A private investigator has potentially uncovered a new lead in the decades-old mystery of a missing Iowa news anchor, a case that has baffled many for years.
The mystery dates back to the early morning of June 27, 1995, when Jodi Huisentruit failed to appear at her job as a morning news anchor in Mason City, Iowa.
Her unexplained disappearance launched a prolonged investigation filled with numerous theories, yet her whereabouts remain unknown, and no charges have been filed.
In a recent development, private investigator Steve Ridge disclosed to FOX 10 that he has received a tip that could identify a suspect in the ongoing case.
Jodi Huisentruit was a local TV news anchor in Iowa prior to her disappearance in 1995. (Findjodi.com)
Jodi Huisentruit was a TV news anchor in Iowa before she disappeared in 1995. (Findjodi.com)
“[The tipster] was dating a suspect in the case or person of interest who eventually, in her presence, confessed, and it came at a very heated moment when the two of them were being tailed by authorities up in Minnesota,” Ridge said, according to the outlet. “He finally pulled over, and he was hitting the steering wheel and said, ‘I didn’t do it. I didn’t do it. I didn’t do it’ and he finally hit the steering wheel and said ‘I did it.’”
Ridge did not reveal the identity of the possible suspect or whether they are still alive, FOX 10 reported. He told the outlet he provided the evidence to the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation.
“I was able to conclusively determine that this female informant had a short term romantic relationship with the suspect,” Ridge said in a statement to News Agency. “I secured and verified photos, handwritten letters, canceled checks and other items.”
Flyers publicizing Jodi Huisentruit’s disappearance are displayed outside KIMT-TV in Mason City, Iowa, on July 3, 1995. (Steve Kagan/Getty Images)
Ridge added that he would like to “award the $100,000 reward to the person who can lead us to Jodi’s remains.”
The update comes two years after John Vansice — the last person to see Huisentruit alive and the self-described primary person of interest — died before the case could be solved.
“She always had a concern about being stalked because she is on TV every day and everybody can see her,” Vansice previously said.
Flyers publicizing Jodi Huisentruit’s disappearance are seen throughout Mason City, Iowa, on July 3, 1995. (Steve Kagan/Getty Images)
“Jodi and I became very good friends. Nothing more, nothing less,” he reportedly added. “We did things as a group with other people, and we just got to know each other a lot, and we liked each other. We had a lot of fun together. It’s like a father-daughter situation.”
Vansice reportedly moved to Arizona and spoke to Ridge several times before his death in 2024.
“He denied any role in the disappearance of Jodi and said he cared very much about her and that he would never possibly hurt her,” Ridge said, according to FOX 10.
The Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation declined News Agency’s request for comment.
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