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

[Tippy Lynn]

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.

How the MCPD has handled this case is highly suspect. I hope they don't get anymore free passes.

 

[Woofbark]

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.

Based on recent news, I'm going with number 3. Let's hope we find out before January 15, 2020.

 

[Woofbark]

Yeah, I think that is DH. Right age group, same uncommon glasses, hair color, body frame, etc.
Here is another photo, from findjodi.com, of Jodi with the same guy...
https://www.findjodi.com/we-want-your-images-of-jodi-and-friends/

Jodi is said to have relocated to Mason City to join KIMT in November of 1993. So these two group photos would have to date to Nov. '93 to Apr. '95 time frame for it to be Honken. If that is Honken, you'd be looking at pic of a guy who'd already killed 5 people (in July and Nov. '93) but not yet been arrested, and a pic of a gal soon to be abducted and likely murdered...

Is it fact that DH borrowed a car to commit the first 4 murders? If he did kill Jodi H, could he have used that same car?

 

[Tippy Lynn]

Is it fact that DH borrowed a car to commit the first 4 murders? If he did kill Jodi H, could he have used that same car?

It would be interesting to know what vehicles DH had access to at the time of JH disappearance/murder.

 

[Woofbark]

It would be interesting to know what vehicles DH had access to at the time of JH disappearance/murder.

I agree. I've never seen it mentioned. If he had full access to that Auto repair shop, he could have even used someone's car without the owners knowledge.

 

[Tippy Lynn]

I agree. I've never seen it mentioned. If he had full access to that Auto repair shop, he could have even used someone's car without the owners knowledge.

I haven’t seen it mentioned either. Dang......I wish we knew!

 

[Woofbark]

I am wondering this very thing! The only thing I can think of is that LE got “new information” about JH’s whereabouts? Hence a warrant for GPS tracking. Pretty long after the fact, so a tip that her body was moved? And they need more time to search from GPS tracking history? Or- he was back in IA & may have “visited”/ checked on the grave site? Guessing because IHNC- I have no clue. Anyone?

If he had a smart phone, it may be full of information. Mine keeps a record of where I drove, where I walked, how far I went, etc. Even if deleted from the phone, cell phone company probably keeps a record of it. I've not seen any proof that he did anything wrong.

 

[Woofbark]

I haven’t seen it mentioned either. Dang......I wish we knew!

I bet someone on here could find that information. Maybe they could also tell us how far from the abduction sites did DH usually bury his victims? Knowing that may be helpful in narrowing down an area to look for any missing persons. Possibly even Jodi H.

 

[itsrak]

I bet someone on here could find that information. Maybe they could also tell us how far from the abduction sites did DH usually bury his victims? Knowing that may be helpful in narrowing down an area to look for any missing persons. Possibly even Jodi H.

If I understand correctly, DH buried his 5 victims at two sites off a pair of rural roads running parallel north/south, a mile or so apart (Killdeer Ave. and Lark Ave., I believe), just west of Mason City and south of the large law enforcement center located just off the main drag, highway 18. So, he didn't go far, just a matter of a few miles from Mason City.

Are Jodi's remains buried there?.......

 

[Woofbark]

If I understand correctly, DH buried his 5 victims at two sites off a pair of rural roads running parallel north/south, a mile or so apart (Killdeer Ave. and Lark Ave., I believe), just west of Mason City and south of the large law enforcement center located just off the main drag, highway 18. So, he didn't go far, just a matter of a few miles from Mason City.

Are Jodi's remains buried there?.......

If he killed Jodi H, then that would be a good area to look in. It seems that he stayed in a certain comfort zone.I believe he used a tree as a marker for the first 4 people. I haven't seen photos of the second grave area so I don't know if he used anything as a marker at that site or not. There's no telling what they might find if they use GPR in that area.

 

[Woofbark]

If I understand correctly, DH buried his 5 victims at two sites off a pair of rural roads running parallel north/south, a mile or so apart (Killdeer Ave. and Lark Ave., I believe), just west of Mason City and south of the large law enforcement center located just off the main drag, highway 18. So, he didn't go far, just a matter of a few miles from Mason City.

Are Jodi's remains buried there?.......

I found out those areas had been gone over with GPR. That's how they found the victims. If you google Lori Duncan Found Dead, look at Sioux City Journal October 1, 2004. If Honken did kill Jodi H, she could be buried close to those areas. That would be too big of an area to cover with GPR.

 

[Woofbark]

I found out those areas had been gone over with GPR. That's how they found the victims. If you google Lori Duncan Found Dead, look at Sioux City Journal October 1, 2004. If Honken did kill Jodi H, she could be buried close to those areas. That would be too big of an area to cover with GPR.

Besides law enforcement, I wonder if anyone has gone near those areas with a metal detector? If she had metal dental work, or any other metal, a detector in an all metal mode may pick up on it. I would search near tall trees and rocks that could have been used as a marker. Someone with metal detector experience would be good for that.

 

[Ommmm]

KWWL Facebook announcement

TONIGHT: A KWWL exclusive regarding the person of interest in the disappearance of Jodi Huisentruit, the young anchor who disappeared on June 27th, 1995. We'll have details tonight at 6.

Read our past reporting on the case here: EXCLUSIVE: Person of interest in Huisentruit case to return to Iowa

 

[Ommmm]

EXCLUSIVE: Person of interest in Huisentruit disappearance unlikely to return to Iowa

 

[JnRyan]

The recent posts bring up DH. I had to do a Google search and was surprised that it came up very quickly. A meth cooker and his accomplice. I wonder what motive he would have for abducting and killing Jodi? If he wanted her dead, he could have simply shot her early that morning and would have been just as likely to gotten away with it as this method. Unless she was doing investigative reporting and he wanted to know what she knew?

 

[Tippy Lynn]

The recent posts bring up DH. I had to do a Google search and was surprised that it came up very quickly. A meth cooker and his accomplice. I wonder what motive he would have for abducting and killing Jodi? If he wanted her dead, he could have simply shot her early that morning and would have been just as likely to gotten away with it as this method. Unless she was doing investigative reporting and he wanted to know what she knew?

Motive could be drugs or maybe DH was involved with Jodi’s friend B Pruin’s death. He died not long before JH.

 

[JnRyan]

Motive could be drugs or maybe DH was involved with Jodi’s friend B Pruin’s death. He died not long before JH.

The best connection I can make to drugs is that maybe Jodi was researching for news article on the local drug scene. I thought about Pruin's death as well. If Pruin was in fact murdered, he was shot in his own home and not abducted. (Of course, Pruin's home was a farmhouse and fairly well isolated and if DH wanted to know what he knew he could question him there with little fear that a yell or scream would attract attention.) Then again, if Pruin WAS murdered his killer did a good job of making it look like a suicide. If it is the same killer, by abducting Jodi he also conceals the details of her death.

 

[Tippy Lynn]

The best connection I can make to drugs is that maybe Jodi was researching for news article on the local drug scene. I thought about Pruin's death as well. If Pruin was in fact murdered, he was shot in his own home and not abducted. (Of course, Pruin's home was a farmhouse and fairly well isolated and if DH wanted to know what he knew he could question him there with little fear that a yell or scream would attract attention.) Then again, if Pruin WAS murdered his killer did a good job of making it look like a suicide. If it is the same killer, by abducting Jodi he also conceals the details of her death.

I know, it could be though. There's a lot of weird connections.

 

[Woofbark]

The recent posts bring up DH. I had to do a Google search and was surprised that it came up very quickly. A meth cooker and his accomplice. I wonder what motive he would have for abducting and killing Jodi? If he wanted her dead, he could have simply shot her early that morning and would have been just as likely to gotten away with it as this method. Unless she was doing investigative reporting and he wanted to know what she knew?

If he killed Jodi, it may have happened as you described. He used a bat on Degeus then shot him. Jodi was knocked down then dragged. Perhaps she was hit by a bat. This would match his method and your theory. If they have the bat used to strike Degeus, that would be helpful. I don't know what became of the bat. In a court of appeals document # 06-1001 of February 14, 2007, it describes the killings. First victims were by a tree near the road. Degeus was found behind an abandoned house. Seems that DH used markers for his victims. If he killed Jodi, he may have continued that pattern. Photographing, even by drone, may help to find probable markers between those two areas. Who knows what might be there. It's only assumed that the Duncan family murders were his first murders.

 

[Ommmm]

Existence revealed of video believed to be of Huisentruit

SOLON, Iowa – Cold case investigator and media consulting executive Steve Ridge has revealed that Mason City, anchor Jodi Huisentruit boarded a ski boat with two men she did not previously know the weekend before she vanished in June of 1995. It has already been reported that Huisentruit went water skiing at Coralville Lake north of Iowa City with the primary person of interest in her disappearance, John Vansice, a man some 20 years older than Jodi. With them were Vansice’s son and two of Jodi’s friends.

them on board the boat. That video is believed to be the last one ever made outside of Huisentruit’s workplace before she was reported missing.
(...)
Ridge says he’s exploring whether one or both of the young men might have visited or attempted to visit Jodi in Mason City the next day, or possibly the Monday night before she was abducted. Ridge believes it is plausible a confrontation occurred inside Jodi’s apartment the night before she was abducted, or in the parking lot, minutes before she was abducted. Ridge says such a confrontation could shed light on both a motive and a proximity to the long mysterious abduction.