IA IA - Jodi Huisentruit, 27, Mason City, 27 June 1995 - Anchorwoman

[itsrak]

So I'm thinking the perp in this case is probably one of three people:
1) JV, as evidenced by LE's obtaining a search warrant not so long ago for GPS records of two of his vehicles, and based on reports that he'd been in the habit of sitting in his vehicle in the early morn in the parking lot from which Jodi disappeared early one morn. He's obviously still on LE's radar after all these years.
2) The unknown individual who, in the days leading up to Jodi's disappearance, had been making obscene phone calls to her home (she had expressed concern about the calls to fellow golfers at the tournament/banquet she'd attended just hours before her disappearance, and had told them she had planned to change her phone # the next day, the day she disappeared). Presumably LE followed-up on phone records. But pay phones were still around back then (remember those?!).
3) DH, based on the comments of Mr. Ridge plus the suspicious death of Jodi's friend Billy Pruin, which death Jodi may have been investigating.

 

[User4243]

Do either JV or DH have a history of making obscene phone calls?

 

[User4243]

A week ago, a bench at the Long Prairie Country Club was dedicated in her honor.

"We don't get many leads any more,'' said Sgt. Frank Stearns, "but we're still keeping our eyes and ears open. When we do get a lead, we follow through on it just as aggressively as we did on the first day of the investigation.''

The latest from the StarTribune

Interesting quote. From 14 years ago.

 

[Tippy Lynn]

Do either JV or DH have a history of making obscene phone calls?

I don't know if either of them ever did, but I would wager a bet that both JV and DH would.
jmo

 

[Tippy Lynn]

In 2017, Vansice was subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury at the U.S. District Courthouse in Cedar Rapids and to bring identifying information included but not limited to "manually obtained inked right and left finger and palm prints."

Search warrant in Huisentruit case to stay sealed for another year

 

[cherrymeg]

In 2017, Vansice was subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury at the U.S. District Courthouse in Cedar Rapids and to bring identifying information included but not limited to "manually obtained inked right and left finger and palm prints."

Search warrant in Huisentruit case to stay sealed for another year

What?

 

[cherrymeg]

In 2017, Vansice was subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury at the U.S. District Courthouse in Cedar Rapids and to bring identifying information included but not limited to "manually obtained inked right and left finger and palm prints."

Search warrant in Huisentruit case to stay sealed for another year

Is he suffering from alzheimer's? Is staying sealed just keeping it from the public?

 

[itsrak]

In 2017, Vansice was subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury at the U.S. District Courthouse in Cedar Rapids and to bring identifying information included but not limited to "manually obtained inked right and left finger and palm prints."

Search warrant in Huisentruit case to stay sealed for another year

So Vansice most definitely still on MCPD radar. Which is sad, as it suggests the case perhaps could have been and probably should have been solved almost immediately. There was a palm print on Jodi's Miata, possibly left during the struggle. Is it conceivable that MCPD failed to obtain palm print from Vansice at that time?! That would be an appalling shocker.

Weirdly, when I clicked the link to the Globe Gazette article, the banner ad running across the top was for the Osage company John Lessard had been a principal in at the time. If I understand correctly, he sold the Miata to Jodi.

 

[Tippy Lynn]

So Vansice most definitely still on MCPD radar. Which is sad, as it suggests the case could have been and probably should have been solved almost immediately. There was a palm print on Jodi's Miata, possibly left during the struggle. Is it conceivable that MCPD failed to obtain palm print from Vansice at that time? That would be an appalling shocker.

Weirdly, when I clicked the link to the Globe Gazette article, the banner ad running across the top was for the Osage company John Lessard had been a principal in at the time....

It’s so sad. How many years is it going to take?

 

[Tippy Lynn]

Is he suffering from alzheimer's? Is staying sealed just keeping it from the public?

KIMT learned Wednesday that Vansice has an aggressive form of Alzheimer’s.

John Vancise - Image courtesy CBS' "48 Hours."
Steve Ridge, a consultant and past investigative reporter, spoke to KIMT on Wednesday and said that he went through 11 pages of Vansice’s medical records and found out about the diagnosis.

Ridge is one of the few people who Vansice has opened up to.


New development regarding John Vansice, a longtime person of interest in Huisentruit case

 

[cherrymeg]

KIMT learned Wednesday that Vansice has an aggressive form of Alzheimer’s.

John Vancise - Image courtesy CBS' "48 Hours."
Steve Ridge, a consultant and past investigative reporter, spoke to KIMT on Wednesday and said that he went through 11 pages of Vansice’s medical records and found out about the diagnosis.

Ridge is one of the few people who Vansice has opened up to.


New development regarding John Vansice, a longtime person of interest in Huisentruit case

Thanks! Sealed doesn't mean police stop working on the case right?

 

[Tippy Lynn]

Thanks! Sealed doesn't mean police stop working on the case right?

According to Cerro Gordo County Attorney Carlyle Dalen, an application to extend the seal was done at the request of law enforcement.

"Law enforcement believe that allowing access to the information contained in that document would jeopardize their investigation.

The warrant was sealed at the request of the Cerro Gordo County Attorney," Brinkley wrote. "I would expect it to continue to be sealed until the investigation/prosecution were completed."

Dalen has previously said that it's not unusual for search warrants in ongoing cases like Huisentruit's to be sealed.

"While it is not uncommon for police departments and prosecutors to continually attempt to keep their search warrant affidavits sealed to protect an open homicide investigation, it is also frustrating to be kept in the dark about why they have remained focused on the same person almost from the beginning," Josh Benson from FindJodi.com said. He added that they'd like to know more but continue to respect the investigation.

Search warrant in Huisentruit case to stay sealed for another year

 

[Woofbark]

Not trying to be a cynic, but what are the odds that this person on death row isn't just coming up with a story to delay his execution? It's been done before.

There seems to be such a network of weird, sleazy people connected to JH and possibly her murder. How did she end up socializing with such a shady group? Was it just for a story or were they her friends? They seem like such an odd lot: a good ole boy farmer with a new tractor mysteriously murdered to a group of people who seemed to be drug users to an alleged drug kingpin who looks like Ralph Malph from "Happy Days". And there's JH hanging out with all of them at a pizza parlor?

Then there's the whole side story about the local sheriff's office, firings, lawsuits, allegations of malfeasance, officers sitting on tips from their brother in law who is a minister and who also knows something about JH's murder? This is a truly bizarre investigation and I'm not sure what to believe.

If DH is wanting to get his sentence lessened to life in prison, he won't be able to tell too many lies. He better be able to prove what he says otherwise the death penalty would be most certain. Hopefully he will tell where JH is. The manager at Key apartments said she was nearly struck by a speeding car as it left the parking lot that morning. What kind of vehicles were available to DH and his girlfriend at that time? Perhaps showing photos of those types of vehicles to that manager, if she's still alive, would help in some way.

 

[pppsuedio]

There was a palm print on Jodi's Miata, possibly left during the struggle. Is it conceivable that MCPD failed to obtain palm print from Vansice at that time?! That would be an appalling shocker.

All of this is speculative and MOO, of course..

I think it is unlikely that LE did not take prints from JV at the beginning of the investigation. This findjodi article says he at least claims that he did (and in an image/snippet of an article from Unsolved Magazine about Jodi on the findjodi website it says he previously provided his prints, although they may just be going by what he said). But, I do not know. It is also possible I suppose that he refused to provide them until subpoenaed in 2017.

I think the first article linked above raises some interesting questions. The timing and location involved in the subpoena in combination with the search warrant for the GPS data from two of his cars is interesting. That search warrant is still sealed so we do not know the probable cause that LE gave to a judge in order to obtain the right to access that GPS information. The subpoena/prints needed to be provided in Cedar Rapids, Iowa even though, the article suggests, JV could have just provided them to the FBI office in his hometown in Arizona (particularly interesting that JV should have to appear in Iowa if, as it seems, he did not actually speak or 'participate' at the grand jury proceedings, just provided prints and a DNA swab). Could it be that along with DNA or prints, what they wanted was to get him to drive through Iowa? In the statement released on JV's behalf he apparently claims that LE said he would be given airline tickets so that he could get to Iowa to appear for the subpoena, but he says they were never given to him. Therefore, JV says, in order to avoid being arrested for failing to appear at the grand jury he drove all the way from Arizona to Cedar Rapids. Starting at about the 40:00 minute mark on the 48 Hours special, journalist, PI, and findjodi team member Caroline Lowe says they (the findjodi team?) believe the warrants for GPS data (which were executed 18 days after that 2017 grand jury) were an attempt by law enforcement to find the location of Jodi's remains. Then the responses LE give to questions on this issue are interesting. If that was their intent, it was unsuccessful.

On the other hand, JV apparently provided not only prints but also a DNA swab when he showed up for the subpoena. I don't know why they wouldn't just ask/subpoena him for the DNA swab if they indeed already had his prints. Perhaps for some science reason that is unclear to me he could not just submit his prints/submit to a DNA swab at the FBI office in Arizona, and therefore he needed to travel to Iowa to provide them. I have no idea.

 

[User4243]

All of this is speculative and MOO, of course..

I think it is unlikely that LE did not take prints from JV at the beginning of the investigation. This findjodi article says he at least claims that he did (and in an image/snippet of an article from Unsolved Magazine about Jodi on the findjodi website it says he previously provided his prints, although they may just be going by what he said). But, I do not know. It is also possible I suppose that he refused to provide them until subpoenaed in 2017.

I think the first article linked above raises some interesting questions. The timing and location involved in the subpoena in combination with the search warrant for the GPS data from two of his cars is interesting. That search warrant is still sealed so we do not know the probable cause that LE gave to a judge in order to obtain the right to access that GPS information. The subpoena/prints needed to be provided in Cedar Rapids, Iowa even though, the article suggests, JV could have just provided them to the FBI office in his hometown in Arizona (particularly interesting that JV should have to appear in Iowa if, as it seems, he did not actually speak or 'participate' at the grand jury proceedings, just provided prints and a DNA swab). Could it be that along with DNA or prints, what they wanted was to get him to drive through Iowa? In the statement released on JV's behalf he apparently claims that LE said he would be given airline tickets so that he could get to Iowa to appear for the subpoena, but he says they were never given to him. Therefore, JV says, in order to avoid being arrested for failing to appear at the grand jury he drove all the way from Arizona to Cedar Rapids. Starting at about the 40:00 minute mark on the 48 Hours special, journalist, PI, and findjodi team member Caroline Lowe says they (the findjodi team?) believe the warrants for GPS data (which were executed 18 days after that 2017 grand jury) were an attempt by law enforcement to find the location of Jodi's remains. Then the responses LE give to questions on this issue are interesting. If that was their intent, it was unsuccessful.

On the other hand, JV apparently provided not only prints but also a DNA swab when he showed up for the subpoena. I don't know why they wouldn't just ask/subpoena him for the DNA swab if they indeed already had his prints. Perhaps for some science reason that is unclear to me he could not just submit his prints/submit to a DNA swab at the FBI office in Arizona, and therefore he needed to travel to Iowa to provide them. I have no idea.

In the world of a law firm, this activity would be called "Churning the File". This is what MCPD is doing. Trying to draw attention away from the fact that they have ignored other leads and they want people to think they have their guy but can't prove it.

 

[User4243]

Check out this article by Caroline Lowe. She hits it right on the head. https://www.findjodi.com/jodi-huisentruit-suspects-none-of-the-above/

 

[Tippy Lynn]

Check out this article by Caroline Lowe. She hits it right on the head. https://www.findjodi.com/jodi-huisentruit-suspects-none-of-the-above/

I disagree. A judge signed the search warrant on JV in 2017. There needs to be probable cause in order for a judge to sign it. A judge isn’t going to sign one because MCPD is “Churning the File”.

 

[itsrak]

Check out this article by Caroline Lowe. She hits it right on the head. https://www.findjodi.com/jodi-huisentruit-suspects-none-of-the-above/

Lowe certainly could be right. The perp might be someone we've never heard of.

For example, in the days leading up to Jodi's disappearance, some disturbed individual had been making obscene phone calls to Jodi. Jodi was sufficiently alarmed by this that, less than 24 hours before she disappeared, at the golf event she'd attended she mentioned the calls to two persons and stated that she'd intended to change her phone # (this was before everyone had a cell phone) the next day. So, there was some nut-job obsessed with Jodi when before she disappeared, and she was worried. Sounds like an obvious suspect, huh? Was MCPD able to determine who'd been making those calls? Did they even try? Does anyone know if MCPD publicly ruled out the caller as a suspect? I don't ever recall having heard a statement from investigators along the lines of "Yeah, we followed up on the calls, determined the identity of the caller, and were able to rule him out..."....

 

[User4243]

I disagree. A judge signed the search warrant on JV in 2017. There needs to be probable cause in order for a judge to sign it. A judge isn’t going to sign one because MCPD is “Churning the File”.

Van Sice is a logical suspect. As the saying goes, you can indict a ham sandwich. And it's even easier to get a warrant. It makes sense to keep an eye on Van Sice, although I question what kind of GPS data would be on a 1999 vehicle.

Check this out.
"....The chief’s mysterious reaction, manifested through the mayor, makes sense if the Mason City Police Department is mishandling this case. Indeed, I soon realized certain leads first filed in 2008 had been ignored for at least seven years." emphasis added

Retiring state representative says Bookmeyer, other Mason City officials stonewalled him in Huisentruit investigation

Does anyone else see this as extraordinary?

MCPD has relied on the media to "trust they are trying to solve the case". Trust is hard to get back once lost. The fallout will be ugly when the media punishes MCPD for manipulating them for so long in a case involving one of their own.

My prediction is MCPD will no longer get free passes as the 25th anniversary approaches next June.

 

[TedMac]

Van Sice is a logical suspect. As the saying goes, you can indict a ham sandwich. And it's even easier to get a warrant. It makes sense to keep an eye on Van Sice, although I question what kind of GPS data would be on a 1999 vehicle.

Check this out.
"....The chief’s mysterious reaction, manifested through the mayor, makes sense if the Mason City Police Department is mishandling this case. Indeed, I soon realized certain leads first filed in 2008 had been ignored for at least seven years." emphasis added

Retiring state representative says Bookmeyer, other Mason City officials stonewalled him in Huisentruit investigation

Does anyone else see this as extraordinary?

MCPD has relied on the media to "trust they are trying to solve the case". Trust is hard to get back once lost. The fallout will be ugly when the media punishes MCPD for manipulating them for so long in a case involving one of their own.

My prediction is MCPD will no longer get free passes as the 25th anniversary approaches next June.

BBM...I see it as extraordinary. I feel that Bookmeyer's letter really raises eyebrows.