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Inside The Mysterious Disappearance of American TV Ancho, Jodi Huisentruit.

The Story of Jodi Huisentruit

By Rare StoriesPublished 11 months ago 3 min read
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Jodi Sue Huisentruit was employed as a television news anchor at KIMT, the CBS affiliate located in Mason City, Iowa.

She vanished in the wee hours of June 27, 1995, shortly after informing a co-worker that she had overslept and would be tardy for her job. Evidence of a scuffle outside her residence suggests that Huisentruit may have been kidnapped.

Despite exhaustive inquiries, no leads have emerged regarding her whereabouts, and in 2001, she was declared legally dead.

The Beginning of Jodi's Life

Long Prairie, Minnesota was both the birthplace and hometown of Huisentruit. She was born on June 5, 1968.

Jodi at 2.5 years (source: Twitter)

During her high school years, Huisentruit demonstrated exceptional skills in golf, and she was involved in a golf tournament the day before she disappeared.

It was during her high school years that Huisentruit realized that she aspired to become a news anchor. Huisentruit pursued higher education at St. Cloud State University where she majored in mass communications and speech communication. She completed her bachelor's degree in 1990.

Upon completing her studies, Huisentruit secured employment at various television stations before eventually landing a morning anchor position at KIMT-TV in Mason City, Iowa, which was just a four-hour drive from her hometown.

Jodi with her golf kit. She was loved playing gold

Huisentruit adjusted well to her new job and city, and her co-workers described her as cheerful and energetic, despite the early morning shifts. She also formed a social circle that included John Vansice, an older man.

Jodi Huisentruit Disappearance

In the days preceding Huisentruit's disappearance, her routine appeared unremarkable. She participated in a water skiing expedition to Iowa City, accompanied by a group of friends that included Vansice.

One day prior to her disappearance, Huisentruit competed in a golf tournament. Later, she visited the home of John Vansice, to watch a videotape that he had created for a surprise birthday celebration he had thrown for her, earlier that month. It is important to note that Vansice and Jodi were not lovers.

On the evening before she vanished, she visited Vansice's residence briefly to view a recording of her surprise birthday celebration from the previous month.

Jodi was a TV presenter with KIMT

Around 4:00 a.m. on June 27, 1995, Amy Kuns, a producer at KIMT, noticed Huisentruit's absence from work and attempted to contact her at her apartment. Huisentruit answered the phone and explained that she overslept and was getting ready to leave for work.

However, when she still had not arrived by 6:00 a.m., Kuns took over her duties on the show. The station contacted the Mason City police around 7:00 a.m. Upon searching Huisentruit's apartment, the authorities discovered her red Mazda Miata in the parking lot, along with signs of a struggle nearby. Her belongings, including a bent car key, were scattered in the area, and an unknown palm print was found on her vehicle.

Some neighbors had heard someone scream around the time Jodi disappeared.

Investigation

The primary suspect in Jodi's disappearance was the man who saw her last, John Vansice.

John was Jodi's former acquaintance, a seed salesman from Mason City, Iowa, he was 22 years older than her.

Although they duo were not dating at the time of Jodi's disappearance, they spent a lot of time together.

John Vansice with Jodi (left) and friend

John exhibited an excessive amount of attention towards Jodi and appeared to be overly invested in their supposed friendship.

Despite conducting over 1,000 interviews, both by law enforcement officials and private investigators, no conclusive evidence has been found that would lead to a suspect in the case. As a result, Huisentruit was declared legally dead in May 2001.

FindJodi.com was established in 2003 with the aim of keeping Jodi's case in the public eye. The website serves as a central repository for tips that could potentially lead to locating Jodi.

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