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.
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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.
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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."
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The judge stressed that, even after 30 years, public curiosity alone does not justify jeopardizing an active investigation.
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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."
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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.