In 1995, KIMT-TV anchor Jodi Huisentruit went missing, reportedly attacked and abducted while walking to her car. She was 27 years old at the time and she was never seen again. Authorities declared Huisentruit dead in 2001. Almost 30 years later, investigators conducted a search in Minnesota on October 20, 2024, following a tip.
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This was the first search that authorities have done in years surrounding Huisentruit's disappearance. The search took place on October 18, with Minnesota and Iowa officers conducting it in Winsted, a rural Minnesota town. Winsted Police Department Chief Justin Heldt confirmed that officials did not recover any human remains. Instead, they found farm animal remains, which is not uncommon in the area.
Mason City Police Chief Jeff Brinkley also spoke with The Independent, confirming the nature of the search. "MCPD recently worked with Minnesota law enforcement officials to follow up on a lead in Winsted," Brinkley said. "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."
Finding Jodi
The results of the search were shared with The Independent through former journalist Caroline Lowe. "We look at what we can do as journalists, because we know what gets covered, and we're diggers - we want to find out what happened to her," Lowe said. "It's also in us to do what we can to keep her visible. She's one of us. She's part of our extended family. We owe it to her to help bring her home."
While Lowe didn't meet Jodi Huisentruit personally, she still felt a strong connection with her, which led her to attempt to solve her disappearance. "She had aspirations - if things had gone the path she was on, she and I might have worked in the same newsroom," Lowe said.
Lowe hopes that the renewed attention to Huisentruit's case will "encourage someone to call in with information," and, hopefully, someday solve it entirely.
While details surrounding Jodi Huisentruit's disappearance are speculative, many believe that a stalker may have been behind her abduction. Months before she went missing, Jodi had called the Mason City Police Department to report a truck following her. Moreover, evidence on the crime scene such as her earrings, heels, and a blow dryer were found next to her car, implying a struggle had taken place.
There are no suspects connected to Jodi Huisentruit's disappearance, and no arrests have been made.
