Over the years, billboards have been erected in Mason City, Iowa, showing the bright smiling face of Jodi Huisentruit and urging people to come forward with any information they have regarding the case. It has been decades since she disappeared, but her case remains active, and family, friends, and investigators are still doing the best they can to bring her justice.
In 1995, 27-year-old Jodi worked as a morning news anchor at CBS affiliate KIMT in Mason City. It was common for her to wake up before the sun rose in order to arrive at work in time for her news broadcast. She always arrived at work at 3:30AM, but that wasn’t the case on June 27, 1995. Her absence without notice was unusual, and her producer, Amy Kuns, called her at 4AM to find out what happened. Jodi told Amy that she’d overslept but was on her way. However, she never made it to work. Amy covered Jodi’s newscast that day, and when the former still hadn’t arrived at about 7AM, one of her co-workers requested a welfare check.
Police officers arrived at Key Apartments, where Jodi lived on the second floor. Her red Mazda Miata was still in the parking lot, and it was evident that there was a struggle. On the ground near the vehicle were Jodi’s jewelry, red high heels, and a blow dryer, which looked like they may have fallen out of her bag as she was being abducted. Her car key was also discovered at the scene, but it was bent. A missing persons investigation ensued, and officers went to work on the case.
Jodi’s case remains active almost three decades later
A few neighbors who lived in Jodi’s apartment complex said they heard a scream at about the same time Jodi was on her way to work that morning, but no one saw what happened, and there were no security cameras that captured the incident. Jodi’s case gained widespread attention, and the community banded together to spread information in hopes that someone would come forward with details.
Investigators interviewed hundreds of people following her disappearance, and even the FBI aided in the investigation, but they were no closer to finding Jodi. In one news report, the FBI was questioned whether it was the type of case where they had a suspect but had no proof, and the agent answered, “I don’t think so. There are so many different stories and theories and possibilities that I don’t think we could even narrow it down to who did it.”
Jodi was declared legally dead in 2001. Throughout the years, investigators have interviewed more than 1,000 people and followed thousands of leads, but to this day, there’s still no arrest. The website FindJodi.com was launched in 2003 in an effort to keep the case alive and provide updates. On the 29th year of her disappearance, Jodi’s family released a statement saying that they are still seeking answers about what happened to her. “True peace will only be given to us when Jodi is found and justice is served for her.”
In Oct. 2024, there was an update on Jodi’s case. Following a tip, authorities headed to Winsted, Minnesota — three hours away from Mason City — for a search. As of writing, investigators have not revealed details about the tip, but said, “Information gleaned from this effort will be used in the ongoing investigation.” Those who have information about Jodi’s case are urged to contact the Mason City Police Department at (641) 421-3636.