Nearly three decades after Jodi Huisentruit, a 27-year-old US news anchor for KIMT-TV, disappeared from her Iowa home, a recent search in Minnesota has brought fresh attention to the cold case. The police investigation was prompted by a tip-off from an individual at an apartment construction site. The person reported noticing something unusual.
In response, Minnesota authorities initiated a fresh search for the missing news anchor's remains, but no human bones were found. According to Winsted police, their investigation at a city-owned park, about 64 kilometres west of Minneapolis, uncovered only animal bones.
The search, carried out on October 18, marked the first public development in the cold case in years, drawing renewed attention to the decades-old mystery. “It's the first public activity in years,” The Independent quoted former journalist Caroline Lowe as saying. Winsted Police Chief Justin Heldt provided Lowe with an update on November 15, weeks after the search, confirming no human remains were found. Instead, the search yielded remains of a farm animal.
What happened to Jodi Huisentruit?
Jodi Huisentruit disappeared on June 27, 1995. According to The Independent, on the morning of June 27, 1995, she failed to show up for her 3 am shift, prompting her producer, Amy Kuns, to call and wake her. Huisentruit, sounding groggy, assured Kuns she would be in soon, as her workplace was just five minutes away. But when Huisentruit didn't arrive by 5 am, Kuns became concerned and requested a welfare check at her apartment.
Upon arrival, officers found no signs of forced entry, but outside her building, evidence suggested a struggle had taken place. Huisentruit's car was parked in the lot, and there were drag marks leading away from it, along with her shoes, blow dryer and earrings scattered nearby. A neighbour reported hearing a scream around 4:30 am, though no one contacted the police at the time. Despite a long investigation, the case went cold, and Huisentruit was officially declared dead in 2001. Her remains have never been found.
Mason City Police Chief Jeff Brinkley acknowledged the recent collaborative effort with Minnesota authorities. “MCPD recently worked with Minnesota law enforcement officials to follow up on a lead in Winsted,” Brinkley said, according to the New York Post, adding, “MCPD continues to receive, evaluate, and follow up on information it receives related to Jodi Huisentruit's disappearance on a regular basis. Information gleaned from this effort will be used in the ongoing investigation.”
In 2023, a private investigator named Steve Ridge speculated jealousy could have played a role in Huisentruit's disappearance, citing her involvement with a mystery man shortly before she disappeared. But the person was cleared of any wrongdoing by the police.
