan/Getty Images)
Ridge added that he would like to “award the $100,000 reward to the person who can lead us to Jodi’s remains.”
The update comes two years after John Vansice — the last person to see Huisentruit alive and the self-described primary person of interest — died before the case could be solved.
“She always had a concern about being stalked because she is on TV every day and everybody can see her,” Vansice previously said.
Flyers publicizing Jodi Huisentruit’s disappearance are seen throughout Mason City, Iowa, on July 3, 1995. (Steve Kagan/Getty Images)
“Jodi and I became very good friends. Nothing more, nothing less,” he reportedly added. “We did things as a group with other people, and we just got to know each other a lot, and we liked each other. We had a lot of fun together. It’s like a father-daughter situation.”
Vansice reportedly moved to Arizona and spoke to Ridge several times before his death in 2024.
“He denied any role in the disappearance of Jodi and said he cared very much about her and that he would never possibly hurt her,” Ridge said, according to FOX 10.Â
The Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation declined News Media’s request for comment.
<!–>
–>