Recent Tip for 30-Year-Old Cold Case Leads Police to Small Minnesota Town
It's been almost 30 years since KIMT news anchor Jodi Huisentruit disappeared. Still, to this day, no one knows what happened to Jodi, but more information may be coming soon.
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Who Was Jodi Huisentruit?
Jodi grew up in Long Prairie, Minnesota. She went to college at St. Cloud State University and eventually started a career in broadcasting.
Her last job was as an anchor at KIMT in Mason City, Iowa.
What Happened to Jodi Huisentruit?
Jodi did the morning news anchoring at KIMT. On Tuesday, June 27th, 1995, she didn't show up to the station when she usually did.
The producer called Jodi on her landline at 4 AM. When Jodi answered they described her as sounding groggy. Pretty quickly, Jodi realized she was late for work and said she would be in as soon as she could.
6 AM came and Jodi still wasn't there. The producer filled in for Jodi for the time being. But at 7 AM they still hadn't seen or heard from her so they contacted Mason City police.
When police arrived they found her car in the parking lot and her belongings strewn about like her heels and hairspray that she always brought to work. They also discovered that the car's driver's side mirror was bent forward and the car that was found was bent. It seemed to indicate that there was some sort of a struggle.
But Jodi was nowhere to be found.
FindJodi
We still don't know what happened to Jodi, but there are lots of people who are working to find answers to this day, specifically, the group behind the website FindJodi.com.
The people behind FindJodi do interviews, put up billboards, and talk to anyone who will listen about Jodi.
Jodi's case has been featured on podcasts and national TV shows, and maybe all of this work is starting to pay off.
Recent Investigation Linked to Jodi Huisenstruit Case
FindJodi.com recently shared the news that there was a heavy police presence, including Mason City police, in the small town of Winsted, MN a couple of weeks ago.
They were at an apartment construction site and police said they were acting on a tip they received.
Mason City Police Chief Jeff Brinkley told FindJodi, "'MCPD recently worked with Minnesota law enforcement officials to follow up on a lead in Winsted. MCPD continues to receive, evaluate, and follow up on information it receives related to Jodi Huisentruit’s disappearance on a regular basis.'"
They said that anything they find from the investigation they'll use in trying to solve Jodi's case. However, he also said, "'At this time, there is no additional information for public release.'"
If you know anything about the disappearance of Jodi Huisentruit, please contact the Mason City Police Department or Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
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Gallery Credit: Carly Ross